We are a group of university students who want to empower Ethiopian farmers to help themselves through a project we call the “Biosmart Initiative”
The project aims to teach Ethiopian farmers how to make and use Biochar, a form of charcoal made out of recycled waste that is mixed with soil to increase its fertility, increasing agricultural yields in a sustainable way. Biochar is like a sponge for nutrients and beneficial bacteria that dramatically increases soil quality. It also improves the soil’s water retention and reduces the need for constant watering. Biochar is fairly simple to make and use, which means Ethiopian farmers will not need vast training periods to familiarise themselves whit biochar.
What is great about biochar is that is made out of agricultural waste, that would otherwise be left to decompose, releasing the CO2 it stored during its lifetime back into the atmosphere. Biochar can also be used as a fuel, just like normal charcoal, which will enable many Ethiopians who now use firewood as a cooking fuel to recycle their waste to use as energy, rather than cutting down trees to obtain wood.
We are fundraising to be able to pay for the travel costs of taking our team to Ethiopia and setting up this business. We are in contact with people from the university of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, who will introduce us to a group of local farmers that will carry out the project for their own benefit.
The aims of this project are to contribute to the sustainable development of the region by providing farmers with a source of income and improving the availability of food through higher crop yields
If you want to find out more and want to contribute, please have a look at our crowdfunding page: www.indiegogo.com
Be sure to have a look at the rewards we offer for contributions.
