About Best Ray

BEST RAY - Bringing Energy Services to Tanzanian Rural Areas,is an European Commission funded project (2008-2011) that intends to set up a system to provide energy services to poor un-served rural communities living in Arumeru District, Northern Tanzania, through appropriate, affordable, sustainable and renewable technologies and a good governance of the energy sector. Beneficiaries of the project are about 39.000 people (Maasai pastoralist and Meru farmers) who have no access to energy services and depend on wood-fuel and charcoal for cooking, boiling water and warming and on kerosene for lighting, with negative impacts on quality of life, health and environment. The entire area is without electrification and, most likely, will remain without in the near future (Tanzania Energy Action Plan, 2003).

The main objective is to address poverty issues (contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal) by increasing the use of renewable energy, maximising energy efficiency and creating revenue generating activities in the rural energy sector.

Best Ray aims to provide an input in the development process of Tanzania by establishing an efficient energy production, procurement, transportation, distribution and end-user systems in an environmentally sound manner and with due regard to gender issues. In particular, it is expected to make sustainable energy technologies accessible and affordable to the rural poor, thus reducing the harsh impact that lack of adequate energy sources have on the living standards and the environment.

The project intends also to leverage additional investment and scale up successful initiatives, to improve governance and management in the energy sector by building capacity and creating awareness on energy needs and solutions at all levels (central and local government authorities, civil society, villagers).

A strong support is provided to local institutions (Arumeru District, Oldonyo Sambu and Ngarenanyuki Wards) in order to achieve the national and local economic, social and environmental objectives in the rural energy sector

Beneficiaries

The project will focus on un-served poor rural communities of Oldonyo Sambu and Ngarenanyuki Wards of Arumeru District, Northern Tanzania, (about 39.000 people) with the specific objective to improve energy access and household economy. Village leaders estimated that each family uses 15 kg of charcoal/week for a total of about 4500 tons of charcoal per year for the whole population, equivalent to a deforestation rate of 1.6 ha/year and a high CO2 emission produced during wood burning carbonisation processes.

Activities

Main activities are:

• strengthening Arumeru District knowledge, planning and management capacities in the energy sector;
• establishing two Community Energy Resource Centers (CERCs) where rural people can access energy services, select most appropriate technologies and learn about them;
• applying Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) to provide social public structures (schools, health centers, etc.) with electricity, hot water, Internet and media access;
• setting up an “Energy minibus” with demonstrative RETs to encourage people (women in particular) to use them (HIV/AIDS risks will be also addressed)
• Providing training, equipment, methodology, technology and institutional assistance to start small businesses in the energy sector (production and selling of improved stoves, food drying, Jatropha cultivation and utilisation);
• Encouraging cultivation of Jatropha or fast growing trees for charcoal production.

Thanks to Best Ray rural people livelihood will be enhance through

• improved social services performance;
• decreased indoor smoke of at least 20% households with health benefits for children and women
• improved economic conditions due to time and money saved on fuel and new energy-related business started.

Governance of the energy sector will be improved by

• making the District Committee for Rural Energy fully operational and preparing District and Ward Energy Plans;
• increasing Partners capacities, making CERCs operating and sustainable. At least 19,000 people will be reached by the awareness campaign; 80 people trained to start small businesses; 1 practical guide printed, project web site established.