Policy Brief_Sustainable Energy for Children2_revsd (003)

INTRODUCTION
Access to energy is fundamental to
improving the quality of life and is a key
imperative to the development of
children. Lack of access to energy
services dramatically affects and
undermines health, limits opportunities
for education and development and
can reduce a family’s potential to rise
out of poverty. Access to energy for
cooking is important for children’s
nutrition and disease prevention and
the choice of energy for cooking also
determines the frequency and
adequacy of meal preparation of
households. Most rural households
usually use fuel wood in kitchens
without proper ventilation and/or
improved stoves where children may
spend long hours making them
vulnerable to indoor air pollution and
its impacts. The choice of energy for
lighting, cooking and space-heating
has a bearing on the vulnerability of children to respiratory related diseases; eye diseases as well as
risks to burns. Dirty energy sources, particularly fuel wood, are also likely to trigger asthmatic
conditions among children.
In Zimbabwe, access to electricity is low with 40 per cent of the population having access to electricity.
There are huge disparities between rural and urban areas with 83 per cent of urban households being
connected to electricity compared to 13 per cent in rural areas. Rural communities get 94 per cent of
their energy requirements from traditional fuels, mainly fuel wood. Children are severely affected by
the lack of access to electrical energy with 59 per cent of primary schools and 39.5 per cent of
secondary schools lacking access.
These challenges can however be overcome by promoting use of alternative technologies such as
solar, micro-hydro, biogas and biomass as enounced in Zimbabwe’s National Energy Policy. The key
question is to what extent are these policies sensitive to the needs and aspirations of the children in
Zimbabwe and in what ways will they enable the transition to cleaner energy in urban and rural areas?
The Sustainable Energy for Children Study was aimed at understanding the children’s access to energy
in the households (where they live) and in the institutions which support their well-being such as
schools (where they spend most of the day) and clinics (which support their health).
The conceptual framework used in the study recognizes that energy has multiple uses that include
lighting; cooking and water heating; cooling of food, medicines and other supplies; space cooling and
Sustainable Energy for Children
POLICY BRIEF
Situation Analysis of the energy status of institutions that support children in ﬁve districts of Zimbabwe
ZIMBABWE

2
Situational Analysis of the Energy Status of Institutions that Support Children in Five Districts of Zimbabwe
heating; as well as information and communication. Lack of access to energy can lead
to child deprivations such as:
l lack of adequate and properly prepared food and limited choice of what to
cook resulting in nutrition deprivation;
l inadequate light to read at night leading to poor education;
l limited access to information thus leading to deprivation of information,
communication and education; and
l lack of access to pumped water and sanitation especially at school.
It also recognizes that sustainability is affected by the supply and demand sides; the
environment as well as affordability; and is impacted by the energy policies pertaining
in the country.
The conceptual framework was used to assist in answering the following questions:
l What is the current energy poverty status of households, schools and clinics?
l What is their energy mix and how sustainable is it?
l Does the energy mix include renewable/sustainable energy?
l How does the energy status affect children?
l What are the barriers/opportunities to adoption of renewable energy?
l What is the best energy mix option and how can we introduce innovative
solutions to make it sustainable?
The study was carried out in ﬁve districts of Zimbabwe namely Chiredzi, Gutu,
Hurungwe, Nyanga and Tsholotsho using both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Policy Brief - Sustainable Energy for Children in Zimbabwe
Hurungwe
Nyanga
Gutu
Chiredzi
Tsholotsho
200 0 200 400 600 Kilometers
N
SampledDistricts
Selected Districts
Legend
Sampled Districts

