There are hundreds of cassava-processing women in southern Benin. They work together in cooperatives.
GariCassava flour and its derivatives are an important part of Benin’s socio-economic life.
Cassava flour is a staple food in the country that contributes to food self-sufficiency.
Cassava flour is cooked (GarificationTraditionally, this is done by burning wood that women must collect every day. This adds another challenge.
“We must look for wood, but we must go far to find it. There isn’t any wood nearby. We walk up to 2 or 3 km to bring wood to the cooker,” said Reine Ogoubi (a 7-month-old cassava processor).
The manioc tubes are then removed. This is an activity that is performed in groups to the beats of songs and dances, making the work easier.
Grace Chidikofan, after seeing the struggles faced by women farmers, designed a bio-digester.
Cassava peelings, and other organic wastes from the production of gariIt will now be dumped in there.
Biogas will replace wood in the making of gariThe organic compost from the biogas plant will be used as a fertiliser for the cassava field.
This initiative will reduce deforestation, and increase the income of 350 cassava processors women.
Grace Chidikofan, project coordinator at the NGO, stated, “It’s an affordable technology that is simple to use. Afrique Esprance.
The 350 cassava-processing women in Z will reduce production costs by using biogas. gariWhile protecting their health, and the environment.
One kilogram of gariWood can be used in an average household for between 1.30 to 2.40kg, depending on the type.
The smoke from burning woodwood is therefore harmful to women for nearly 10 hours per day.
These fumes can eventually cause eye, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases.
“We used to chop down trees, but that caused the shortage of rain and there aren’t any more wood sources. Paula Gnacadja (President of Ayiminaz) stated that they have stopped deforestation and that the bio-digester provides fertiliser which we can use on our plants without resorting to imported fertilisers.