A great percentage of the Ugandan urban population depends on charcoal as cooking fuel. The fuel burns slower than ordinary wood, and is a favorite for people who love too cook Ugandan food.
But how much did you spend the last time you bought a sack of charcoal? How does that compare with how much you spent just a few months ago? In this edition, we look at the price of charcoal.
We share examples of districts which have passed ordinances to ban the sale of charcoal outside their boundaries, as they try to stave off desertification.
In some districts in Uganda, whole natural forests have almost disappeared owing to the burning of charcoal. So while we pay a high price to cook for our families, we are even paying a higher price in destroying the environment.
For a country that has free and abundant sunshine, why hasn’t solar energy been fully exploited? It turns out, that it is a more modest option in terms of costs. But attitudes towards cooking with the sun have also yet to change. With better sensitization, we discover in this edition that cooking with the free sun is even less burdensome on those who make the family’s meals. We talk to an alternative-energy solutions campaigner from Kenya.
Tune in to a station in your area to listen as we dissect the issues surrounding the price of charcoal.
