Women Inspiring Women
Two months ago, I met some really fascinating women. Inspiring even. That’s not to say I don’t already have inspiring women in my life whom I can call friends. I do, and I’m ever so grateful for them. But this was different.
A self-starter group of 15 women in a small village off the coast of Kenya. Women with an extraordinary sense of purpose and survival – a rare quality, given their not-so-favorable socio-economic life situation. Minimum education, basic means and almost no precedence of financial independence among the village elders.
And yet, these women toil in the sun and heat every day to turn agricultural waste into wealth. They spend 10 hours a day and 6 days a week in the fields, often with their infants strapped to their backs. They produce environment-friendly bio-charcoal briquettes from wasted coconut husks. It’s a choice they have made towards becoming self-sufficient. Their hard work not only brings them money to run their households, but also helps reduce the use of forest wood and traditional coal for domestic and agricultural use. Win-win.
This Bio Charcoal thing
Bio-charcoal, or biochar, is a form of clean energy produced from organic waste. Agricultural raw material such as coconut husks or any woody material is carbonised under extremely high temperatures with little or no oxygen in a special furnace. The resulting carbon rich charcoal burns longer and emits 50% lesser greenhouse gases than conventional charcoal.
Exeter University introduced biochar production methodology in the village of Kadzinuni as part of their BioSmart initiative in 2019. In less than a year, the all-women community of Kadzinuni has successfully grown the production into a viable source of income to meet their daily needs and fund their children’s education. Not a small achievement by any measure.
But it wasn’t until we got down to experiencing it firsthand, did I realise what it really took.
Biochar Furnace 
Preparing the Cassava Porridge 
Biochar Briquette – End Product
How it all began
Sometime in January, I signed up for the week-long volunteering trip to Kenya, organized by a Zanzibar-based foundation called CR Hope Foundation. I had previously volunteered with the Foundation on a school building project in Zanzibar. Although I didn’t know what to expect, I was all set and excited for the biochar trip.
On a warm summer morning, near a community school, we met the group of 15 women along with Patrick, who was instrumental in setting up the biochar furnace. The team greeted us warmly and showed us around the village. They patiently explained the work and skill that went into producing biochar. We listened. Almost nervous about what lay ahead for us.
Over the course of the next two days, we tried our hand at every step of the process. We carried bundles of coconut shells on our heads, from the pile to the furnace site. We crushed the carbonized waste into fine powder. Mixed it with cassava porridge and clay paste. We poured the mix into pipes to compress it into briquettes. And then laid it out to dry. It took two days of drying under the sun, two nights of mild backache and voila, we had produced our first batch of biochar!
The feeling of creating value from waste was exhilarating. However, the idea of doing it with broad smiles and unwavering enthusiasm and strength every single day, was a different matter altogether.
What Does Self-Sufficiency Even Mean For These Women?
“We can buy better clothes to cover ourselves up instead of roaming the village half naked,” jibed Paula, the enterprising treasurer and leader of the biochar team. “Also, we don’t have to depend on our husband’s allowance anymore to buy gifts, stationery and books for our children.”
Paula – Treasure of Biochar Community 
A Happy Face at Work
A closer look, and not everything is about the little money they make. There is something greater at play here. A feeling of purpose. An unspoken bond among these women who defied their families and friends to set out of their homes to make an honourable living. A cup of tea under a shade tree or an occasional banter during breaks, are a few additional perks they get to enjoy.
“We work for ourselves and we give it our all. We simply look forward to working together every day”.
Paula, Treasurer – Biochar Community, Kadzinuni
I felt a surge of affection and victory. Sitting here in the middle of nowhere, among a group of highly energized women with an astute sense of business, shook my own reality a little. Over the years, a well-paid corporate job, a highly patriarchal work culture and a comfortably mechanical lifestyle has dulled my ambition towards women leadership and entrepreneurship. But inspiration has its way of finding you, if only you let it through.
A little voice in my head said I was in the right place at the right time. This self-motivated female crew is not only carving out a place in society, but also connecting communities and leading the way for the next generation of girls by setting the right example. An outcome that is unparalleled to any other benefit. And yet, not fully recognized for what it is.
What next, you ask?
I hope to go back. To bring more curious and dedicated volunteers to the village. To spread the word, raise funds and bring biochar production to other communities. And to learn more about these women. Perhaps, spend time working alongside them once in a while. And occasionally, take a break and sip on a cup of tea under a shade tree. Would you join me?
Visa and Flight Matters
Indians get on-arrival visa in Kenya for USD 50. However, if you plan to visit Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda within 3 months, you can apply for a three months multiple e-Visa from any country for USD 100. I applied using the Uganda e-Visa link, because I flew into Uganda before getting to Mombasa.
From Dubai, there are direct flights to Nairobi. There are multiple flight options from Nairobi to Mombasa starting at USD 50 one way.
Travel Date: February 2020
*These are first-hand experiences, findings , views or opinions , which are purely my own. They are not paid for or promoted content.
