Scaling Up Flicker of Hope's Bio-Briquette Work

Rockflower is pleased to announce that following the success of their project, Promoting Smokeless Fuel & Sustainable Incomes for Women, Flicker of Hope will be scaling this project and bringing it to new communities. Flicker of Hope aims to organize and empower vulnerable rural populations in drought prone areas of Kenya, with an emphasis on women and children, by helping them to build sustainable livelihoods and to empower the communities to become self-reliant.

They will follow the same two-fold strategy to bring smokeless bio-briquettes and cookstoves to the Boose Village, one of the poorest communities in the county and will work to reduce deforestation, utilize untapped resources, increase public health, and provide income to rural women through the  production of smokeless bio-briquettes. The briquettes are made primarily from brush and bushes, which until now have not been utilized as a resource and also inhibit forest growth. Currently, the main sources of fuel are firewood, charcoal and kerosene. The first two produce smoke which is both unhealthy and contributes to pollution, and kerosene is often in short supply.

This phase of the project will employ 400 women to produce the briquette charcoal from wood waste and farm debris as an alternative energy source to fuel homes, institutions and businesses in villages and towns. This energy source will be a more affordable option for families and businesses and will help rehabilitate land through agroforestry and promote the planting of trees on farms.

This project is in line with Kenya’s national priorities for environmental preservation. Flicker of Hope will provide education around the local effects of deforestation and climate change as well as the benefits of utilizing bio-briquettes instead of burning wood in homes. They will also create entrepreneurial opportunities for women in rural villages who may not have other sources of income. 

Overall, Flicker of Hope aims to solve multiple problems with one simple, innovative solution. The organization is scaling their reach and to empowering more women to gain income, while aiding in public health, reforestation, replenishing watersheds and tapping an underutilized natural resource. 

Flicker of Hope Empowers Women Farmers to Implement Agroforestry

Flicker of Hope, based in Nyamira County, Kenya has been working hard to bring smokeless bio-briquettes and cookstoves to the county through their project, Promoting Smokeless Fuel & Sustainable Incomes for Women. As a recent addition to the Rockflower family, Flicker of Hope has made great strides in just a few short months.

This project, although it has one clear goal, to bring bio-briquettes to the area, is complex in its systemic approach to accomplishing this goal. Ultimately the project will work to combat climate change, improve public health, provide sustainable livelihoods to women, fight resource scarcity, and air pollution. In a recent update from Flicker of Hope, it is clear that they are well on their way.

In this first phase of the project, they are working to rehabilitate degraded areas through agroforestry. Previously, deforestation has been a large issue, as wood is being burned for fires, and land is cleared for crops. It has caused damage to the soil, degraded animal habitats, and made the area even more vulnerable to climate change, which is causing a lack of viable crops. Flicker of Hope has identified 200 women farmers who could plant trees on their farms to improve their land and gain additional income. The brush and leaf litter from the trees will be used in bio-briquettes eventually. 

The farmers in the program will learn how to grow indigeneous tree species that have largely been removed from the region. One of these trees is Moringa, a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree with antioxidant properties. They are encouraging them to grow these trees around the perimeter of their farms so that they can maintain most of their farmland and it will provide a windbreak. Some of what will be taught includes tree selection, tree care and planting site selection. What they are hoping to see as the trees grow is a decrease in erosion, groundwater being drawn upward, more fertile soil, regulation of temperature in the local micro-climate, and increased habitats for wildlife like birds.

Michael Nyamweya, Project Coordinator at Flicker of Hope writes, “Ensuring there are suitable habitats for animals means the entire ecosystem can work in harmony and continue to function in a healthy way. When ecosystems are degraded they are more vulnerable to extreme temperature fluctuations and less likely to bounce back and continue to provide services such as carbon sequestration and the storage of groundwater.”

The organization recognizes the inherent lag time in this project, as trees need years to grow. In the meantime, they will be teaching the farmers an improved method of raising chickens that will increase their yield. With this method, the chickens are ready to be sold within 35-40 days which will allow the farmers to earn more income, and feel less dependent on the trees before they are fully grown. 

“Through increasing the farm’s resilience, agroforestry will help women farmers to secure their yields against climate change and degradation. It will, therefore, enhance food security. Further, women farmers will be able to source biomass from their own farms, reducing the time needed to fetch firewood which specifically benefits women…The goal is to inspire and facilitate women farmers in adapting agroforestry to increase their farm’s climate resilience, productivity, and fertility while regenerating degraded land.”

Flicker of Hope is creating sustainable changes to their environment and the livelihoods of their community, with the role and benefit of women in mind. Upon completion of this phase, they hope to build a model farm to showcase the efficacy of regenerative agroforestry and educate others about how different systems suit the local context.

Rockflower Partners with Flicker of Hope, Kenya

Rockflower is pleased to announce our newest partnership with Flicker of Hope, a community based organization located in Nyamira County, Kenya. The organization aims to organize and empower vulnerable rural populations in drought prone areas, with an emphasis on women and children, by helping them to build sustainable livelihoods and to empower the communities to become self-reliant. Rockflower has provided funding for their project, Promoting Smokeless Fuel & Sustainable Incomes for Women, which will be addressing a number of issues including resource and water scarcity, deforestation, pollution, public health, and the lack of sustainable employment in the area. 

Nyamira County is an area with very few options for earning a living. The area is prone to crop failure and drought. One of the only consistent resources in the area has been wood from the forests, which are used for fires and building materials. However, the prevalence of deforestation has caused the few watersheds in the area to dry up. Due to a lack of resources, the forest is being destroyed, water is being depleted and the air is becoming polluted from all of the smoke. 

Flicker of Hope is partnering with Rockflower to bring smokeless bio-briquettes and cookstoves to the county. This project will reduce deforestation, utilize untapped resources, increase public health, and provide income to rural women who will produce the bio-briquettes. The briquettes are made primarily from brush and bushes, which until now have not been utilized as a resource and also inhibit forest growth.

Additionally, this is a self employment opportunity for rural men and women. They will train people on how to collect the brush and provide a consistent source of income to those people. Jobs will also be created through the production of the bio-briquettes as well as through distribution and transportation of the product. The organization will focus on providing jobs to disadvantaged women and girls. 

Rockflower looks forward to working with Flicker of Hope as they promote the effective utilization of resources, conservation and preservation of the environment, improved opportunities for child education, adoption of healthy & hygienic lifestyles, financial inclusion, skills development, entrepreneurship & women empowerment.