For the displaced people in camps scattered across northeast Nigeria, protection often ends at the compound gate. Armed groups operate in these areas, waiting to attack the vulnerable when they leave the camp to search for firewood to cook with.

Rapidly I concluded that we should look at alternative fuel sources in the camp.

Sugarcane peel is easily available in the camp as some of the residents are farmers, who are regularly escorted by the military to harvest their sugarcane crop.

It isn’t enough just to introduce the idea and walk away. Over the next few months we will have to monitor how the women take up the idea.

Small briquettes could be made by cutting the peel into smaller chunks, wetting it, pressing it and leaving it to dry. Six of these prototype briquettes could keep a fire going for an hour, which is plenty of time to cook the daily meal.

With the help of local artisans and welders, we looked around at what local metal could be used to make one of these presses.

The next step was to get the support of the local elders.

Read the full article on low-tech solutions by Michael Githinji at Doctors Without Borders