off charcoal and to help local farmers earn more money through fuelbriquette businesses.

The Danger Charcoal Poses
Charcoal is a vital fuel source for most Rwandans in the Northern Provence, 90-percent of who are subsistence
farmers who do not have access to electric or gas stoves to cook food and boil water. However, the environment pays a heavy price for Rwandans’ dependence on charcoal, a fuel that requires the burning of large quantities of trees to produce. Much of wood used to produce charcoal in the region is harvested illegally
from the Virunga rainforest, which combines Volcanoes National in Rwanda, Virunga National Park in DRC, and
Mgahinga National Park in Uganda.

Deforestation poses a serious threat to the wild animals, especially the estimated 450 endangered mountain gorillas living in the Virunga forest. Besides destroying habitat, illegal logging increasing the likelihood of disease transmission between human and animals, and causes soil erosion and water loss in the atmosphere. The later ultimately affects the local people, who need healthy soil and steady rain falls to grow crops.

The Charcoal Alternative
The most significant illegal tree harvesting occurs in Virunga National Park in DRC, where armed groups run huge, highly- lucrative charcoal operations. To fight the problem of illegal tree harvesting, Virunga National Park officials (ICCN), lead by Chief Warden

Emmanuel de Merode, have championed a new fuel technology—fuel briquettes—as a cheaper, cleaner, and more environmentally-friendly alternative to charcoal. ICCN developed a system to make burnable briquettes
out of discarded plant materials like rice sheaves and saw dust that can be used for cooking and heating. ICCN is now also helping local people to start briquette-making enterprises. MGVP, which works with mountain gorillas in Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda, and AoC, a conservation education project that works in Kinigi sector, are seeking to replicate ICCN’s efforts in Rwanda. While many of the trees used to make charcoal in Rwanda come from agro forestry, conservationists working in the area believe that much of the charcoal sold in Rwanda is produced illegally in DRC. Some locals also admit to entering Volcanoes National Park to cut down trees for charcoal, and deforestation is evident in places inside the park. At MGVP’s invitation, the head of ICCN’s Energy
Production Program, Jean Bosco Bichamakara, came to Musanze in early December to train a group of 20 Rwandans from Musanze and Kinigi to make fuel briquettes. The trainees were all either participants in MGVP’s agriculture partner farm program or members of a community living near Volcanoes National Park sponsored by Art of Conservation. “Deforestation from the charcoal trade is a threat to the mountain gorilla habitat in Rwanda, DRC, and Uganda and the use of charcoal causes respiratory illness in the human population, which can be passed on to gorillas,” said John Huston, MGVP’s Agriculture Project Coordinator. “When we saw the success of ICCN’s briquette program in Congo, we thought it was vital to bring the technology to Rwanda.”

“Although we use charcoal now, we know we need to use a different kind of fuel because we need the forest to produce rain for our crops and clean air to keep us healthy,” says Cecile Nyirabahutu, a Kinigi community leader at the training. Rwandans at the training listened intently as Bichamakara explained how to make briquettes using a wooden press and other basic tools. First, a precise mixture of raw materials like recycled paper and sawdust are mixed together with water to form a pulp. The pulp is then poured into tube mold which is pressed to drain away the water. The circular briquettes are removed from mold and laid in the sun. Once the briquettes are thoroughly dry they are ready for cooking. Typically a team of six people works together using a
briquette kit, which costs about $300 USD to make. Bichamakara estimates that when a team becomes practiced they will be able to make 1,000 briquettes per day—enough fuel to supply a typical Rwandan family of
eight for a month.“This is one small step forward in the greater process of eliminating the charcoal problem in the Virungas,” said Julie Ghrist, Director of Art of Conservation. “But by working together—different countries, different organizations, and different groups of local people—we have a much greater chance of success in the long run.”

Immaculee Uwimana, one of MGVP’s agriculture partners, is using a briquette press donated by ICCN to start the initial production of briquettes. MGVP recently purchased Uwimana’s first batch of 500 briquettes to use at the MGVP headquarters in Musanze. AoC Director Julie Ghrist bought six additional 100-kilo sacks of briquettes for her staff to use.

Challenges and Opportunities with Fuel Briquettes
With Rwanda’s fuel briquette program still in its infancy, MGVP’s John Huston and AoC’s Julie Ghrist admit the program will need to overcome significant challenges in order to be successful. However, if it does succeed, they think there will not only be benefits for conservation, but also for the Rwandan people.

Aside from conservation, the project aims to train and support Rwandans—farmers in particular—who want start their own small businesses producing and selling fuel briquettes. “It’s essential that we develop and grow fuel briquette businesses in Rwanda,” says John Huston.“Not only will the businesses increase the amount of briquettes available on the market, but they will also put more money into the pockets of farmers, increasing the standard of living. Anything you can do to increase cash flow in the community results in higher quality food, more opportunities for education, and increased use of health services.“

MGVP and AoC are helping the first group of Rwandan trainees to start briquette businesses. “We have contracted a carpenter in Musanze to make more briquette presses and will hold more trainings so we can get more businesses up and running,” says Ghrist. She plans to bring the next press to Cecile Nyirabahutu’s community in Kinigi. In the past, Nyirabahutu was part of charcoal enterprise and walking two hours in each way between her home and Volcanoes National Park, where she picked sacks of charcoal from local producers
to sell in Kinigi. “I am ready to make a change,” says Nyirabahutu. “I believe briquette making will help our community earn more money so we can better take care of our families.” the adult population is in imminent need of finding alternative cooking fuel and income generating sources - which we are trying to help initiate. moreover, my staff and i are seeing how introducing the concept of alternatives and sustainability to our young students during our conservation education classes that they may be more willing to try more progressive measures as they become adults.

There is a long way to go before briquettes will be fully accepted and used by a significant number of Rwandans, however. Pricing will be one of the biggest challenges. It will likely be essential for briquettes to cost less than charcoal. In DRC, briquettes are sold for roughly one third the price of charcoal, but costs may differ in Rwanda due to different market circumstances. MGVP is researching Rwandan fuel markets and field testing different briquette business models to develop a plan that will allow small businesses to be profitable and sell briquettes that are cheaper than charcoal. Once a successful business model is established, the project will face the challenge of creating awareness and developing a market for briquettes beyond the NGO community. MGVP and AoC are contemplating marketing strategies but more funding is necessary to support a long-term campaign.

Despite the obstacles the project faces, both Huston and Ghrist are hopeful that Rwandans will embrace fuel briquettes in time. “This is not about foreigners coming in and telling people what to do,” says Huston. “It’s about people who want to make a positive change, and we are using our resources to facilitate that effort. We make the contacts, we teach the business strategies, but Rwandans make the decisions, and ultimately it will be Rwandans who make a difference.” (Julie, let me know if you have a hopeful quote!)

For more information contact:
Email: mollyfeltner@gmail.com, Website: www.gorilladoctors.org / www.art-of-conservation.com