The Project

Organisation: S.S. Lazio Basket Mozambique – Not for profit sport organization based in Maputo (S.S. Lazio Basket Mozambique is affiliated to the Italian not for profit sport organization S.S. Lazio Basket based in Rome).



Project promoted by S.S. Lazio Basket Mozambique we wish to support: Project Colors.



The project ERM would like to support is a wood gas stoves project, closely connected to the already existing initiative of “Project Colors”.

Project Colors provides a concrete opportunity to the benefit of children (under 15), who live in the orphanage in Zimpeto (Maputo – capital city of Mozambique) or in the surrounding areas. The project has been offering since 2009 to over 100 young players the possibility to play basketball, and therefore grasping the benefits of participating in sports: valuable life lessons, which (for disadvantaged youth in particular) can be life changing. The participation to the local basketball tournament is in addition the only possibility for the members of different teams to spend some time outside the orphanage and therefore have the chance to know also other children / people that could be precious “contact persons” for their future.


Most of these young players are also approaching an age (15 years old) when it’s critical to be involved in practical activities that can determine their future.
Accordingly, Project Colors have approached local community outside the orphanage (families that might be hosting the children) and defined a initiative that could be beneficial to both the children and the community.
In this contest, the young players of Project Colors will be the main promoters of both the production and the introduction of very simple wood gas stoves (details of the project have been elaborated and provided to ERM).

 
   

The introduction of this simple technology in the common use of local communities, would have the significant advantage of avoiding the utilization of coal, which is a very dangerous resource for the health and for the huge impact on deforestation.
Wood gas stoves have the characteristics of being energy efficient, suitable for households, and easy to produce or duplicate locally.

Through the implementation of the above mentioned initiative (production and use of very simple wood gas stoves), the young players will (summary of main activities):
  • Create an association for the promotion of the use of wood gas stoves (it should be noted that Hon. Consul of Mozambique has been already the promoter of the first association of female entrepreneurs in Mozambique)
  • Organize the collection of recycled bins etc in the restaurants etc which can be used for the production of the wood gas stoves Become the promoters of the use of wood gas stoves in the area of the orphanage.
The main Project’s deliverable is the creation of concrete job opportunities for the young players through the development of new business activities and entrepreneurs capacities, which could guarantee new job opportunities for young women in Maputo.

Furthermore, the wood gas stoves have significant environmental benefits for the low carbon strategies, trough the:
  • Reduction of the deforestation (utilizing wood waste from forest)
  • Replacement of fossil fuels with a renewable energy source.
  • Production of a carbon rich bi-product which is known as biochar. Once it is produced, biochar is spread on agricultural fields and incorporated into the top layer of soil. Biochar has many agricultural benefits. It increases crop yields, sometimes substantially if the soil is in poor condition. It helps to prevent fertilizer runoff and leeching, allowing the use of less fertilizers and diminishing agricultural pollution to the surrounding environment. And it retains moisture, helping plants through periods of drought more easily. Most importantly, it replenishes exhausted or marginal soils with organic carbon and fosters the growth of soil microbes essential for nutrient absorption, particularly mycorrhizal fungi.
  • Cost savings strategy, which will allow people to invest spared money for other needs.
Main costs (use of the money)
  • Education of the young players (main advantages of the wood gas stoves)
  • Salaries of local experts who can teach how to produce wood gas stoves
  • Transportation costs (to collect the material to produce wood gas stoves and then the wood waste to fuel them)

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