3
Questionnaires were administered to 1,547 household heads and 751 children in a school
setting. The school questionnaires were specially designed for children in primary day,
secondary day and boarding schools. This enabled children to participate and input
into possible solutions to their energy problems. The children’s questionnaire also aimed
to ascertain their knowledge of different types of energy.
Qualitative methods included focus group discussions with community people, mothers
at health institutions, school teachers and with school children. Key informant interviews
were conducted with district and community leaders and as well as staff at schools and
clinics and suppliers of energy.
Technical energy audits were carried out at 16 primary and 15 secondary schools; 18
clinics and 93 households. The audits identified and quantified the energy mixes being
used by the institutions and households; shortfalls of the energy required; resources
available for alternative energy; cost of the alternatives; and ability of the institutions
to invest in alternative energy.
KEY FINDINGS
Energy Deprivation
The study found that energy poverty is widespread in households and public institutions
that serve children. Overall the sampled households were generally very energy poor
with above 90 per cent not having adequate energy for lighting, cooking, cooling and
space heating. The households had better access to energy for information and
communication with 48 per cent and only 13 per cent deprivation, respectively.
l Lighting: According to the children in the sample, the main sources of energy
for household lighting were home-made paraffin lamps, solar, candles, ordinary
torches, cell phone torches and fuel wood.
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Paraffin/Diesel Lamp
Candles
Firewood
Electricity (ZESA)
Solar
BaƩery
Inverter
LP Gas Lamp
Generator
Other
ProporƟon (%)

4
l Children were considered
to be deprived of energy
for lighting, if their
household and/or school
did not have electricity;
or if they had less than
4 hours of light in
circumstances where
they were using solar
or generator powered
lighting at night. House-
holds using other sources
of lighting such as candles, torches, paraffin lamps were deprived of energy as
the lighting systems did not provide enough lumens (300) considered the
threshold light for a normal room. Availability of light in the main sitting room
was used as the indicator of the household’s access to energy for lighting.
l Results from the household and day scholar children’s questionnaire survey on
their light deprivation status were similar at 91 and 95 per cent, respectively,
thus showing that the children were not getting adequate lighting at home.
Furthermore the majority of children who had access to clean energy sources
of light, including main grid electricity, had access to less than four hours of
light during the night.
Common quotes from focus group discussions were:
“Children generally have light for a short period of time in the evening, only to be
able to see where to sleep.” parent from Nyanga.
“In my household light is only available for the children to make their beds before
they sleep.” FGD, community, Hurungwe.
Cooking and Water Heating: Two aspects, the type of cooking fuel used and its
pollution/risk factor/exposure were considered to determine the energy status of a
household or institution, where it was considered energy poor if it used any fuel other
than electricity, liquefied petroleum gas, paraffin, natural gas or biogas. The household
members and children were considered at risk if cooking was done using an
un-improved stove on an open fire with no chimney.
l Almost all sampled households (about 98 per cent) used fuel wood as the main
energy source for cooking and heating of water with less than two per cent
using grid electricity and 0.13 per cent crop residues. Hence biomass is likely
to remain the predominant fuel for cooking for rural households for the
foreseeable future as even households with access to the main grid electricity
were also using fuel wood as their main source of energy for cooking.
l Children were tasked with fetching fuel wood in more than 50 per cent of the
surveyed households and walked an average of 2 hours 20 minutes to collect
fuel wood. This exposes them to risks such as attack by animals and abuse by
humans. Furthermore they often carry heavy loads that may impair child
development.
l The majority of sample households were using either a three stone or a Mbare
stove which both use open fire and are inefficient systems. A small proportion
was using improved fuel wood stoves that included tsotso, jengetahuni and the
chingwa stoves. Improved cook stoves use less fuel wood thus abating
deforestation and may also reduce air pollution.

5
l Results of the Sustainable Energy for Children Study show that there was a high
proportion of children with chest problems (acute respiratory infections, asthma
and tuberculosis) as well as eye diseases although the cause and effect was not
ascertained.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Chiredzi Gutu Hurungwe Tsholotsho Nyanga Total
ProporƟonofdistrictsample
households
Three stone stove Mbare stove
Tsotso stove Improved mud stove
Jengetahuni TradiƟonal mud stove
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
Boys
Girls
Under5
Boys
Girls
Under5
Boys
Girls
Under5
Boys
Girls
Under5
Boys
Girls
Under5
ARI Asthma TB Eye diseases Burns
NumberofChildren
Disease
Not Deprived Deprived
The Health impacts of children by gender and age possibly contributed
to by poor energy sources for lighting and cooking
Heating: Not owning and using a modern heater or using a traditional heater such as
an open ﬁre for space heating was considered a deprivation. Approximately 99 per
cent households in Gutu, Nyanga and Tsholotsho and all households in Chiredzi and
Hurungwe were deprived of energy for space heating.

