How biogas is changing daily life in rural Rwanda

On a sunny morning in Mugesera village in eastern Rwanda, Nyamwiza stands in her kitchen preparing breakfast for her family. Sunlight streams through the window, illuminating a two-burner biogas stove with blue flames heating up the pans. The elderly widow looks radiant; her bright mood matches the bright morning sun around her.

The cooking equipment, she says, has changed her life and outlook completely. “Previously, I would leave the garden exhausted, only to come home and struggle with firewood to make lunch. The smoke left me with dark circles around my eyes and constant fatigue,” Nyamwiza explains. “Now cooking is simple. I switch on the biogas, and my food is ready within 30 minutes while I freshen up. I feel beautiful and dignified.”

Her transformation began when, in recent years, 500 households – including hers – in the districts of Rwamagana and Ngoma were provided with household biogas units that supply clean cooking gas by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with partners like the Israeli company HomeBiogas and local authorities in Eastern Province. 

The initiative introduced integrated biogas and hydroponic fodder systems to improve livestock farming and environmental sustainability. Hydroponics provides high-quality, water-efficient fodder that boosts milk production, while biogas systems convert cow manure into clean cooking fuel. 

Change is becoming visible

What was once a daily burden of collecting firewood from forests is now a functioning system that serves both families and the environment. Nyamwiza’s son Nkusi has found new purpose in this system as well. He takes pride in harvesting the fodder, feeding the cows and maintaining the biogas infrastructure. That’s how the project has also created employment opportunities for young men in rural areas.

What happens in Nyamwiza’s household is increasingly happening across Rwanda and also helps the country to protect its forests, which had been widely deforested before the 2000s. For a long time, citizens themselves have contributed to the protection of forests by participating in the monthly tradition of a community service called Umuganda, during which people gather to plant trees, among others. At that time, Rwanda’s forests remained untouched except for cattle grazing, and the relationship with nature remained simple in the country’s rural areas – which is why the Umuganda tradition continues to this day. Even though today things have changed due to urbanisation and deforestation, people’s grassroots engagement has already helped to push Rwanda’s forest cover back to 30.4 % in 2025 – a large recovery after decades of decline.

In Mugesera village, the changes are becoming visible step by step. “Forests that were once depleted for firewood are regenerating,” says Nyamwiza. Air quality has improved inside homes as well. Women like her, she says, have reclaimed hours of their day. And young men have found dignified work.

Stella Tushabe is a freelance writer in Rwanda.
stellatush@gmail.com