Women solar engineers crossing frontiers to spread clean, affordable energy solutions in rural communities

Description of the project: This South-South cooperation between grassroots communities of India and Cameroon builds women’s capacities as solar engineers that provide energy solutions adapted to local needs around agriculture, household electrification and education. Thanks to the Barefoot College in India, 20 women in the Fako district of Cameroon have been trained to install solar… Read More

Land for Life: farming communities develop innovative agroforestry system preserving the rainforests and ensuring better livelihoods

Description of the project: Inga-alley cropping is a simple but revolutionary agroforestry system that provides sustainable alternatives to old subsistence farming practices destroying the rainforest. Inga trees are planted in hedgerows between rows of food crops. Growing rapidly, the trees essentially recreate a rainforest that is managed by a virtuous cycle of yearly pruning after… Read More

Advocacy for women’s right to land ownership through DRC’s land

Description of the project: This project advocates in 4 regions of DRC for national authorities and customary leaders to acknowledge the rights of women on lands and forests and strengthen their participation in climate action. Based on an assessment of women’s legal land tenure rights and local practices, an advocacy tool was created and used… Read More

Restoring biodiversity in community forest by planting caterpillar trees

Description of the project: The Batwa Pygmies are discriminated against in DRC, particularly in their access to traditional forests, often overexploited. This project aims at restoring forest ownership by Pygmy populations (1,600 beneficiaries) and biodiversity in the Equator province by planting trees that host edible caterpillars in two forest areas of 100 ha each. Caterpillars… Read More

Women managing organic seed banks: improving access to information and preserving diversity of local environment

Description of the project: Grainothèque, set up in the Western part of Côte d’Ivoire, works on preserving and exploring the genetic diversity and reproduction of local feeding plants through organic seed banks as well as improving access to information. Tools and technical notes explaining production techniques, pollination, botanical classification, isolation, harvesting, seed stocking and feeding… Read More

Africa kitchen revolution: training women on transferable mud-building techniques

Description of the project: BWC offers a simple, low cost, sustainable alternative to heavy use of solid fuel by building clean cookstoves with mud-building techniques and local materials. The main objectives of this participatory project are to: improve the livelihood of women by training them on the construction of low-emitting mud cookstoves, reduce air pollution,… Read More

Building improved efficient stoves for women

Description of the project: The project consists of the fabrication of traditional efficient stoves for cooking food. They enable a 40% CO2 emissions reduction compared to previous stoves. And instead of using coal, these new stoves use wood pellets, from wood recycling material which further reduces CO2 emissions. The project is led by four women… Read More

Selling thermal baskets to keep food hot and reduce CO2 and waste

Description of the project: Association for Research Action Development and Environment in Sahel (ARADES) is developing and selling thermal baskets sold by women. This low-tech product enables households to save cooking fuel and reduce waste. This enhances sustainable development and civic behaviour. We hope to sell 44 000 thermal baskets per year, from which women… Read More

Community-based adaptation to climate change in rural Senegal

Description of the project: CREATE! collaborates with eight rural Senegalese communities to help residents 1) gain access to abundant and affordable clean water using renewable solar energy; 2) reduce deforestation and desertification through tree planting programs and the widespread use of locally built fuel-efficient clay/sand improved cook stoves; and 3) improve their health and security… Read More

Strengthening women’s ancestral and artisanal fishery to preserve mangrove natural resources in the Saloum delta

Description of the project: Faced with rising water levels, soil salinization and industrial overfishing, women fishers from 7 villages of the Saloum River Delta restore and develop sustainable fishing and processing practices of mangrove shellfish. The catch is calibrated and weighted, biological recovery and reseeding is implemented and improved stoves and solar dryers are used… Read More

Agroecological women cooperatives ensure food sovereignty in drought threatened areas

Description of the project: Facing increasing droughts and water scarcity, inland areas in Senegal need to preserve food sovereignty through climate resilient and sustainable agriculture. The Afrika Mandela Ranch is an ecological farm school which also hosts an elementary school. Through a cooperative of women from surrounding villages (Mbondy, Kalassan, Keer Saer), it implements agroecology… Read More

South-south, grassroots women based technology transfer for solar electricity

Description of the project: The project is a gender responsive green energy project which focuses on providing low cost solar electricity to grassroots communities. It is based on south-south technology transfer by women organizations with capacity building on environmental conservation and alternative income generating activities. It improves community livelihood with 98 solar electrified households direct… Read More