Cooling: The deprivation status for a
household was determined by
considering whether a household
owned or used cooling appliances
such as a refrigerator or a fan for
space cooling. Approximately 96 per
cent of households were deprived of
energy for cooling.
Receiving information: Deprivation
of energy was measured through
ownership of radio, television or
computer. About 48 per cent of
households were deprived of energy
for information.
Communication: Deprivation of
energy for communication measured
by proxy ownership of landline or
mobile phone was only about 13 per
cent. Most households (87 per cent)
owned mobile phones which were mostly charged using solar generated energy.
Energy Poverty is Prevalent in Schools
l Lighting was poor in most of the schools. Natural light provided lighting in the
classrooms which were not connected to the national grid, but it was not
adequate for afternoon learning. The quality of electric bulbs used in those
schools on grid electricity or solar was poor and they were not providing
enough lumens.
l Most of the schools that were off grid used petrol or diesel generators and
incurred monthly running costs. Those that were on main grid experienced
frequent load shedding. Teachers were the most affected at schools which had
no access to modern energy to meet their household needs.
l Energy management and efficiency in all schools was poor, resulting in high
energy bills.
Health Institutions
are Energy Poor
l Poor quality of
lighting remains a
critical issue in all rural
health institutions. This
compromises service
delivery as the
institutions are unable
to provide quality
service especially to
delivering mothers in
the maternity wards
during the night. In
6

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addition these mothers are required to bring own source of lighting which is a
pre-condition to being served at the health centre. Thus poor women opt to
give birth at home.
l The rural hospitals that serve big populations relied heavily on diesel power
resulting in some of them having inadequate or no reliable energy sources. The
grid installations were in a state of disrepair, thus the Zimbabwe Electricity
Transmission and Distribution Company needs to urgently address the repairs
at these institutions.
Barriers to Access to Cleaner Energy
There were demand side and supply barriers to access to cleaner energy. The main
demand side barriers were caused by limited knowledge about cleaner technologies;
lack of decision support information for use in choice of appropriate technology; lack
of financing and inadequate participation by communities in technology development.
l People tended to have less knowledge about cleaner energy technologies that
were less prevalent in the sample population, such as biogas, gel and micro-
hydro electricity and this acted as a barrier to technology uptake.
l Where knowledge is lacking households tend to use perceptions as the key
component in determining the acceptability of technologies from both a
financial and social perspective.
w Barriers to solar energy were that the solar panel sizes were small 10 W and
had limited utilities that they could power. In addition the quality of the
panels available was poor and there was lack of knowledge on how to
operate them especially how to match the panel size and the size of battery
for storing the energy with the type and number of gadgets used by the
household. There is therefore need to educate the communities about how
to use solar power.
w With regards to biogas, the majority of people associated biogas with bad
odour and health risks as it came from rotten or human waste. Thus there
was a general feeling that using waste to generate energy for cooking was
unhygienic worse using human waste. Lack of knowledge about how
biogas is produced and how it works were the major constraints in the likely
adoption of the technology even among households who had the capacity
in terms of cattle ownership and access to finance. The majority of
households expressed fear that the gas could burn the homestead and
people if not properly used and because they had children in their
households, the likelihood of misusing biogas by children was high.
w Barriers of adoption and use of improved stoves such as the tsotso and
jengetahuni were that for example the tsotso stoves were only able to
accommodate one pot at a time; easily breakable; had multiple use
limitations; their construction was childish and a chore for women; and they
did not allow for the cultural practice of sitting around the fire.
w The perceived costs of technologies also acted as a barrier for technology
uptake. Therefore, there is need for provision of information on the types
of energy technologies available and their prices to communities so that
they can make choices to meet their demands.
w Other barriers had to do with the lack of capacity to manage the energy
resource and this commonly affected micro-hydro schemes leading to
conflicts. In some cases conflicts involved water use competition mostly
between energy generation and agriculture leading to less water reaching
the hydro power generators.

