For many families in rural Ethiopia, daily life has long been marked by the challenges of accessing reliable and safe energy sources. Abeba Chere, a mother of four, used to spend significant time collecting firewood or purchasing it for 800 birr monthly. The smoke from her stove affected her health and filled her home with harmful fumes.
Similarly, Tafera's family depended on kerosene lamps, which were costly and unreliable. "The smoke from the kerosene lamp was harmful to our eyes and health," he recalls. Both families suffered from respiratory issues due to their reliance on traditional energy sources.
However, new solutions are emerging that are transforming lives across Ethiopia. Supported by the World Bank in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, initiatives such as biogas digesters and solar home systems are being implemented to provide cleaner energy alternatives.
Biogas technology is helping families like Abeba's reduce their dependence on firewood. By converting animal manure and organic waste into fuel through an underground digester, households can power their stoves without the need for wood collection. Bohare Gobena notes that his wife no longer has to deal with smoke: "The benefits for my wife are much greater than for me."
Beyond cooking needs, biogas also enhances agricultural productivity by producing organic slurry—a natural fertilizer—allowing farmers like Bohare to increase crop yields while cutting costs on synthetic fertilizers.
Solar power is equally transformative for families such as Tafera’s. It offers a cost-effective way to bring electricity to remote areas, providing safe lighting options that eliminate the need for kerosene lamps. The Electricity Network Reinforcement and Expansion Project (ENREP), backed by the World Bank and implemented by the Ethiopian government, has expanded access to affordable solar systems through microfinance initiatives.
Tafera explains how this change allows his family more financial freedom: “Now we don’t pay anything.” They save money previously spent on fuel and avoid trips to town just to charge phones.
The shift towards clean energy also brings economic benefits at a national level through carbon credits generated from reduced greenhouse gas emissions in biogas and solar projects. From 2016-2020 alone, Ethiopia earned $3.46 million from certified carbon credits under this scheme facilitated by the World Bank’s Carbon Initiative for Development (Ci-Dev).
For individuals like Ayele Ayano who installed solar systems three years ago, these changes represent not only improved living conditions but additional income opportunities: “It’s another source of income for my mother,” he says about charging neighbors’ phones using their system.
Looking ahead with optimism enabled by these advancements in sustainable energy access programs across Ethiopia supported financially via mechanisms like Ci-Dev’s carbon credit purchases; communities envision brighter futures characterized by increased prosperity coupled alongside better health outcomes—all achieved without sacrificing environmental integrity or affordability concerns typically associated within developing regions globally striving towards similar goals alike today worldwide now more than ever before finally possible together moving forward unitedly altogether going forward ultimately beyond mere aspirations becoming tangible realities indeed eventually someday soon hopefully!