Improved Cooking Stove Program (ICS)

Name of the Project:                        Protection the Environment & Human Health through the establishment ICS.

Duration of the project:                   Three (3) Years  Project.

Information about who are you:     Executive Director of the Organization.

The name of the lead applicant:      Md.Anisur Rahman,

Contact Detail:                                   Vill: Nowdagram,
                                                             Post: Jessore-7400,
                                                             District: Jessore,
                                                             Bangladesh
                                                             E-mail: alo2002org@yahoo.com

Bank Information:        

Name of the bank:                            Sonali Bank Limited

                                                            Swift-Code –  BSONBDDH

Name of the Account:                      Animation Liberate For Organize (ALO),

Account Number:                              CA-001015682

Address:                                              Jessore Bazar Brance, Jessore

                                                             Kapuria Potty Road , Jessore.

                                                             Bangladesh.

Legal Status:                                      Registration Number and Date,
                                                             a) Department Social Welfare           DSS No-   484 / 19-5-1997                       
                                                             b) Department Youth development –JUO No –35 / 2-8-2003
                                                             c) NGO Affairs Bureau-                      FDO/R No- 1711 / 1-4-2002

Summary of the project:

Animation Liberate for Organize (ALO) is a non-Gov. Voluntary Organization is working for the protection of the Environment / climate and with the health hazards of the women and children. The project will be implemented in Jessore Sador, district Jessore. In this light, ALO has received this project for the cook stove users and women who will be given training on the protection of health and on the  water, sanitation and bio-mass/usage of wood for which the health of women is deteriorating and weakening  gradually. Although they Have little knowledge on water, sanitation, but have not little knowledge on environment pollution, surrounding pollution and especially kitchen pollution, Kitchen pollution is now the most effective condition of health hazards. From the kitchen, created gas and floating spark, fume and foggy floating smoke cause health hazard of the users (women and children) through using the Traditional Cook Stove (TCS) along with it pollutes the environment by kitchen stove and is responsible for the health hazards. The women use TCS which causes the health problem of users (women and children). They do not know and use Improved Cook Stove (ICS) which can remove health problem of women and children. For this reason, ALO has taken this project for providing training on water, sanitation and ICS, primary health.  If they can be provided training on the proper usage water, sanitation and ICS, the health problem of women will be improved.

Target Population:

The target people of the project are the women of the villages of Jessore Sodar of Jessore District. The women are unconscious and unaware about the health condition and usage of garbage and  biomass/wood. They do not know how to use garbage and biomass properly and how to improve health condition. Women are the direct target population of the project and all the villagers are the indirect target population of this project.

Project Location: All village of Jessore Sodor, Jessore District.

Country                       District                        Union                          Village

Bangladesh                 Jessore                        15 nos                        165 nos

Goal of the project: The main goal of the project is to provide training for the women health on the subject of water, sanitation and improved Cook Stove (ICS).

Objectives of the project:

To make conscious by giving training the village women and children on Sanitation, water and Improved Cook Stove (ICS)  

Beneficiary of the project:

ALO will select the family women from the project area of Jessore Sador of jessore District. These family members are the direct beneficiaries.  From these women, the group will be made consisting of 20 members. 

Total direct and indirect beneficiaries.

1. Total direct beneficiaries of this project are 39,600.
2. Indirect beneficiaries of the project are 195,000.

Background of beneficiary region:

Jessore is a district located in Khulna Division of southwest Bangladesh and area is 435.22 squire kilometer. It has 8 Thanas, union – 15, powarashava – 1, warsds – 9, Mohollah – 75, villages – 256. Jessore District is densely populated region. Its total population is 742898, Male – 380314, female – 362584 and family – 169164.  This project will be implemented in Sadar of Jessore district with a view to providing training on ICS, water and sanitation and especially for establishing improved cook stove to mitigate fatal diseases of mother and children. There are a total 32 millions families in Bangladesh. Among them 72% (25 millions families) families live in villages who normally use traditional / conventional stove (TCS), polluted water, unhygienic latrine witch is responsible for health problem of the users (Women and children).  The users of this area are suffering from various diseases using old conventional stoves. In old conventional stoves, the firewood is causing women and children health hazards. The users always stay in cooking house with smoke, smudge, soot and floating sparks etc. that cause a violent accident and ultimately causing death. This environment based stove will (ICS) health based. This enterprise has been taken to protect the mothers and children in the families. We have approached to develop the rural life. We are trying to lessen health problem of mother and children, labor, environment problem and overall climate change problem.

Beneficiaries selection and group formation.

