Environment Clean Cooking Training for a Better women and Youth livelihood

Back Ground.
In October 2006 Ms Almaz Gebru, the United Nations Coordinator, who also doubled as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Uganda Country Director, said weather patterns where changing for the worse and there was no way millions of Ugandans trapped in poverty and suffering from hunger, would Not be relieved if natural resources continued to be depleted.
According to the United Nations statistics, there are 1.2 billion youth aged 15-24 globally as of 2015, accounting for one out of every six people (17%) worldwide. This is predicted to increase to one out of every four people, which means there would be 1.3 billion youth by 2030. This global trend has particular pertinence to Africa, because Africa has the largest concentration of young people in the world. According to the United Nations, 226 million youth aged 15-24 lived in Africa in 2015 representing nearly 20% of Africa’s population, making up one fifth of the world’s youth population.
Unemployment rates among youths have soared since the Great Recession of 2008, doubling the adult unemployment rate in many developed and developing countries. Youths account for 60% of all of Africa’s jobless, according to the World Bank. In North Africa, the youth unemployment rate was 29.3 per cent in 2016 and greater in Botswana, the Republic of the Congo, Senegal, and South Africa, (UNDP 2012). In sub-Saharan Africa, Young people between 15 and 25 represent more than 60% of Africa's total population and unemployment constitutes 10.9% youth in the region which is a major cause for concern. The unemployment rate in the East Africa was 80 percent and keeps getting worse due to insufficient employable skills and enhanced general awareness within the interventions that would be able to create them sustainable employment opportunities.
Today, There has been unanimous consensus all over Africa and Uganda In particular, that the general women/youth livelihood problems and climate changes are interconnected and the scale of environmental change is directly proportional to rate at which residents cut down trees for domestic (fuel for cooking) and economical purposes (furniture) resulting into environmental degradation. This has a negative impact on the environment and the general livelihood of youth and women in our region since majority earn income from farming activities that entirely rely on the environmental conditions. In general, For example, the deforestation of Uganda’s Famous Mabira Forest in the Busoga region can be linked with the increased frequency of changes in seasons; long drought spells contamination of drinking water, Less Farmer yields and loss of income generating activities. This chain does not stop there, this phenomenon of aggravation and exacerbation can also have devastating impacts on the livelihood of Youth and Women all over the country Since Agriculture is the back born of our country resulting into forced Rural Urban Migration. This is because of the fact that the environmental concerns and livelihood of Youth and Women are not incorporated in climate conservation practices and innovation of environmental conservation or income generating projects at all levels. In most of the cases, decisions of environmental management and Women/Youth livelihood are taken separately with no clear linkages. This is mainly because of the fact that Our Youth and Women have not yet got the chance to be sensitized and trained about new methods, innovations and technology that aid in environmental conservation and at the same time generate income.
Masrcorp Organization would like collaboration and partnership with Any willing organization or institution to initiate and organize a six months project for the environment clean cooking Training project to cater for improved women and youth livelihood through which women and youth will be trained on sustainable innovation and construction of improved energy saving volcanic rocks and solar power Aided cook stoves (VRSPACS) that reduce up to 80% on the rate of tree cutting for firewood and charcoal using locally available materials”, combining the risks of deforestation and its disasters and formulating a way in which they can turn the innovation and Training into a sustainable income generating venture to improve on their livelihood.

Overall Purpose of the project
To contribute to increased environmental protection through the uptake and utilization of volcanic rocks and solar power Aided cook stoves (VRSPACS) , a technology that reduces the intensity of pressures on the forests and tree cutting for firewood, charcoal and the related livelihoods.
It is expected that the project will Increase women and youth involvement in sustainable energy use for mapped out households which offers excellent employment opportunity. In this program, youth and women will be directly involved not only in product utilization, but also in assembling, repair, maintenance and sales of VRSPACS for house hold income generation. Saving women and youth from the ravaging smoke-related respiratory and optical diseases

The major objectives of the program are:
i. To train youth and women in hands on environment clean cook stove manufacturing and construction that would reduce on firewood and charcoal consumption there by reducing the rate of deforestation.
ii. To train youth and women in networking and marketing of both the environment clean cook stoves and agricultural products
iii. To train youth and women in entrepreneurship skills to help them manage day to day business affairs in a well-designed business environment.
iv. To create a successful Joint business for youth and women in selected regions for the provision of the environment clean cook stoves at an affordable price to all residents in the region.

Project Scope and Key Features
i) Creating new employment opportunities to the most vulnerable section of society (Women& Youth).
ii) Contributing to poverty reduction.
iii) Reducing rural-urban migration amongst youths and improve standards of living for both women and the youth.
iv) Lowering the prevalence of smoke-related respiratory and optical diseases amongst women and the children,
v) Reducing on the immense pressures against the forest natural resource for fuel wood

Project Outputs and Activities

Output 1.1: Capacity of women/youth in development and utilization of clean energy technologies enhanced.

Activities:
• Identification of service providers in VRSPACS
• Inception meeting of board and staff on utilization, assembling, repair, maintenance of VRSPACS
• Sensitization of women/youth in Volcanic Rocks and solar powered cook stoves
• Recruitment of VRSPACS women and youth groups
• Training of recruited groups on solar energy
• Training of women and youth groups in utilization, assembling, repair, maintenance of VRSPACS.
• Formation of one Volcanic Rocks Solar power Aided cook stove network.

Output 1.2: women/youth earning income from sale repair and maintenance of Volcanic Rocks Solar Power Aided Cook stoves.
Activities:
• Support the establishment of an outlet for VRSPACS
• Establishment of financial and market linkages for VRSPACS
• Training of women and youth in entrepreneurship and business development
• Support the promotion of VRSPACS through expos, trade shows to mention but a few

Outcome 2: Women and Youths in a healthy environment

Output 2.1: Reduction in greenhouse gas emission realized from 70% adoption of the cook stove technologies by the targeted youth and women households.
Activities:
• Installation of demo VRSPACS in the region.
• Facilitation of one exchange visit on already installed solar powered cook stoves
• Follow up on already installed solar powered cook stoves.
• Conducting and attending review meetings
• Purchase of T-shirts, for promotion of VRSPACS.

NB. We are looking for any EU Organization or a university/Institution that can apply and coordinate the project.