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Protecting the Mountain Gorillas of Virunga

Briquettes, Gorillas & Virunga Need YOUR Help!

16 Apr 2009 Filed under (Alternative energy, Charcoal, Projects, Threats) by Virginia @ 4:11 pm

After a year of pilot tests to determine the viability of biomass briquettes, it has become clear to all of us that the people of North Kivu province in DR Congo will readily accept briquettes as an alternative to illegal forest charcoal. This is big news because there hasn’t been a viable alternative to charcoal – a fuel credited with the wholesale deforestation happening now in Virunga National Park. Used by over 95% of the population, charcoal stands as the single biggest threat to the mountain gorillas and other flora and fauna in the park.

Here (starting from top left and going clockwise) you can see 1. briquettes drying in a makeshift greenhouse in Rumangabo with Jean-Bosco and Balemba - two key players in the project, 2. the local population learning about making briquettes and how to use the machine, 3. sacks of briquettes stored in Goma; we guarantee the purchase of production from villagers at $7/sack, and 4. the briquettes burning furiously.

There is more good news. SenterNovem in the Netherlands has just approved a subsidy from the Daey Ouwens Fund for Small-Scale Renewable Energy Projects to help carry our vital project forward. A big “thank you” goes out to SenterNovem and Eric van den Giessen of EnviroSecurity for making this possible. With this subsidy and your help, we are setting out to transition over 300,000 people in North Kivu from using charcoal cooking fuel to sustainable biomass briquettes. Yes, it is a massive undertaking, but providing an alternative to charcoal is now seen as the best way to protect Virunga National Park and its mountain gorillas. And, this program will provide new jobs for over 7,500 people that might otherwise be involved in the charcoal trade that is destroying Virunga National Park.

This is me - the number 1 briquette fan! I have been working on the briquette program for over 18 months now, having started in South Kivu (Bukavu).

Each one of us can play a vital role in helping raise the money needed to make the briquette project successful. If you are serious about saving the mountain gorillas of Virunga, this is the best way to help. Please give what you can, consider holding a fundraiser, and get the word out to your online community. We need you to get inspired and inspire others because with every passing minute, another tree falls in Virunga and the mountain gorillas move one step closer to extinction.

The mountain gorillas will be among some of the beneficiaries of a successful briquette program. The forests of Virunga will be able to breath a big sigh of relief.

If you would like to read more about this project you can read about greenhouses used for drying briquettes here, and how we access remote areas to provide briquette training and employment here. In the blog sidebar you can also click on the Alternative Energy category and you will see more posts that I have written with Robert Williams.

So the goal for this campaign is to raise: $28,897.00

What will this do?

Fund 100 new briquette presses and kits around Virunga National Park.

The costs are:

$92 for the actual press machine (you can see a picture of one here)

$36 for a 1/3 of a greenhouse (we supply 1 greenhouse for every 3 groups of briquette producers)

$28 for 2 tarps to protect from rain

$49.7 for a 1/3 of a mill (we supply 1 mill for every 3 groups of briquette producers)

$42 for 6 stoves (we provide 1 stove to each member of the 6-person briquette team)

$8 for 2 gerrycans that are used to carry water. Remember we have to mix water in with the mulch to get it to stick and actually make a briquette.

$13.20 for roofing

$19.87 for additional miscellaneous items such as large plastic buckets

So the total, per briquette machine with kit, is $288.97.

At the moment there are 130 briquette machines in full operation around Virunga - but we need to increase this by 100 by end May 09 if we want to have the impact that we need. The goal of this work has always been to provide an alternative to illegal charcoal from Virunga - so that is why we need your help. To make this possible. For all of us to breath easier - and for Virunga and the gorillas to survive.

Let me know if you have any questions - and thanks so much for all your support.

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27 Responses to “Briquettes, Gorillas & Virunga Need YOUR Help!”

  1. ceedee ceedee Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Could you sometime describe the actual physical process of creating the biomass briquettes?
    In particular, what biomass are they composed of?

