THE SMART HOMES PROJECT

The world has been grappling with climate change challenges spinning from drought, floods apocalyptic fires, cyclone, hurricanes name it, the emissions are now at 62 per cent higher than when international climate negotiations began in 1990 (UNEP 2022). UNEP’s new report, A Practical Guide to Climate-resilient Buildings and Communities, shows how buildings and community spaces can be constructed to increase resilience, especially in developing countries. The evidence is clear. We are in a race against time to adapt to a rapidly changing climate thus coming up with mitigations with ‘green’ nature-based solutions can have promising results. Our organization Centre for Women Empowerment in Technology (CWE-TECH) has initiated an innovative idea called ‘Smart Homes Project’

In December 2022 CWE-TECH launched the smart-Homes project in Kabondo Kasipul in Homa Bay County to 42 women they work with. Smart Home encompasses the following:

*Clean Lighting

*Energy saving cook stoves

*Water Harvesting storage facilities

*Kitchen garden

*Tree planting esp along the fence

Out of the 42 women, 10  were selected to demonstrated smart homes project as a pilot.  There was a 5 day hands on skills training on moulding energy saving jikos. Women were trained on making local energy saving cook stoves/jikos dubbed as Jiko Kisasa (JK). These uses only two pieces of firewood. Then the other aspects of smart-homes were incorporated: Planting trees, having water harvesting, kitchen garden and clean energy for lighting. The energy saving skills building is important because the women trained will be entrepreneurs to the community (Business venture to the 10 women in that village).

These were carried out during the launch of the smart homes project graced by the local leaders and county minister for water and environment who sponsored the remaining women to receive training and use it it as a business model to other nearby villages.