<p>The project was recently awarded USD 20,000 from funds raised during the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser in July 2010 - a sum that will be matched by the Long Run Destination.</p> <p> </p> <p>Following the Zeitz Foundation’s intention to demonstrate that sustainable ecosystem management – and ultimately steps towards a healthy planet - can be achieved by balancing conservation, community, culture and commerce, Nihiwatu’s project has a conservation focus but also contributes to community development, maintains cultural integrity and provides commercial income generating opportunities.</p> <p> </p> <p>On the ground in Sumba, local people need a continual source of firewood for the fires they set up within their homes for cooking. This demand causes deforestation, biodiversity loss and health problems as a result of respiratory diseases which undermine community development. The fires are however strongly linked to local customs as, according to Sumba tradition, the house represents the human body and the fire symbolizes the heart.</p> <p> </p> <p>This 20-month long project will research a number of options, including producing a gas storage bladder under houses to create gas flames without any smoke and make firewood redundant. Once an appropriate solution is identified, it will be used to develop a cottage industry on the island and create a small but still much-needed income for families. Once established, the families will be provided with micro-financing to buy materials they need to build the units for sale at an affordable price to villagers. </p> <p>This project is one of the three proposals that received funds from the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser. Other than this project in Indonesia, the Zeitz Foundation is supporting Monte Azul Long Run Destination in Costa Rica for work on wastewater treatment and Tahi Long Run Destination in New Zealand as it addresses the loss of native biodiversity through a weed control and planting programme, coupled with the reflooding of dried up wetlands. Lessons learnt from these projects will be shared at the local level and amongst the different Long Run Destinations to promote best practice and stimulate similar initiatives elsewhere.</p> <p><span>The project </span>was recently awarded USD 20,000 from funds raised during the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser in July 2010 - a sum that will be matched by the Long Run Destination.</p> <p> </p> <p><span>Following the Zeitz Foundation’s intention to demonstrate that sustainable ecosystem management – and ultimately steps towards a healthy planet - can be achieved by balancing conservation, community, culture and commerce, Nihiwatu’s project has a conservation focus but also contributes to community development, maintains cultural integrity and provides commercial income generating opportunities. </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>On the ground in Sumba, local people need a continual source of firewood for the fires they set up within their homes for cooking. This demand causes deforestation, biodiversity loss and health problems as a result of respiratory diseases which undermine community development. The fires are however strongly linked to local customs as, according to Sumba tradition, the house represents the human body and the fire symbolizes the heart. </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>This 20-month long project will research a number of options, including producing a gas storage bladder under houses to create gas flames without any smoke and make firewood redundant. Once an appropriate solution is identified, it will be used to develop a cottage industry on the island and create a small but still much-needed income for families. Once established, the families will be provided with micro-financing to buy materials they need to build the units for sale at an affordable price to villagers. </span></p> <p><span>This project is one of the three proposals that received funds from the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser. Other than this project in Indonesia, the Zeitz Foundation is supporting Monte Azul Long Run Destination in Costa Rica for </span></p> <p>The project was recently awarded USD 20,000 from funds raised during the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser in July 2010 - a sum that will be matched by the Long Run Destination.</p> <p> </p> <p>Following the Zeitz Foundation’s intention to demonstrate that sustainable ecosystem management – and ultimately steps towards a healthy planet - can be achieved by balancing conservation, community, culture and commerce, Nihiwatu’s project has a conservation focus but also contributes to community development, maintains cultural integrity and provides commercial income generating opportunities.</p> <p> </p> <p>On the ground in Sumba, local people need a continual source of firewood for the fires they set up within their homes for cooking. This demand causes deforestation, biodiversity loss and health problems as a result of respiratory diseases which undermine community development. The fires are however strongly linked to local customs as, according to Sumba tradition, the house represents the human body and the fire symbolizes the heart.</p> <p> </p> <p>This 20-month long project will research a number of options, including producing a gas storage bladder under houses to create gas flames without any smoke and make firewood redundant. Once an appropriate solution is identified, it will be used to develop a cottage industry on the island and create a small but still much-needed income for families. Once established, the families will be provided with micro-financing to buy materials they need to build the units for sale at an affordable price to villagers. </p> <p>This project is one of the three proposals that received funds from the Zeitz Foundation fundraiser. Other than this project in Indonesia, the Zeitz Foundation is supporting Monte Azul Long Run Destination in Costa Rica for work on wastewater treatment and Tahi Long Run Destination in New Zealand as it addresses the loss of native biodiversity through a weed control and planting programme, coupled with the reflooding of dried up wetlands. Lessons learnt from these projects will be shared at the local level and amongst the different Long Run Destinations to promote best practice and stimulate similar initiatives elsewhere.</p> <p><span>work on wastewater treatment and Tahi Long Run Destination in New Zealand as it addresses the loss of native biodiversity through a weed control and planting programme, coupled with the reflooding of dried up wetlands. Lessons learnt from these projects will be shared at the local level and amongst the different Long Run Destinations to promote best practice and stimulate similar initiatives elsewhere.</span></p>Around the world, some 1.9 million premature deaths, mostly among women and young children, are caused every year by smoke inhalation from rudimentary stoves. In Indonesia, the use of traditional stoves has also contributed to the complete clearance of forests from the east half of the island of Sumba.<br /> <br /> In response to this pressing problem, Nihiwatu Long Run Destination in Indonesia put forward a project to develop a simple cost effective cooking unit that will replace the wood fires in Sumbanese homes.
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