During the closing ceremony of a training session on charcoal briquette production, the Chairperson of the Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate, Mrs. Cesarie Kantarama, expressed her gratitude to all those who contributed to organizing the event. She emphasized the training’s effectiveness, stating, “This has been one of the most productive training sessions I have ever attended.”

Mrs. Kantarama extended special thanks to the Centre d’Étude et de Coopération Internationale (CECI) for its continuous efforts in promoting women’s empowerment. She urged participants, particularly women, to apply the skills they had acquired in their households, highlighting the significant impact this could have on environmental conservation and reducing reliance on firewood.

The importance of this initiative was echoed by Mrs. Olive INGABIRE Zimulinda, Country Director of CECI, who commended the strong collaboration between CECI and the Ingabo Farmers’ Syndicate, which contributed to the success of the training. She emphasized that women were the primary focus of the program, as they are predominantly responsible for sourcing firewood and cooking.

She also noted that adopting charcoal briquettes presents an innovative solution to mitigating the negative effects of climate change by reducing carbon emissions and promoting environmental sustainability.

One of the participants, Mrs. Alexia Mukamusoni from Mbuye Sector, Ruhango District, Southern Province, expressed her appreciation for the training, describing it as eye-opening. She remarked, “Previously, we discarded household waste without realizing its potential. From now on, we will use these materials to produce charcoal briquettes.”

The three-day training session brought together participants, primarily women, from various districts, including Kamonyi, Muhanga, Ruhango, and Nyanza in the Southern Province. According to Mrs. Kantarama, there are plans to expand this initiative to other Districts in the future.