HAKWATA– In an ambitious endeavour to bring clean cooking energy to rural communities, the
largest initiative of biogas in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa has started in Hakwata village, Chipinge
District, on the edges of Zimbabwe’s border with Mozambique.
A total of 150 biogas digesters will be installed, benefiting 90 households in Hakwata, 30 in Gororo,
Masvingo district, and 30 in Wanezi, Insiza District.
In a statement, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the initiative will go a long
way in ensuring that those farthest from essential services are not left in the dark. Construction of
the initial set of digesters in Hakwata is already underway, with completion expected by September
2023.
“When finalised, the project is expected to bring transformation to the lives of the largely elderly
population in Hakwata. Clean cooking energy will replace the arduous task of gathering firewood
and providing a safer and more sustainable alternative,” said UNDP.
In addition to the numerous environmental benefits, the project will also empower 40 local builders,
equipping them with the skillset required to construct and maintain biogas digesters.
If this biogas works as they told us, then it will save my aged, aching legs from fetching firewood
from those hills [points towards hills a considerable distance away], said Gogo Magotorima, the first
beneficiary of the initiative. Biogas, a renewable source of cooking energy produced through the breakdown of animal and food waste, holds tremendous potential for Southern Africa.
The Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Programme (CAWEP), as the project is officially called, is a
shining example of collaboration and innovation. It aims to address both immediate water and
energy needs for long-term climate adaptation and a brighter, more sustainable future for
communities most left behind.
CAWEP is implemented in four districts by UNDP, with funding from the UK’s Foreign,
Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The biogas installations receive technical guidance
from the Rural Electrification Fund (REF).
