World Environment Day: Oryx Gas calls for cleaner cooking solutions
Oryx Gas Clean Energy Projects Manager, Mr Peter Ndomba (right), joins pupils from Kisiwani Primary School in Kigamboni District, Dar es Salaam, in collecting waste during a clean-up exercise at the school as part of World Environment Day commemorations. PHOTO | COURTESY
Dar es Salaam. Oryx Gas has called on Tanzanians to adopt clean cooking energy to protect the environment and reduce reliance on firewood and charcoal.
Speaking during the commemoration of World Environment Day, the company’s Clean Cooking Energy Projects Manager, Mr Peter Ndomba, said it was vital for citizens to continue conserving forests by switching to cleaner energy alternatives such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“Yesterday, the world marked World Environment Day. At Oryx Gas, we view environmental protection through the lens of forest and tree conservation,” he said.
“That is why we are urging all Tanzanians to avoid cutting down trees by adopting gas as a cleaner cooking alternative,” he added.
Mr Ndomba noted that the Tanzanian government has actively promoted clean cooking energy as part of its wider efforts to protect the country’s natural environment.
“Tanzania is fortunate to still have significant forest cover, unlike many other countries. That’s why we came here to Kisiwani Primary School. These pupils are young and still learning. We joined them in a clean-up exercise and taught them about the benefits of clean energy. While they may not have purchasing decisions, they live with parents who do,” said Mr Ndomba.
He added that Oryx Gas believes the knowledge imparted to pupils will be passed on to their families and communities.
“We explained the importance of conserving trees. The effects of climate change are already clear, with rains continuing well into June,” he said.
Oryx Gas Clean Cooking Energy Projects Manager, Mr Peter Ndomba, educates pupils of Kisiwani Primary School in Kigamboni District, Dar es Salaam, on the safe use of clean cooking energy during World Environment Day commemorations. The company also donated waste storage bins. PHOTO | COURTESY
Elaborating, he said climate change wasn’t a Tanzanian problem; rather, it was a global challenge, insisting on Tanzanians' responsibility to protect the environment and ensure the younger generation is informed.
He emphasised that fostering environmental awareness from a tender age was crucial to building a society that values conservation, rather than delaying such education until adulthood.
“As we mark World Environment Day, Oryx Gas, alongside other stakeholders, is calling on citizens to refrain from activities that harm the environment. Protecting the environment means adopting sustainable alternatives, such as clean cooking energy,” insisted Mr Ndomba.
He added, “Today, we remind everyone that the environment is life. Without a healthy environment, we cannot thrive.”
Kisiwani Primary School headteacher, Mr Abbas Degelo, expressed appreciation for the company’s support, particularly its involvement in environmental clean-up efforts and the donation of waste storage bins.
“I sincerely thank Oryx Gas for involving us in this clean-up initiative, which has helped improve the school environment. I also urge the wider community to adopt clean cooking energy—it is environmentally friendly and affordable than firewood and charcoal,” said Mr Degelo.
Meanwhile, pupils from Kisiwani Primary School, led by headgirl Abigael Baraka and deputy headboy Gerevas Yusufu, expressed gratitude for the knowledge gained about the safe use of clean cooking energy and their participation in environmental activities.
They pledged to serve as ambassadors, sharing what they had learned with others in the community to promote collective environmental stewardship.