ALO will select 39600 families from the project area of 7 Upazilas of jessore District. These family members are the direct beneficiaries.  From these women, group will be made consisting of 20 members. A group leader will be appointed from every group. Total 150 groups will be formed from Jessore Sador  Upazila.

Project Description:

Environment refers to water, air and Bio-mass. And these three things is causing health problem of women and children. Environment is a significant factor at present and a matter of headache to world’s people. Environment is undergoing day by day. Environment is deeply interrelated to human beings. Human beings are creating the destruction of environment. People are cutting down trees hugely, polluting water, air and unhygienic latrine and surroundings.  For this reason, Animation Liberate for Organize (ALO) is working for giving training the women primary health on water, sanitation and ICS. The project will be implemented in Jessore Sador, district jessore. In this light, ALO has made this project for the cook stove users (women and children)  and common people who will be giving training to install Improved Cook Stove (ICS) replacing traditional cook stove (TCS). Improved Cook stove ICS is one kind of cooking stove which is used in cooking house and from here the health of women is deteriorating. This cook is scientific stove which is useful to human health. On the other hand, Traditional Cook Stove (ICS) is harmful to human health. If this cook stove can be established, then the cutting of the tree /deforestation will be solved. Biomass cost will be decreased for the cook users. This ICS is environment based and TCS is indoor air pollution based (IAP). In these stoves, the biomass cost is more than that of ICS along with it causes deforestation and women and children health hazards. ICS is environment based stove (EBS) which keeps up the balance of surroundings. This enterprise has been taken to protect mothers and child who spend most of the time in cooking house. Firewood / biomass energy is the main energy source used in Bangladesh. It is the root source of cooking energy in almost all households of Bangladesh. Firewood / biomass come from trees. For this reason, ALO has taken this innovative project to protect the health of women and children through establishment of ICS in the targeted area. There are so many different type of conventional cook stoves in various places in Bangladesh. The energy that comes by burning this firewood is used its very small part. As a result, huge amount of tree / biomass energy is being used. Besides, in kitchen, created gas and floating spark, fume and foggy floating smoke cause health hazard of the users through using the (TCS) along with it pollutes the environment and is responsible for women and child health. Moreover, polluted water and latrine are creating unhealthy condition of women. To keep pollution free, smoke free cook house, to prevent waste of firewood, to encourage of using ICS and to ensure sound health of the users, ALO has taken in hand a project proposal

The justification of the project.