  2. Betty Venezuela Betty Venezuela Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Hey Virginia. i am loocking for colaboration.

  3. samantha Samantha Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Hi Ceedee. Virginia is just out right now checking on how a group of cooks in a restaurant are getting on with some briquettes. She will be online later to answer your questions!
    Y Gracias Betty - fanastico que puedas colaborar :)

  4. virginia Virginia Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Gracias Betty!
    Dear Ceedee: the actual process of making briquettes engages 6 people per pressing machine. First they have to gather the material (leaves, sawdust, rice husks, etc). If they want to make compost, they will have to crush the leaves and leave them inside a humid plastic bag for about 2 weeks. Then the materials are mixed with water, and using the PVC cylinders, then it is pourred into those cylinders to press them with the wooden press. Voila you get 2 fuel briquettes per cylinder. Then they need to be dried out. Depending on which system used, it can take from 2 days, to 2 weeks. We then collect and buy their production once a week.

  5. Susana P (Argentina) Susana P (Argentina) Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Dear Virginia,

    congratulations for your work and thanks for the up date. Of course I will reproduce the news and your need for support in my blog where your interview in Buenos Aires last December is one of the most visited.

    Please, take also into consideration that mid october in Buenos Aires will be held the World Forest Congress http://www.wfc2009.org . I am sure that there will be delegates and participantes coming from the DRC who could help in disseminating such wonderful initiative among people from all over the world. A lots of events on deforestation in differents parts of the world are foreseen. This Congress is held every six years in a different country and is a a huge event for those concerned about deforestation.

    Warm Regards
    Susana

  6. samantha Samantha Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Thank you Kathleen, Andrew, Carol, Jeanine, Vanessa, Pirjo and Alberto for your donations so far! Brilliant. I know I always say this, but once again the donations go to the field in their entirety as our admin costs are covered by the European Union. Also donations reach the field in a matter of days - all we have to do is transfer them to the bank in Congo. Thank you all.

  7. emmanuelmfbconnected Emmanuel Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Thanks Virginia and to all of you who have donated so generously to this campaign. I cannot tell you how important this briquette program is to the future of the park.

  8. philippaterblanche philippaterblanche Says: 16 Apr 2009

    Dear Virginia and ‘Operation Fuel Briquette’ team.
    What great progress and it’s fantastic to imagine how many jobs will be created…this must make the concept of briquettes & the benefits of using the even more appealing and easier to embrace. I will spread the word as much as I can and give as much as I am able to, well done for coming this far!
    Best wishes to all

  9. d0ky d0ky Says: 16 Apr 2009

    I’ve seen them burning in combo and they really works!

  10. samantha Samantha Says: 17 Apr 2009

    And thank you to all of you again who have donated since I posted my last comment. This is a wonderful response for the first day of the campaign. It is so encouraging to get this level of support for everyone working so hard on the ground in Virunga to make this project happen. The team extends far and wide and the results of their work need to spread further and wider. This kind of support makes this possible.

  11. virginia Virginia Says: 17 Apr 2009

    I woke up this morning to see the thermometer going up, almost 50 donations so far, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed towards this project! Thank you also for passing by, reading the blog and leaving your comments. Everyone of your actions is absolutely encouraging to all of us.

  12. John John Says: 17 Apr 2009

    This is such a cool program! I love how one investment can help in so many different ways: slowing deforestation, saving the habitats of gorillas and other life, helping the local people earn money and improve their quality of life, and providing a legal and inexpensive fuel throughout the region.

