The Ministry of Energy has begun providing education on Clean Cooking Energy to Clean Cooking Energy Desk Officers at regional and council levels with the aim of having a common understanding in the implementation of the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy as well as enabling Desk Officers to identify their roles in the implementation of the strategy.
Opening the training, in Kibaha district in Coast region, the Representative of the Coast Regional Administrative Secretary, Ms. Hadija Mruma commended the Ministry of Energy for the various efforts it is taking in practice in promoting the use of clean cooking energy in the country, one of which is ensuring that education and equipment on clean cooking energy reach the Regional, Council and Village levels.
He said the Coast Region is taking various steps to ensure that citizens use clean cooking energy at the institutional, household, etc. level, citing as an example that 76% of institutions that feed more than 100 people in the region have switched to clean cooking energy.
He said that the Rural Energy Agency (REA) Executives who are collaborating with the Coast Region to promote the use of clean cooking energy including the provision of gas cylinders at subsidized prices.
For his part, the Representative of the Director of Clean Cooking Energy from the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Ngereja Mgejwa explained that training on Clean Cooking Energy has begun in Kibaha district, Coast region involving Coast Regions, Morogoro, Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Lindi and Tanga.
He said that clean cooking energy education will continue to be provided to Clean Cooking Energy Desk Officers in other remaining regions as the goal is to provide relevant education in all 26 Regions and their Councils.
He said that the issue of using clean cooking energy is a priority for the country and the world in general to overcome its environmental, health and economic impacts.
And, the Head of the Communication Unit from the Ministry of Energy, Ms. Neema Mbuja explained that the training provided to the desk officers also includes issues related to the National Clean Cooking Energy Communication Strategy.
She said that in order to educate the public about clean cooking energy, it is important for the desk officers to understand the communication channels that will help them convey the education and the messages that will be used in accordance with the areas they manage.
She added that the existence of the National Clean Cooking Energy Communication Strategy provides guidance on how stakeholders will collaborate to educate the public to remove misconceptions about clean cooking energy and change negative attitudes to positive ones with the aim of bringing about changes in the implementation of the national clean cooking energy agenda.
