Xaverine Nyiranturo used to spend Rwf5,000 every two weeks on firewood to cook for her family. The smoke made breathing difficult, while the expense left her with less money for other household needs.

Now, the resident of Muhazi Sector in Rwamagana District uses a biogas system that converts cow dung into cooking gas, eliminating the need to buy firewood for cooking.

"The problem of firewood is over. UNDP installed a system that gives us gas for cooking from cow dung. It has helped my family and me cook without harmful smoke, and I am saving the money I used to spend on firewood,” Nyiranturo said.

"Recently, I had saved enough to buy a door and two windows to renovate my house.”

Nyiranturo is among 937 households in Rwamagana, Ngoma and Gatsibo districts that received biogas systems under a clean-cooking initiative supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP Rwanda handed over the systems on October 20. Implemented in partnership with HomeBiogas Ltd, the project installed 500 systems in Rwamagana and Ngoma districts and 437 in Gatsibo.

The systems convert livestock manure into cooking gas, while the remaining organic material can be used as fertiliser.

The initiative addresses Rwanda’s reliance on traditional cooking fuels. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda’s Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census 2022, about 76 per cent of households primarily use firewood for cooking, while 17 per cent rely on charcoal. In rural areas, more than 90 per cent of households depend on firewood.

Burning these fuels exposes households to indoor air pollution, while collecting firewood takes time that women and girls could spend on farming, education and other activities.

Pudence Rubingisa, Governor of Eastern Province, said the systems were helping households reduce firewood consumption and protect the environment.

"The adoption of HomeBiogas has helped our people cook in ways that do not pollute the air while reducing the number of trees cut down to obtain firewood. No waste should be wasted. We should find innovative ways to extract renewable energy and increase the number of households using clean cooking,” he said.

Biogas helps families share household chores, promote gender equality

The systems are also making it easier for family members to share household responsibilities.

Goreth Murekeyisoni, a resident of Muhazi Sector, said the technology had enabled her husband, who has a disability and uses two crutches, to prepare drinks independently.

"Now that we cook using gas, my husband, despite his disability, can light it and warm milk. Sometimes I find that he has already prepared tea. Before, he could not go to the traditional cooking fireplace and prepare anything,” she said.

In Gatsibo District, another beneficiary, Benon Rugema, said the system had encouraged him to participate in cooking.

"The project has brought significant changes, particularly by reducing the fuel we use. It has also strengthened cooperation within the family. I have learned to cook because I only need to turn on the gas, and the rest becomes easier,” he said.

"Bringing clean cooking closer to us has opened the door to gender equality and shared responsibilities. It is now easier to help your spouse with household chores, unlike before, when lighting a fire with firewood was difficult if you were not used to it.”

UNDP Resident Representative in Rwanda Fatmata Lovetta Sesay said clean cooking offered benefits beyond the technology itself.

"Clean cooking is not merely about technology. It is about people: families gathering without exposure to harmful smoke, women and girls spending less time fetching firewood, and farmers turning waste into resources,” she said.

"Clean cooking is a solution to poverty and climate change, and an investment in human dignity,” Sesay added, calling for greater collaboration to extend the initiative to more households.

Keeping the systems operational

Despite the benefits, sustaining the systems remains a challenge, particularly after the initial warranty period ends. Beneficiaries need access to affordable maintenance, spare parts and qualified technicians.

HomeBiogas Ltd says it has established service centres where beneficiaries can seek repairs and maintenance. The company also plans to train technicians to monitor the systems, identify faults and provide technical support.

A proposed sustainability framework would require each household to contribute Rwf3,000 a month towards maintenance. Households that sell milk would contribute through deductions from their monthly milk payments, while others could save through community savings groups.

Beneficiaries would also need to use the systems properly, feed them adequate quantities of manure, monitor their condition and report faults promptly.

Reported problems include leaking biogas bags, faulty valves, components damaged by sunlight and inadequate manure feeding. Some faults go unreported, delaying repairs and affecting performance.

The proposed framework sets a response time of 48 hours for repairs, extending to 72 hours in remote areas.

Richard Gasana, Mayor of Gatsibo District, said making spare parts available closer to beneficiaries would reduce repair costs and delays.

"Sometimes a damaged component costs very little, but the cost of travelling to find it is much higher,” he said, adding that local technicians should be trained to maintain the systems.

Alongside technical support, Equity Bank has pledged to help beneficiaries form village savings clusters and access loans without traditional collateral such as land and houses. The bank says beneficiaries will also be able to access a package that can multiply their savings threefold.

The effectiveness of these arrangements will depend on the package’s terms, the affordability of the loans and households’ ability to repay them.

Gen B Cesar, Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Infrastructure, said the project’s success should be measured by whether households continued using the systems and benefiting from them over time.

"We must consider whether households use the systems sustainably and whether the benefits can be sustained over time,” he said, urging stakeholders to work together to ensure proper operation, maintenance, technical support and monitoring.

The initiative supports Rwanda’s efforts to reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal. Under its Biomass Energy Strategy, the country set a target of reducing household dependence on these traditional fuels to 42 per cent, as part of efforts to protect public health and the environment. Rwanda aims to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030.