Our Organization (ALO) has composed this project to protect the health of women and children by providing training on improved cook stove (ICS), water and sanitation. Women and children are being facing hard realistic situation of the working area about water, Air and kitchen pollution. For kitchen pollution, thousand of cook user including women and children are dying every year.  The cook users will be given training on health and will be encouraged to use improved cook stoves (ICS) replacing traditional cook stove (TCS). This ICS is environment based and TCS is indoor air pollution based (IAP. This enterprise has been taken to protect environment and environment will be extended and the mothers and child who spend most of the time in cooking house. ICS removes health problem of mother and child, reduce fuel consumption, produces better tasting food, less smoke emissions, less cooking and fuel collection time, lessen labor, remove environment problem and overall change climate. Biomass energy is the main energy source used in Bangladesh. It is the root source of cooking energy in almost all households of Bangladesh.  According to the statistic of World Health Organization, The leading killer of children worldwide 22% is acute respiratory infections (ARI) (WHO – 2005).  Strikingly, this exceeds the combined toll of diarrhea diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria. Epidemiological studies identify indoor air pollution (IAP) as a principal culprit, reporting powerful associations between IAP exposure and ARI symptoms. Biomass combustion within the household is thought to be the main contributor to IAP. Women who cook and the infants and children they care for are particularly affected. World Health Report identifies IAP as the single largest environmental risk factor for female mortality, attributing 5% of all female deaths in the developing world to indoor smoke (WHO 2002). Despite these large health hazards, half of the world’s population and over 75% of South Asians continue to rely on dung, brush, and wood as their primary source of energy for cooking and heating. Biomass combustion with TCS is an important contributor to climate change as well. Other than carbon dioxide, the leading contributor to rising global temperatures is black carbon (‘soot’), accounting for 18% of the increase. In Asia and Africa, TCS that burn solid biomass fuels produce the majority of black carbon; household energy use in Africa alone will produce 6.7 billion tons of carbon by 2050 (Levine and Beltramo 2009). Climate change activities targeting black carbon emissions can have a much more rapid impact that those focusing on CO. CO remains in the atmosphere for years, while black carbon lingers for only a few weeks. More than half of the world’s population—three billion people—cooks their food indoors using open fires or rudimentary stoves. Indoor burning of solid fuels releases toxic pollutants including particulate matter and carbon monoxide. These harmful cooking practices cause an estimated 1.9 million premature deaths annually (Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves, 2010). As the household members most likely to cook family meals, women and children are most affected. The reliance on biomass fuels in developing nations has put considerable pressure not just on the safety of families, but on the environment as well, increasing both deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Traditional stoves generally have an unnecessarily large distance between the pot and the fuel bed which leads to heat loss, very low heat transfer to the cooking pot and inefficiency. The fuel gas exits between the cooking pot and the stove are also very large in size, which allows some fuel-gas to escape without coming into contact with the cooking pot, further lowering conventional heat transfer. Apart from this low efficiency, traditional stoves emit smoke high in pollution content, which affects users’ health. The smoke exposure is particularly harmful for cooks closest to the fire, and others such as children who spend time in the kitchen. Stove-use also dirties the kitchen and soot blackens kitchen walls. Due to incomplete combustion of biomass fuels in TCS, appreciable quantities of irritants, toxins and carcinogens are released into the kitchen environment and these pose a major threat to the respiratory system of the users. In general, the combustion products of wood are carbon dioxide, water vapour and carbon monoxide, particulate and polycyclic organic matters, the last three of which are known to be pollutants hazardous to human health. Improved cook stoves or ICS, instead of traditional biomass cook stoves (TBCS) can ensure efficiency in the use of traditional fuels. Moreover, ICS reduces smoke emission and health hazards especially to the cook. In the case of chimney stove, fuel gases are also taken out of the kitchen so that the kitchen becomes cleaner for the cook. Other benefits of ICS include reduced cooking time, less smoke, less blackening of the utensils, saving fuel, portability for portable stoves and single chimney based cook stove.  So the time has come to be conscious about the use of ICS. There are so many different type of TCS in various places in Bangladesh. The most of the energy is not used in TCS. Firewood is used huge amount but comes result very small amount in using the TCS.  Besides, created gas and floating spark, fume and foggy floating smoke cause health hazard of the users through using the TCS along with it pollutes the environment and is responsible for climate change. To keep pollution free, smoke free cooking house, to resist waste of biomass and to ensure sound health of the users,  ALO has taken in hand this project proposal to protect tree and to keep up the balance the environment.

Situation Analysis:

Education:
In the area, literacy rate is far lower than the national rate. Secondary, Higher Secondary and University going students are very few. Primary and secondary schooling rate is not up to the mark and the drop out rate is also remarkably high. The respondents told that most of the children go to working field for earning. They do not know about the impact of global warming, the importance of environment, green house effect and climate change. They are cutting trees and using in Traditional Cook stove (TCS).  It is their daily habit and work.  The women go to collect bio-mass in jungle and with it they cook in TCS that create smoke and fume which is harmful to the mother and children. 

Source of Income:
The rich families have their regular income from agriculture, selling fishes from ponds, and other sources like different businesses. Middle class families have income both from agricultural land and small business or selling labor. The poor families have sell daily labors and cultivate lands as share cropping system for income and poor and vulnerable women work in rich and middle class family as home servants for not having income opportunities. They are working as day labors. They are living in low level socially. The working facilities are being reduced day by day of the poor women.  The farmers were reporting that from agricultural sector, their income is decreasing day by day.  

Socio-economic Condition of the target Area:
The people of the targeted areas are illiterate, superstitions and poor land less and home less. Professionally they are cheap labor, fishermen, marginal farmer etc. Social exploitation, deprivation, domination and all sorts of evil practices are the common phenomenon of the people. About 13 % women are being divorced 35 % are victim of torture. Local moneyed people imposed unethical interest for money landing among the poor people and exploit inhumanly. The vested groups enjoy the existing facilities while the poor are deprived.

It may be mentioned that the enacted laws prevailing to the land less and for the safe guard of land less do not translate in to practice. But in practice there are number of obstacles on the way of implementation of those laws which eventually implode the development of those people.

