Kachila Youth Initiative has introduced cook stoves built using bricks to 3 000 households in Karonga through a project worth K14. 5 million.
The initiative touts the new stoves as good for conserving the environment through use of less firewood.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, the organisation’s executive director Matchona Ngwira said wanton cutting down of trees for firewood has rendered the district prone to floods.
“That’s why we have introduced the cook stoves, especially in group village heads Mchakachaka, Mjaliwana and Mwakashunguti in Senior Chief Mwilang’ombe’s area where these practices are on the increase.
“We are optimistic that people will adopt the stoves and use less firewood than what is used in the traditional three-stone fire places,” he said.
Ngwira said the organisation will also initiate sustainable afforestation programmes and enforce by-laws to protect the environment through Village Natural Resource Management Committees.
Senior Chief Mwilang’ombe’s representative Sasabali Msiska hailed Kachila Youth Initiative for the project, saying it will save the environment and control flooding in the area.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is funding the project through its Global Environmental Facility.
(Source: The Nation Malawi, 28th December 2018)