Environment

mud-stoves
Fig. 2 Students attending an aquaculture class

Challenges: Over-fishing and deforestation/wood poaching of indigenous tree species within Lake Malawi National Park (LMNP).

HEEED solutions

  • Over-fishing: evaluate the effectiveness of 100m. no-fishing zone in the waters of LMNP and in front of the villages of Nankumba Peninsula.

  • Aquaculture: fish-ponds are alternative method to provide fish/protein in rural communities, while allowing native species in the wild to recover.

  • Deforestation in Lake Malawi National Park

  • Fuel briquettes made from organic waste: a tried and tested alternative to wood fuel.

  • Mud-stoves: inexpensive, fuel-efficient alternative (using 50% mud and 50% vetiver grass) that uses only 1/3 of wood fuel, is well adapted to fuel briquettes – compared to traditional and wasteful 3-stone open fire. As part of ongoing collaboration with Chembe Secondary School, in 2023, HEEED donated 2 mud-stoves to the girl’s dormitory and keep the kitchen supplied with 70 weekly fuel briquettes made by 10 students from the same school at the NYCOM-HEEED CENTRE.

  • Environmental education: use of fuel briquettes in cooking demonstrations, collection of different organic fibres for paper-making, after-dark environmental education video shows and pamphlets.

  • Tree-planting: tree-seedling nurseries of indigenous species and fruit trees for school yards/domestic use.