From Smoke to Sustainability: Women Championing Biogas in Kumi District-Teso region

In the heart of Kumi District, clean energy is quietly transforming homes and restoring dignity to everyday life. What once meant long hours over smoky firewood and rising charcoal expenses has now become a story of savings, health, and renewed confidence — thanks to biogas systems supported by Ruta Serenity Initiative (RSI) in partnership with Bold Energy Uganda Limited.

For Sharon Arioko, the impact is measurable in both numbers and peace of mind. Before adopting biogas, she spent up to UGX 120,000 every month on charcoal and firewood. The rising fuel costs constantly strained her household budget.

Today, that expense is gone.

Standing confidently beside her biogas system, Sharon proudly shares how the savings have eased financial pressure in her home. The money she once spent on fuel now supports other family needs. Beyond the savings, she appreciates the convenience — no more smoke-filled kitchens, no more urgent trips to buy charcoal, and no more uncertainty about fuel availability.

“RSI and Bold Biogas have done a great job for us. This system has changed how I cook and how I manage my home,” she says with gratitude.

Just a few homes away, an elderly woman recounts a different but equally powerful transformation. For years, cooking with firewood caused persistent eye irritation from smoke. Some days, the discomfort discouraged her from entering the kitchen at all. Cooking had become physically exhausting rather than nourishing.

With biogas, her kitchen is now clean and smoke-free. She cooks comfortably and confidently, preparing every meal she desires without fear of eye irritation or breathing difficulties.

“Now I cook everything I want with ease. No more smoke, no more pain in my eyes. I thank RSI and Bold Biogas for remembering us,” she says, smiling.

These stories are not isolated successes. They reflect RSI’s broader clean energy and sustainable sanitation strategy for the Teso sub-region, where the organization is scaling climate-smart, community-centered solutions that reduce deforestation, improve household health, and strengthen economic resilience.

By integrating renewable energy technologies such as biodigesters into households and institutions, RSI is advancing a long-term vision for Teso: cleaner kitchens, healthier families, reduced environmental degradation, and empowered women leading sustainable change from their own homes.

In Kumi District, the shift is already visible — less smoke in kitchens, more savings in households, and growing confidence in a cleaner, more sustainable future.

This transformation in Kumi District reflects the ongoing commitment of #RSI and #RutaSerenityInitiative to advancing #CleanEnergyUganda through practical #BiogasSolutions that strengthen #SustainableSanitation, accelerate #ClimateAction, promote #RenewableEnergy, and drive #WomenEmpowerment across the #TesoRegion.