The World Challenge 2009 has chosen its 12 finalists for its global competition aimed at projects showing enterprise and innovation at a grassroots level, and Africa has three projects included.
The first is Namibia’s Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Bush Project titled “No Beating about the Bush,” that manufactures bushblok, a clean-burning log fuel sold in Namibia, South Africa, and Europe. The bush project is competing against 11 other projects in the challenge, whose winner and two runners up of World Challenge 2009 will be announced at an awards ceremony held in The Hague, Netherlands.
Another African project is the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Jiko Rescue which focuses on bringing stoves that are less reliant on conventional forms of energy to communities around the Virunga National Park. The Stoves for Survival Project aims to reduce reliance on local natural resources through the production and distribution of fuel-efficient Jiko stoves, which reduce the consumption of firewood and charcoal by at least 55%. The project also reduces the time locals (often children) spend collecting wood and the amount of money spent on charcoal.
Finally, the Kenya Biogas Project was created to promote a friendly way of tapping biogas as a clean source of energy. The project’s objective is to replace wood with human waste in the production of biogas in prisons in Kenya. The gas is used in the kitchen and to fuel water boilers. The project also brings other benefits to the community namely treatment of the sewage waste in order to prevent waterborne diseases, production of organic food for fish in the fish ponds, reduction of deforestation, and a healthy cooking environment.
Every vote counts so go and support Africa’s own by visiting www.theworldchallenge.co.uk. Enough votes and Africa could take the prize and both runner up slots. Go Africa!