Category : Best Social Innovation
HONORABLE MENTION
Innovation Title : Ek Shathe Foundation Green Village Initiatives
Organization : Ek Shathe Foundation
Background
To become a developed nation by 2041 apart from urbanization, infrastructural development and industrialization, the villages of Bangladesh also need to transform accordingly. Loss of vegetation, massive migration to urban areas due to lack of diverse income sources, overuse of chemical fertilizers resulting in loss of natural fertility of arable lands are not only crippling the rural life but also becoming a threat for the growing population of the country not being able to produce enough sustenance for all. Ek Shathe Foundation is working to bring sustainable development to the villages to address these issues.
Objectives
■ Help adopt clean cooking.
■ Convert people from wood burning to gas stoves.
■ Preserve the vegetation.
■ Sustainable energy sources.
■ Reduce carbon emission.
■ Create new sustainable income source and decent work opportunities.
■ Increase natural land fertility.
The Idea
Ek sthathe Foundation believes that villages are the pillar of success of every economic development. In our green village initiative project, every household can sell compost which is produced by bio plants that are creating income sources. The organic fertilizer brings the natural fertility of soil and the clean cooking method with decreased carbon emission will help to improve human health and nature. By clean cooking, the women can save more time. Now, they can contribute financially to the families by utilizing free time to other sources. Additionally farmers are getting quality fertilizers and village youths are getting job facilities inside the village.
Execution
Ekshathe Foundation has designed and implemented a Social Partnership Model with rural households through its Green Village Initiatives to help adoption of biogas technology, provide financial benefits and bring positive environmental impacts in the process. As partners of these initiatives, these households are providing the space, bio-waste and maintenance and in return getting the fuel for clean cooking. For the households, this is saving them valuable time and effort required in wood stove cooking along with saving money for fuel. Gas stoves release far less toxic material than even the cleanest wood stoves, which is helping rural women who cook to keep better health. Ek Shathe Foundation also helps these rural households sell the compost produced as a byproduct, creating a new income stream.
Result and Impact
■ Each plant is helping save cost of fuel by 33,600 taka annually.
■ Saving 27% time and effort of people.
■ Cutting carbon emission by 33% while cooking.
■ Saving 3 hours per day for meal preparation for women.
■ Earning 13,644 taka by selling the fertilizers produced as byproduct.
■ Saving fertilizers worth 33,306 taka annually.
■ Better quality of crops.