Besides, in general Bangladesh is a male dominated society. The major causes for that situation are neither the women members are educated, nor they are earning members. Particularly in the rural areas, the women folk are to confine themselves within the four walls of the houses. Due to illiteracy and ignorance crop up superstitions these women are under the impression that they are born only for cooking, giving birth to the child, rearing them and to act as obedient slave of husband. They generally victimized and fall prey to husband’s inhuman torture for realization of illegal/undue dowry from their poor/land less parents/guardians. There are cases of divorce and even murder of wives for non-realization of the dowry and some time for undue whims of the husbands

Current practice of stove:
Around 80% of the households, on average, used agricultural residues as fuel. People cook three times a day – once for each of the main meals (morning, noon and night). women spend 4 to 5 hours a day in cooking house. In rural areas, amount of time spent for cooking varies by season. Women in Bangladesh use primarily Traditional Cook Stove (TCS).  And they spend up to 6-8 hours of their time in the kitchen to complete a variety of food-related tasks, such as preparing for cooking, gathering utensils, cleaning, washing, gathering fuels, and cooking. The most commonly cooked items are the mainstays of the Bangladeshi diet, such as roti (bread), rice, lentils, vegetable, fish, meat, snacks, tea, sweets, cakes and puffed rice

Stove Type:
Improved , Traditional , Kerosene, Bio gas , stove, Chimney stove

Fuel use:
To cook food items, people need Leaves , Toosh (Husk of grains) , Khorkuta (Straws and twigs) , Tree-branches , Dung , Wood grains , Kerosene , Jute stalk , Bamboo , Water hyacinth , Gas , Wheat/mustard flakes/grains, ,Kerosene, , Sugarcane fiber, Water hyacinth, Beter-nut fiber which cause mother & child health hazards, air and environment pollution in TCS. If it can be used in ICS, health hazards of the women and the environment and climate will be developed.

At a  glance, The disadvantage of TCS:
There are many disadvantages in TCS such as:  High cost and low benefit, Need huge time to cook,  Creation of smoke, smudge, soot, Become more dirty all utensils and containers, Creation of health hazard of the users,  Create Pollution of cooking houses, Causes violent incident by sparks, Cut down huge trees, Create environmental imbalance, Causes climate change.

At a glance, The advantage of ICS:
There are many advantages in TCS such as: Cost of firewood will come in half,  Smoke free and pollution free cooking house, Mitigation of eye pain, asthma, headache, cancer like diseases, diarrhoeal diseases, tuberculosis, and malaria, the cooking house will remain clean, soot, smudge free , Remove fire related violent incidents , Help to mitigate Green house effect, Easier to establish, spend little / inefficient labor during cooking, Cutting down of tree will be stopped, Trees will live long, Improve environment, Keep up the balance of climate.

Considering all these things, ALO has undertaken this project proposal to protect women, children health, environment and climate.

Activities of the project:

ALO has planned necessary activities to implement this project which is given below:

To implement this project ALO will form

• A Project Implementation Committee (PIC).
• Staff Appointment
• Poster, leaflet & stickers developed
• Beneficiaries selection and group formation.
• Materials purchase
• Awareness and Improved Cook Making Training
• Supervision and monitoring
• Reporting
• Auditing
• Evaluation

Performed Activities :

The following activities of the project were carried out during the 10 month project period. These were:

Activity 1. PIC formation:

(a) To implement this project, ALO will form a project implementation committee (PIC) which will help for implementation all the activities of the project. PIC is a significant committee for running and  achieving the ordained objectives and activities. 

Outcome:

The Project Implementation Committee constituted by the Governing Council, reviews the progress of project activities  and takes all necessary decisions to ensure quality and timely completion of the project. The Committee meets at least once in a month or more often as required:

• Staff appointment & orientation.

Every project needs necessary personals to implement the project objectives and activities. In the same way, necessary staffs will be appointed for this project like (1) project Coordinator – 1,  (2) Accountant – 1, (3) Supervisor – 1, (4) trainers  – 3. (5) Storkeepers  – 1. They are experienced and expert for the project because this project is little different from other project.

Outcome:

The project will be implemented smoothly and in organizing. The project objectives and activities will accomplish with discipline. The reputation of the Organization will be increased. It will be completed timely.

 (e) Poster, leaflet & stickers distribution

Poster, leaflet & stickers are important communication tools for reaching information to the common people. All poster, leaflet and stickers will be composed on the ICS and on the importance of trees, oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane gas and global warming. It will be designed with attractive and colorful writing on environment and global warming.

Outcome:

Poster, leaflet & stickers are important communication tools for reaching information to the common people. It will make awareness all classes of people. People will be encouraged to see it.

Beneficiaries selection and Group Formation:

ALO will select the beneficiaries of the targeted villages who are mainly women. There are 256 villages and 75 Mohollah. In Jessore Sador. From every village, 100 women will be chosen and made group with them consisting 20 members. 100 women will made 5 groups and will be provided training of making ICS which is environment based and in every month, 20 training programs will be held on ICS.

