Cooking Bag To Curb Deforestation
A specially designed bag called ‘The Wonderful Bag’ has been introduced to low and high-income households in Buea Sub-division to enable them cook while saving time, fuel and money. The bag is made from cloth and filled with polystyrene (insulating material) conserves heat or cold for a long time An initiative of Pro-Climate International, the bag is intended to scale down the felling of trees for firewood around the Mt. Cameroon National Park.
By Edith Achamukong
The simple but efficient bag was introduced to women’s groups, gender activists and members of the public at Bongo Square in Buea on April 9, 2014.
After carrying out research in villages around Cameroon, Pro-Climate International found out that women have difficulties meeting their fuel needs in the kitchen.
“Our mothers go to the farm and fetch plenty of firewood that is used up in a very short time. With Wonderful Bag, they will use the same quantity of firewood for a longer period. We are really trying to fight deforestation in Buea and in Cameroon and we believe that since this Wonderful Bag worked in Rwanda and South Africa, it will work in Cameroon,” said Pro-Climate International Field Assistant, Hassan Ngale.
According to Pro-Climate’s Executive Secretary, Jean Claude Tsafack, they are out to fight against global warming and to improve on the living conditions of the people.
“We have started with the production of some 200 bags that were co-financed by the PASC (Civil Society Strengthening Program of the European Union), said Tsafack.
He said they are negotiating with NGO partners from Germany to start a pilot phase during which some 500 bags will be produced.
“If that pilot phase is successful, we are going to extend the project to other regions of Cameroon,” Tsafack said.
On how the bag is used, Tsafack said, “In order to cook food, you need to heat the food on the fire, and as soon as the food starts boiling, you lift off the pot and put it inside the bag and close it. You can go to the market, to the farm or you can be doing laundry while the food is gently cooking inside the bag and after a few minutes your food is ready.”
Cletus Agbor, who bought a Wonderful Bag, said, “I am an advocate for environmental protection. I want to see if this bag is going to be sustainable and if it is going to help us stop the damage that we have already caused on the environment.”
Agbor said that he uses both gas and firewood in his home.
“When I buy a bottle of cooking gas at 6.000 francs cfa, it lasts for a month since I have a large family. When I buy a truckload of wood for 18.000 francs cfa, it lasts for about three months. So I will have to compare to see if with the use of this bag, the expenditure will increase or decrease.”
Moved by the idea, gender activist and promoter of women’s empowerment, Esther Omam remarked that, “the Wonderful Bag has come to increase household income for women. Women are the biggest users of firewood and this has heavy consequences on our forests, environment and climate. I think this initiative by Pro-Climate to come up with bags that will enhance cooking while reducing the level of firewood consumption is a good one because the woman will not need to buy much firewood again. The money saved from firewood will be used to educate our children, pay health bills and take care of other household expenditures.”
According to officials of Pro-Climate International, users of the Wonderful Bag can use it not only in the kitchen but also in the farm, office or school given that no smoke is emitted in the cooking process.