l Culture affected change to cleaner energies as some of the respondents would
not want to change their energy source because they were used to it.
l Supply side barriers included:
w The general lack of knowledge among most general dealers to differentiate
good from poor quality products. As a result they avoided trading in the
products for fear of incurring losses.
w Some of the retailers shunned away from trading in some solar products
because their turn-over period was long.
w Access to finance and credit lines from suppliers were also highlighted as
the reason why some general dealers do not trade in energy products that
require large capital outlay.
Opportunities for Adoption of Cleane r Energy
l This study enquired the willingness of energy users to change from current
sources and to pay for the change to cleaner energy sources. Over 40 per cent
of sample households were willing to change from the energy source they were
currently using for lighting while approximately 65 per cent of the fuel wood
users wanted to change from using fuel wood to using cleaner fuels for cooking.
l Households were prepared to part with significant amounts of money in order
to change from the use of fuel wood for cooking. The most preferred energy
source for cooking among households in all areas was grid electricity followed
by liquefied petroleum gas and paraffin.
l From a market perspective there is demand for cleaner energy sources with the
end users willing to pay to upgrade their current energy sources. This implies
that a market based approach to dissemination of cleaner energy technology
could be initiated and could gain momentum if the technologies were readily
available at an affordable price and able to mimic grid electricity in terms of
end user applications.
8

RECOMMENDATIONS
What can be done to provide Children with Sustainable Energy?
At household level:
l The findings from this study show that there is a high potential market on the
low income end of the population. The energy market is characterized by
different needs, which will require an energy mix that suits the needs of all. An
intervention for example targeting one technology or energy source will not
suffice as the market is complex and has different needs, tastes and financial
capabilities.
l The pricing regime is important as the households’ income is low. Affordability
is a reflection of disposable income and the ability to pay. Lessons can be learnt
from the business model approach to the provision of solar lighting to
communities through energy kiosks where they are provided with solar lanterns
which they pay for over a 12 month period whilst already using the lanterns and
also being able to charge these at the energy kiosk for free for the duration of
the period which they are paying the instalments. These energy kiosks can be
run by local people who have been trained to repair malfunctioning lanterns to
ensure their sustainability. Such kinds of schemes are likely to improve the use
of clean energy sources and technologies as they are tailored for the needs of
the poor.
l The results show that most low-income earners across Zimbabwe can currently
afford to purchase any of the low priced cleaner technologies. However they
would need to be provided with flexible payment mechanisms. The mechanisms
should take into account the local context with respect to sources and patterns
of income; attitudes to borrowing; availability of micro-credit agencies; and
ability to repay over long and short periods. These mechanisms should be for
both end users and suppliers and should be informed by past experiences.
l Many of the poorest consumers may still require financial support. Access to
consumer finance such as micro-finance options and alternative financing
schemes may be needed to enable consumers to obtain modern clean energy
products.
l Solar: Solar home
systems have different
sizes and prices. An
analysis of whether
households would afford
the systems show that
almost every household in
the sample found an
option that it is able to
buy. This is encouraging
and reflects the presence
of a huge market/demand
for the solar home
systems of different
ranges. This has a great
potential on access to
energy for lighting and
the hours children have
access to lighting for their
homework.
9

10
l Energy - efficient stoves: Lessons from current interventions in cook stoves
show that the uptake by households is low. Innovation should be directed
towards improving the current stock of stoves at low cost but meeting the social
needs of the end user population.
l Biogas Technology: The feasibility for implementation of the biogas technology
is dependent on the availability of organic waste, adequate water and technical
skills to construct the bio-digester units. There is need for awareness campaigns
or learning centres where potential end users can learn and be able to compare
efficiency with their traditional cooking technologies. Biogas technology needs
to be demonstrated at the household level so that would-be beneﬁciaries could
learn and their fears allayed.
l Torches and cell phones: Torches and cell phones are becoming major sources
of energy for lighting. As an immediate short term option suppliers need to
stock light-emitting diode (LED) torches which have better illumination. LED
torches with better pricing would be a short term option for children’s reading.
At school level:
l Lighting was observed to be poor in most schools. The “Green School Concept”
should be introduced to provide new standards for designing classrooms so
that they consume as little energy as they can and also utilize natural light as
much as possible. In addition, improvements are recommended for better
quality light design that includes use of more efficient energy saving LED bulbs
so that children are provided with adequate light that does not affect their eyes.
l It is recommended that the “Every Child a Solar Lantern Concept” be introduced
in rural day schools whereby school children could be provided with a lamp and
the cost paid as part of school fees to improve their lighting for reading at home.
l Most of schools that are off grid use petrol and diesel to power a few electrical
appliances. It is proposed to substitute diesel and petrol generators with solar
mini grids. It is estimated that schools spend on average USD450 per year on
petrol/diesel. The estimated cost of a 1 kW mini grid is USD5,000 and the
payback period per school would be 11 years for the installation of the solar mini
grid. With the solar mini grid, each school would be able to build a dedicated
reading room where day scholars whose homes are near the school could study
at night and to provide energy for teachers.

