Sources of Energy

About Firewood, Gas, Solar, Electricity in the Sustainable Model Village

Every one of the 6 huts will have small mphungu kitchen structure at the front. The sustainable model will using sources of energy that won’t lead to the eventual destruction of the Zambian’s environment. The urban poor use charcoal. A goal would be to use solar energy but that is not affordable at this time.

Outdoors kitchen area
Two women village residents; Nya Bota (left) and Nya Phiri pounding maize and sieveing it to prepare breakfast of musele or maize cooked with fresh peanut powder. All meals at the model village will be traditional and natural or what is today called organic food.

The main house will use a gas stove in the inside kitchen. The outside back kitchen will use firewood from the dead wood in the Savannah wilderness. Paraffin or kerosene and charcoal will be used as backups.  The workers will likely used firewood as we will have plenty of supply. If the population of Mwizenge Model Village remains low and stable, we will be able to use the available wood for a while.

Mwizenge Sustainable Model Village resident Chizavu (left) and Bambe warming themselves during a chilly early morning in July 2019 before they begin village chores for the day. Spending time by the fire will be a common social feature of all the village residents.

I will work hard to find affordable sources of solar energy. Meanwhile the ZESCO electricity grid is about 5 miles down the road toward Chongwe. I am not sure that village residents will ever afford electricity.

Charcoal burning site leading up to the village in May 2019 is increasing depleting trees. The Mwizenge Sustainable Model Village will help research new ways and sources of energy.