The “Fuel Efficient Stoves” project has to do with, encouraging communities around the Mount Cameroon forest region to conserve biodiversity through the use of Fuel Efficient Stoves, tree planting campaigns and sensitizing on climate change resilience techniques. These stoves are a type of fire place that has the capability of cutting down fuel wood consumption upto 40 %. The project involves creating awareness on conservation issues, encouraging community members to change from the use of the three stones fire places to the Fuel Efficient Stoves, building the stoves for them and teaching them how to build them. Another phase of the project involve building capacity on tree propagation, nursery management and tree planting exercises. The project has seen the planting more more than 1000 trees in and around communities of the Mount Cameroon National Park. The project addresses the problems of unsustainable forest exploitation in this region and the none involvement of local communities in conservation projects. Through the sensitisation phase, community members are schooled on the importance of forest and what can be done at both individual and community levels to contribute towards forest conservation.

Project Aim:

The project is aimed at reducing the pressure mounted on the Mount Cameroon Forest Region and National Park by the community’s high demand for fuel wood used for household cooking and heating by reducing the quantity of wood used by 40 %. It also aims at fighting the rapid lose of biodiversity in the region and finally helping in fighting climate change. To make the project sustainable, there is a training Phase that has to do with training community members on how to build the stoves and also determine good soil for building, to make sure that the stoves will be used in the communities even after the project ends.

The three stones fire places are kind of a long standing tradition in this area used by an estimated 90% of the population. The material used for their construction these stoves is local, so households do not need to spend any money to build a stove. It cuts down on household's spending on fire wood which is a major source of expenditure in this region made worse by the fact that most local dishes require averagely more than an hour of cooking. The money usually spent on the purchase of fire wood can then be used for other provisions.

It is environmentally friendly since it cuts down the quantity of wood burnt by about 50 % thus cutting down the level of emission and contributing to combating climate change.

Under the project, we sensitize these communities on conservation issues, show them the disadvantages of the three stones fire places and the merits of the Fuel Efficient Stoves, build a stove for each home and teach community members how to build one for themselves. The projects is made up of 2 major phases which are,

1) Meet the People Tour, comprising

- Meeting traditional rulers and chiefs

- Planning sensitization talks and meetings with community members

- Establishment of work program

2) Construction Proper, comprising

- Collection and transportation of building materials

- Building of stoves following established time table

- Counseling/briefing on proper use and maintenance