    I’m very excited to be able to donate to such an effort, and I’ll be spreading the word as well. Great work, all of you! :-)

  13. emmanuelmfbconnected Emmanuel Says: 17 Apr 2009

    That’s exactly right John. Since we started the campaign yesterday, we’ve raised enough to launch about 10 village briquette factories. That’s a sustainable income for 60 families in the areas worst affected by the war last year. Soon they should yield at least 60 sacks of 440 briquettes a day. I’m not sure of the exact figures yet, but that should save several trees every day, and deprive the armed groups of the forest of a source of illegal income. It’s still a long way to go, but what a big step in the right direction…

  14. Chantal Dekeyser Chantal Dekeyser Says: 17 Apr 2009

    Thank Virginia .Good job!
    Félicitations pour ton projet au service des hommes , des gorilles et de notre planète.
    I like

  15. ceedee ceedee Says: 17 Apr 2009

    Virginia, thanks for your detailed explanation of the process.
    The project is brilliant in every way.
    I’ll be making a donation when my next pay cheque arrives!
    Viva Virunga!

  16. Nicki Munro Nicki Munro Says: 18 Apr 2009

    Virginia I wish I could give more but being a pensioner it is difficult I just hope that everyone gives at least 10USD then I know you will reach your target. Thank you for your brilliant work in saving these magnificent beings.

  17. virginia Virginia Says: 18 Apr 2009

    Thank you everyone for your donations and comments once again. We will be in touch every week with news from the field and every progress we make. Now that production is up and running, we need to focus on the fuel briquette’s sales. Loads of sacks are coming in from the machines we have installed, and we have to sell those in Goma to keep purchasing from them!

  18. samantha Samantha Says: 18 Apr 2009

    Go Virginia! You could sell ice to the eskimos :)

  19. samantha Samantha Says: 20 Apr 2009

    And a big big THANK YOU to Gary W who has sent a check for $5,000 for the briquette program.

  20. Fuel briquettes sold to refugee camps in Virunga, DR Congo | gorillacd.org Fuel briquettes sold to refugee camps in Virunga, DR Congo | gorillacd.org Says: 22 Apr 2009

    [...] Most importantly however, we need your help: if you haven’t seen already, last week we launched an appeal for donations to buy 100 more briquette presses and kits. [...]

  21. myBlog » Blog Archive » Virunga National Park myBlog » Blog Archive » Virunga National Park Says: 28 Apr 2009

    [...] If you feel remotely moved by this then send them a donation or sponsor them, every little counts! [...]

  22. sheryl, washington, dc sheryl, washington, dc Says: 7 May 2009

    I just made a donation as a wedding gift to a couple who are asking for donations to their favorite causes instead of gifts. They will enjoy reading about the briquettes program, one of my favorite Virunga projects.

    s.

  23. Plastic greenhouses dry fuel briquettes faster in Virunga National Park | gorillacd.org Plastic greenhouses dry fuel briquettes faster in Virunga National Park | gorillacd.org Says: 9 May 2009

    [...] you Andrew C and Gary W! We are almost there …. hopefully we will reach the target for the 100 briquette pressing machines and accessories needed to install in May. This is certainly our most successful campaign to [...]

  24. Fuel Briquette Program takes the lead in Goma « Project Kadutu Weblog Fuel Briquette Program takes the lead in Goma « Project Kadutu Weblog Says: 17 May 2009

    [...] Dear All, I just wanted to tell you the good news about Africa Conservation Fund and their Fuel Briquette Program in Virunga National Park. I am currently coordinating such iniciative, and there are 130 pressing [...]

  25. Having a baby... | gorillacd.org Having a baby... | gorillacd.org Says: 20 May 2009

    [...] hope to see the Protect the Park project improve in leaps and bounds, and of course the briquettes which is a massive project that is so important to all of us. We have nearly reached our target [...]

  26. Briquette Campaign a Success | gorillacd.org Briquette Campaign a Success | gorillacd.org Says: 27 May 2009

    [...] ends the Fuel Briquette campaign launched last month to raise $28,897 for the 100 pressing machines and accessories to be installed in the month of May. [...]

  27. luis olivera luis olivera Says: 4 Jun 2009

    ante s que todo felicitaciones por tu proyecto y exitos paso a contarte o a pedirte si me puedes mandar algunos modelos de prensa para briquetas si no te molesta ,yo lo quiero hacer para usar el aserrin que me sobra en la carpinteria
    sin mas que decirte me despido
    luis

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