Materials purchase

For this project purpose, some necessary materials will be purchased for training program. For training purpose, in every group, a set of cook making material will be needed and after ward it will be provided the group leader.

Implementation Strategy of the project:

 To run project, ALO will form project implementation committee (PIC). Then necessary staffs and trainers of cook stoves will be appointed. They will be provided training for one day. 1 (one) trainer = 1 (one) group (20 members). 5 (Three) trainers = 05 × 1 group (20 members) = 05 groups (100 members)  will be provided training daily . Training will be provided  20 days in 1 (one) month.  20 days × 5 groups = 100 groups will receive training in a month. 100 groups (2000 members) × 11 months = 22000 members in one year. So 11 months × 100 groups = 1100 groups. Total 1100 groups × 20 members = 22000 members will be the direct beneficiaries in 1^st year. In the next year, 22000 members will be  direct beneficiaries and Another 66000 members will be direct beneficiaries in 3^rd year and all will be given training on ICS and ICS related all logistic support will be provided to Cook stove users.

ICS  Training

Trainer – 5

After beneficiary selection and group formation, the beneficiaries will be called and organized in a pre-ordained place where the training will be arranged on health condition. The expert trainer on ICS will be appointed to provide training on how the importance of ICS is. The beneficiaries will be taught on how to make an ICS. Because it is health based cook stove. They will be taught on what components will be needed to make ICS?

Project Impacts:

• Women health will be improved
• Children mortality rate will be reduced
• All cook users will be conscious
• ICS will be established
• Cooking time will reduce
• Air pollution will be removed gradually.

Long term impact of the Project:

This project has long-term purpose and it will be achieved under the following ways:

a) Ability of staffs

The staff will gain necessary skills and experiences to run the project smoothly and properly, so, they could be able to control and cover bigger size of program, which will need less staff for this project continuation. Moreover, they could be able training up the beneficiaries with low cost and even with out cost.

b) Trained Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries will be capable to train up, be experienced and conscious fellow members, who will be needed helpful of the staffs. The Group members will take the responsibility of the groups, which will reduce the dependency on staff, so, less staff will be needed. The group leaders will lead and manage the group activities, so, the project will be self sustainable.

c) Experienced Organization:

Organization (ALO) will gain the more experience. The responsibility and duty of the organization will increase and developed. The sprit of work of the organization will be developed. 

d) Tree plantation:

The beneficiaries and local people of the project area will get encourage to plant tree more in their yard and open field. They will realize the importance of environment and trees.

Stop TCS:

Traditional Cook Stove (TCS) is stove which is not environment based. If this project can be established properly, the TCS will be stopped gradually. And one time TCS will be remove forever.

ICS establishment:

As a result of this project, Improved Cook Stove (ICS) will be established in the project area. This is environment based thing.  It lessens cost and benefit for health, air and climate.

Health Hazards Remove:

Health hazards of women and children will be removed. Tradition Cook Stove (TCS) will be stove. 

Project Activities and Operational Target:

The project will be started from January 2015 and ended 31^st December 2017.

Continue of the project:

After ending the project, the very community will run this project with their own enterprise. The group leaders will be responsible to operate this project to continue their work and The Organization (ALO) will provide all kind of technical supports to progress the project.

The Project Measures (Implementation Strategies):

To achieve the project Goals/Aims/Objectives, the following measures will be undertaken: 

Project Management:

The Executive Director will be held responsible for all round activities of the project implementation under the guidance and supervision of the Executive Committee and he in co-operation of the Project Coordinator and the Accountant will render the services for the project. The following steps will be undertaken for the project management:

A Project Implementation Committee (PIC) will be formed with 5 members to run and manage the project activities. Maximum members of the PIC will be taken from the organisational General members.

Necessary project staffs to be selected and appointed & will be oriented on project implementation.

Strong monitoring system will be introduced to monitor the project activities. Necessary monitoring formats, tools will be developed for collecting up dated information.

Training plans, schedules, modules & materials will be developed and conducted as per plan.

Senior staff will frequently visit the fields for strong supervision and monitoring.

Monthly staff meetings will be arranged to review the activities and find out and solve the encountered problems and difficulties.

The PIC will pay quarterly monitoring and prepare reports with necessary suggestions.

Half-yearly internal evaluations & audits to be conducted by forming Internal Evaluation Teams.

Yearly External Audit will be conducted.

Quarterly Executive Committee meeting will review and approve the project progresses, expenditures, budgets, plans etc.

PIC meeting will be arranged month basis to review the project progresses.

Monthly, Quarterly, half-Yearly and annual reports will be prepared.