International Project Update: Pastor Ogbatabo’s Cookstove Training in Nigeria

Pastor Ogbatabo is a pseudonym for one of our SIFAT graduates and trainers in Nigeria. Because of his work in a violent area, we want to protect his identity for his safety. Pastor Ogbatabo submitted a proposal to SIFAT, which was approved as a SIFAT international project. 

Pastor Ogbatabo and participants from the fuel efficient cookstove training that took place in Nigeria during September 2013.

Pastor Ogbatabo, one of SIFAT’s International Practicum graduates, is currently holding trainings in Nigeria to educate community leaders on the importance of fuel efficient cookstoves and water purification.  Pastor Ogbatabo will be holding six trainings during the next year to train about 360 people in making fuel-efficient cookstoves. These stoves not only help the environment by using less firewood, but also improve air quality in the kitchen and help girls go to school—the girls are usually given the task of gathering firewood, often spending most of the day walking to collect wood and keep the fire going.

Below is a letter from Pastor Ogbatabo detailing his training and giving an update of his first session that took place during September 2013:

Dear SIFAT friends,
     We had our very first training on Sept.20 -21, 2013. The participants were drawn from four communities: Kwarakwara, Tamvia, Tamnya and Yambam. Sixty people participated, 25 women and 35 men from various religious backgrounds.
     The first day started with community dialogue for village heads, youth leaders, women, headmasters and representative of the public health center. Our aim was to sensitize and mobilize leaders to create awareness on the use of fuel-efficient cookstoves. The following day was dedicated to demonstration and hands-on practice, which was a lot of fun for for all of us. Participants also had an opportunity to make solar disinfection for water filtration from used plastic bottles that would have been otherwise discarded. Some of the challenges expressed by the participants included:
  1. The size of the stove not being enough to support large family cooking.
  2. Lack of smoke in the kitchen will make room for burgs to eat up  the rafters.
  3. Smoke is another method of drying crops.
  4. The fear that the new stove might not provide enough heat to warm the rooms during cold season.

We were able to fully address all of these challenges. Participants expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to attend the training.
     We remain very thankful to SIFAT and our friends in the States for helping us to make this first training a success! Sixty participants have been equipped  to help their communities with a simple technology that will make a lasting impact. Although my wife and I were in a wreck when the driver lost control on a bridge, we are thankful to God for protecting  us when the vehicle flipped into the creek. We can never thank you all enough for your prayers, moral and financial supports for our project.

        EVERY BLESSING,
        Pastor Ogbatabo
       Ephesians 1:4

Pastor Ogbatabo demonstrates a water purification technique.

35 men and 25 women from four Nigerian communities attended the September 2013 fuel-efficient cookstove training workshop.

If you would like to learn more about Pastor Ogbatabo’s project, click here.
To financially support his ministry in Nigeria, designate your gift to SIFAT as “Nigeria – Pastor Ogbatabo”.