The Green School Initiative, Cameroon

This October 2019 HomeBiogas proudly installed 7 HomeBiogas biodigester units in various secondary schools in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This is the first phase of the project which is in the framework of the “Green School Initiative,” launched jointly by the Minister of Secondary Education of Cameroon, Professor Nalova Lyonga and the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, Ran Gidor.

In the first phase of the project, 7 systems were installed. The second stage will be 300 systems and the third phase is 1,7000 systems, with the grand vision of 2,000 HomeBiogas systems in secondary schools across Cameroon. This will radically shift the youth’s education about energy generation, waste management and sustainability.

The Green School Initiative was designed to educate young students about combating climate change and desertification, a problem which Cameroon is facing and fighting against. Almost 12 million hectares of land in Cameroon are degraded, due to human activities, such as agriculture, livestock development and firewood harvesting. HomeBiogas is a good solution because it enables fuel generation from resources already available, preventing the harvesting of trees. The Green School Initiative also was intended to promote sustainable development and environmental awareness. The initiative tackles these goals by incorporating hands-on learning that can be done with tools such as HomeBiogas systems, and in the reformation of the school science curricula.

The ceremony took place at the Nkol-Eton College in Yaoundé, where the HomeBiogas systems were installed. Yair Teller, HomeBiogas’ Co-Founder, gave a lecture about the HomeBiogas solution and the science of biodigestion. The ceremony was presided over by 600 students, the Minister of Secondary Education, the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, and many teachers and education officials.

Yair Teller said “I felt how this was going to impact the students. It was a very memorable and remarkable day for me.”

Afterwards, there was a practical demonstration of the use of the HomeBiogas system- showing how the organic waste turns into biogas and liquid fertilizer. All in attendance then participated in the practical lesson of planting vegetables in the garden where the organic fertilizer was sprayed.