Taifa Gas has sponsored and participated in a one-day training session on the use of clean cooking energy for people with disabilities and those with special needs.
The training, which attracted more than 100 beneficiaries, was organised by the Non-Governmental organisation Tupo Sawa Organization and held in Dar es Salaam under the theme “Jasiri Energy.”
Those in attendance included people with disabilities and caregivers of children with disabilities, who received guidance from experts on the safe and proper use of clean cooking energy.
Participants were also provided with gas cylinders by Taifa Gas.
Taifa Gas Health, Safety, Security and Environment Supervisor, Mr Aurelius Mdemu, said the training was part of the company’s ongoing efforts to educate the public on the proper use of safe energy and help people identify illegal gas refilling practices carried out by unscrupulous individuals.
He said the initiative aimed to protect participants from fire hazards in their homes and business premises.
Mdemu expressed that the seminar was also part of broader efforts to encourage Tanzanians to abandon charcoal and firewood in favour of clean cooking energy, thereby protecting the environment and preserving natural vegetation for the benefit of the nation.
For his part Taifa Gas Dar es Salaam Regional Sales Manager, Mr Enock Ngulwa, said it was of prudent for people with special needs to understand how to use clean cooking energy and learn how gas cylinders are legally distributed and sold in the country.
“It is important for special groups within Tanzanian society to understand the proper use of gas cylinders, safety, health and environmental protection, as well as how gas is sold through legally recognised markets,” Ngulwa said.
He added that another objective of the seminar was to train participants in the proper use of gas and ways to maintain safety in their homes and workplaces, while encouraging them to become ambassadors for clean cooking energy and environmental conservation.
Ngulwa said the company had decided to involve people with disabilities because they are an integral part of society and deserve access to education that can help them avoid preventable risks associated with gas cylinder use.
For her part, Tupo Sawa Organization Director, Ms Jackline Mtaita, said the organisation would continue working with various stakeholders to encourage Tanzanians to adopt clean cooking energy and protect the country’s environment.
“I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Taifa Gas for sponsoring this important seminar for people with disabilities as part of efforts to support President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan’s initiatives to promote the use of clean cooking energy,” Mtaita said.
She said people with disabilities and special needs had the right to empowerment through inclusive education, including training on clean cooking energy.
She added that they should also be encouraged to engage in gas cylinder sales businesses as a way of addressing income-related challenges.
Ms Happiness Alberto, an entrepreneur with a disability who makes cakes in the Mbezi Goba area of Dar es Salaam, said the seminar provided an important opportunity for participants to learn how to use clean cooking energy, protect the environment and save time.
Taifa Gas used the occasion to distribute gas cylinders to people with disabilities and special needs as part of efforts to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking energy across the country.
The Sixth-Phase Government and various stakeholders in Tanzania continue to implement public education programmes on clean cooking energy specifically targeting vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, to ensure they are not left behind in the country’s energy transition.
Objectives of Clean Cooking Energy Education for People with Disabilities
Protecting Health: Reducing exposure to respiratory diseases and other health problems associated with smoke from firewood and charcoal.
Kitchen Safety: Providing training on the use of accessible technologies and improved, safer cooking stoves suitable for people with different types of disabilities, including hearing and physical impairments.
Economic Inclusion: Empowering people with disabilities to participate in entrepreneurial activities through groups and initiatives involving the distribution or use of affordable energy.
National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy: The Ministry of Energy is coordinating the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy (2024–2034), which aims to ensure that 80 per cent of Tanzanians use clean cooking energy by 2034.