Village Education Resource Center (VERC)

Mission

The Village Education Resource Center (VERC) was established in 1977 as a project of Save the Children-USA with funding from UNICEF. In 1981, it was indigenized as a private voluntary development organisation (PVDO) with the commitment of a self-reliant society based on justice, equity and sustainability where every human being has the equal opportunity to maximize their potentialities. In all its work, VERC is committed to the principle of Self actualisation, a process of lifting peoples' consciousness to a level at which they can realize their potentialities and are motivated to reorder their lives. The mission of the ICS program of VERC is to establish an indoor air pollution free society and healthy environment through ensuring the use of improved cook stove technology and healthy kitchens. VERC is committed to preserve the ecological balance by introducing appropriate technology. It explores, collects and develops the technology to play an active role in supporting conservation of ecological balance and to improve the livelihood of community people. Considering the fuel crisis and health hazards of traditional cookstoves, it started the Improved Cook Stove Program in 1987 A National Network on Improved Cookstove Program in Bangladesh was established with the support of ARECOP- Indonesia in 2000. VERC is the Country Contact Point of the Asia Regional Cookstove Program (ARECOP). At present, 82 national and local NGOs are members of the ICS network and VERC is the lead NGO of the ICS network. Network partner organizations and VERC itself are implementing ICS activities at the community level in 26 districts of Bangladesh. VERC is implementing "A Pilot Project on the Application of Methodology for participatory Assessment on Improved Cookstove". In addition, VERC is also going to implement "A Pilot Project on Exposure to Indoor Air Pollution through Introducing Improved Cookstove and Kitchen Improvement" with the support of Winrock International. VERC believes that people cannot accept new technology easily and no development activities can be sustained without peoples participation. In this regards VERC organized a workshop with the participation of network staff members who promote ICS activities at the grass roots level. The participants of the workshop developed 13 cookstove models modifying the traditional one. Cookstove users accept the modified improved cookstoves happily. So far 5 villages and 10 communities have achieved 100% coverage with ICS.

Organization Type Non-Governmental Organization

Contact Information

Primary Contact
Mr. Yakub Hossain
Secondary Contact


Address B-30, Ekhlas Uddin Khan Road Anandapur, Savar
Dhaka,
1340
Bangladesh
Website www.verc-ngo.org.bd
Phone 88-02-7710412
Fax 88-02-7710779
Calling/Fax Instructions

Our Focus

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

Bangladesh. Target populations: Rural, peri urban and urban. The initiative is community based.

Fuels/Technologies: N/A Technology Neutral
Sectors of Experience: Behavior Change
Education
Energy
Environment
Gender
Health
Renewable Energy
Rural Development
Small Business
Water
Countries of Operation: Philippines

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

In rural Bangladesh, women are responsible for collecting and using of fuel energy. So women play a key role in decision-making for type of fuel energy and how to use it. The decisions about type of fuel energy use, however, are influenced by many factors such as tradition, convenience, and availability of resource, accessibility to technologies, household income and role of women in decision-making process of household expenditure. Households having greater flexible family income use cleaner fuel energy such as kerosene as opposed to wood because it is a measure of affluence and prestige. Poorer households use biomass as the main fuel due to the cost of other fuels.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

Institute of Fuel Research and Development (IFRD) of Bangladesh has developed different types of improved cookstove models. In addition, VERC also has developed 13 improved cookstove models modifying the traditional ones with the participation of community people. In rural Bangladesh, traditional cook stoves are generally used for cooking. Conventional cook stoves used in the rural households have low thermal efficiency (around 8%). On the other hand, Iimproved cook stoves (ICS) have efficiency of about 25%. Although ICS have been developed to improve boiling and evaporation efficiency, a chimney is attached to let out smoke from the kitchen. Thus ICS provides benefits to the households by providing a smoke-free environment inside and outside the house. Development Policy Group (DPG) is involved in measuring air quality of the kitchen in association with VERC. Marketing campaigns are rigorously being executed throughout the country through network partner organizations. The purpose of the campaign is to increase awareness about the benefits of using improved stoves and possile health risk of traditional cookstove, and where to obtain them. VERC also trains rural engineers, usually local women, in how construction of improved cookstoves. These women then market their services to other households in their vicinity and make improved cookstoves for others.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

VERC lacks technology standardisation for cooking, heating and ventilation. It is not well equiped to measure the stove efficiency and air quality in the kitchen. VERC's interest in this area is to build the capacity of its staff in technology standardisation for cooking, heating and ventilation.


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

In its improve cookstove program, VERC mainly focuses on cookstove users especially mother and child health. Currently VERC as part of its mandate is undertaking investigation and compliance monitoring of indoor air pollution. However indoor air pollution exposure levels and health monitoring in vulnerable groups like children and women is yet to be conducted. These areas are of interest to VERC as no significant study has been done in this area. The situation could be alarming since the majority of Bangladesh's rural and peri-urban inhabitants use poorly constructed stoves, firewood and agricultural residue as energy sources.

Relevant Publications or Studies

1. A Study on the Domestic Use of Cook Stoves: Technology, Gender and Health Perspectives has been conducted by Md. Abdus Salam, Ph. D. Associate ProfessorDepartment of Statistics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka and Dr. Md. Sanowar Hossian, M.B.B.S. 2. A Comparative Study between a Control and an Intervention Area on the Domestic Use of Cookstove: Health Perspective, Especially Focussing on Women and Children has also been conducted by Dr. Ashraf Ali, BSc Engg. (Civil) MSc Engg., PhD., Member of IEB, Assot. Prof. of Dept. of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and VERC Research Team

Our Contribution to the Partnership

VERC wishes to contibute to the partnership in the following ways: 1. To strengthen present ICS network 2.To encourage local enterpreneurs to commercialize improved and reliable stoves in Bangladesh, which are adapted to local cooking conditions. 3. To collaborate with other organisations who are pioneers in the design of improved stoves to meet local needs. 4. Participate in inter-institutional/organisational training and research into improved stoves, health risk and exposure assessments using standardised equipment. 5. Provide expertise to needy organisations in the area of indoor air pollution management. 6. Exchange of information and sharing of research findings with partners