11
l Most boarding schools have potential for biogas that is underutilized or not
utilized. The main source of cooking is fuel wood and electricity which are major
cost factors to the schools. Promotion of biogas would save on the utilities bill
for the boarding schools and reduce deforestation.
l The day schools used fuel wood for cooking mainly during special functions.
Use of improved cook stoves would save on fuel wood and present an
opportunity for showcasing improved cook stoves.
l The option for hydro-electricity exists in Manicaland. It is recommended that
this be considered for electriﬁcation of schools. Potential exists in Honde,
Chipinge and Nyanga Districts.
l Energy management and efficiency in all schools was poor resulting in high
energy bills. Awareness of energy saving techniques could help the schools to
reduce their energy bills.
At health institutions level:
l An ideal rural health centre that is off grid should have its own stand-alone
energy supply system that is reliable and affordable. Renewable energy options
are the ideal energy resources that can be used to provide power for the health
centres. The proposed intervention is to install solar mini grids.
l The solar mini grid would have to be 5 kW to be able to meet the lighting;
pumping of water; refrigeration especially of medicines and vaccines; sterilizing
equipment; and powering of other devices such as electric weighing scales,
charging communication equipment, etc. In addition improvements are needed
on better quality lighting design and more efficient energy saving for example
by using LED bulbs.
l Solar systems installed by the Rural Electriﬁcation Agency were non-functional,
therefore there is need to re-engage the power utility to clarify policy issues
related to ownership, technical shortcomings and rehabilitation of systems. The
option of hydro-power for clinics in the Eastern Highlands needs to be seriously
considered.
l Fuel wood is the dominant source of energy for cooking and heating and is used
in most rural health centres by expecting mothers. It is recommended that
cooking by expecting mothers should be in improved shelters using cleaner
cook stoves. The use of improved stoves such as the jengetahuni is limited and
needs to be evaluated for effectiveness in clinics where they have been installed,
so that if found effective they can be up-scaled at clinics throughout the country.

l Water supply is critical to clinics. Options include installing solar powered
systems and using gravity in areas such as the Eastern Highlands. Wind
technology seems to have limited application at household level in Zimbabwe;
however, it can be used for pumping water at the institutional level. While initial
capital may be high, payoffs are likely to be better than for solar energy. The
wind technology needs to be promoted especially for water pumping.
CONCLUSIONS
l This study involved communities, including children, in the survey to ascertain
their level of energy poverty, knowledge and needs thus it provides insights on
the barriers and opportunities for improving children’s access to renewable
energy. It has provided new evidence and knowledge that can inform the
discourse on the energy deprivations faced by especially rural children and that
retard their education, health and well-being. The findings should contribute
towards the formulation and strengthening of policies that maximize the use
of indigenous, clean and plentiful renewable energy found in Zimbabwe and
ensure long term sustainability.
l Teaching renewable energy technology in schools would expose the children
to understanding these issues early in life and they would act as the change
agents to some of the traditional and cultural challenges. It is important to
understand the role of children in communicating and innovating around
technologies that will help to improve their well-being by having greater access
to information on these technologies. Given the opportunity through learning
and awareness, children can play a role in changing cultural perceptions and
influencing the adoption of these new renewable energy technologies.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank the following:
UNICEF Zimbabwe Social Policy Team
Principal investigator and lead author of the report Sara Feresu
The Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Zimbabwe
The energy audit team lead by the late Lasten Mika
The Rural Electrification Agency
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education
The Ministry of Health and Child Care
The Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing
Head teachers and teachers of primary and secondary education institutions
Health Care workers at clinics included in the study
The Ministry of Energy and Power Development, in particular the Department of
Renewable Energy
A special thank you goes to all the school children, household heads, communities and
business people who participated in the survey
12

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