A range of messages on improved stoves had been disseminated to the target clients. The main messages the extension agents indicated they delivered include the increase efficiency of the improved stoves resulting in less fuel-wood use.
Table 1: Specific
messages on Improved Stoves indicated by field extension workers to have been
disseminated
|
Messages |
Frequency |
Ranking |
|
1. Improved stoves use less fuel-wood and reduces wastage of firewood |
8 |
1st
|
|
2. Improved stoves are better for health because it produces less smoke |
5 |
3rd |
|
3. Helps to keep kitchen tidy |
1 |
6th |
|
4. Higher energy efficiency due to heat retention
and therefore faster cooking. Less costly |
7 |
2nd |
|
5. How to construct mud stoves |
4 |
4th |
|
6.Use of improved
stove minimises cutting of
trees / reduction of time use in collection of firewood |
3 |
5th |
In addition, the reduction in health hazards from
exposure to smoke was also emphasised. This was then followed by how to construct improved mud stoves in the
rural communities.
The intensity of the extension activities in the
communities was measured by the frequency with which the extension workers
contacted the clients. Although,
frequency of extension contact on improved stoves ranged from 1 to 4 times
per month, the modal frequency is
2 times a month in the pilot
communities. Thus on the average, clients were contacted with messages on
improved stoves twice a month.
The extension methods or media expected to be used
included, encouraging their clients to tune into the radio programme on
domestic energy, broadcast the Ghana-Danish community Development Programme
through Radio Savannah or playing back
audio tape-recorded versions. Others include the domestic energy programme
flipchart, use of role play / drama, demonstrations and talks and lectures.
However, the extent to which these were used varied. The extension workers,
hardly used radio programmes, or alerted the clients to listen to the radio
programmes. Exception is in the Bimbilla district where audio-tape recorded
versions of the radio programmes was played back 2 times, during the extension intervention.
However, some of the extension workers used the
flipcharts in dealing with the need to use
improve stoves. Where they have been used , this was done between 1-2
times per month, with once a month being the average. Interestingly, none of
the extension workers used role play in disseminating information on the
improved stoves. Demonstrations and talks / lectures were the dominant
extension methods used to disseminate information on the improved stoves. The
range for both respectively, was 1-4 times per month for demonstrations and
talks / lectures. The modal frequency is 2 times per month in each case.
The main firewood collection extension messages
delivered to the target groups, include the benefit of pruning branches of
trees, rather cutting down the whole trees, as well as, the need to harvest dry
wood only.
Table 2: Messages
on Firewood collection indicated by field extension workers to have been
disseminated
|
Messages |
Frequency |
Ranking |
|
Plant new trees to replace the cut ones / need to
plant trees |
4 |
3rd |
|
Prune branches / Do not cut down trees / avoid
indiscriminate felling |
7 |
1st |
|
Avoid cutting fruit trees / Economic trees / Young trees |
3 |
4th |
|
Harvest dry wood only |
6 |
2nd |
|
Trees are
scarce and now so difficult to get fire wood |
1 |
6th |
|
Trees are beneficial |
1 |
6th |
|
Make fire
wood heaps in front of the house / store fuelwood in the dry season |
2 |
5th |
|
Avoid bush
burning |
1 |
6th |
Others are planting of tree saplings to replace
harvested ones, woodlot planting to provide source of fuel wood in future.
The frequency of contact with the pilot communities
for dissemination of messages on firewood collection ranges from 1 to 4 times
per month, with a modal frequency of contact of 2 times per month. Thus,
extension activity on fire wood collection has been as intense as that of the
improved stoves.
Radio and audio- tape recording were generally not
used by the extension workers for extension activity on firewood collection.
There were instances where the
audio-tape recording was played back to stimulate discussions. This was about
twice in the communities in the Bimbilla District. The domestic energy
flipcharts are used on the average of once a month. Drama / role was hardly
used at all. Also, demonstrations tended to be used sparingly for extension
activities on fuelwood collection. One of the
extension workers used it twice
a month, whilst another has used it once since the start of the project. Once
again, the most dominant method of dissemination of messages on fire wood
collection was talks and lectures. These were use about four times per month in
the pilot community.
The main message disseminated on woodlot / tree
planting is concerned with the environmental benefits such as, improvements in
soil fertility and serving as wind breaks. Resulting from this, the need for community members to plant trees either
as community woodlots or on individual plots was emphasised.
Table 3: Messages
on Woodlot / Tree planting indicated by field extension workers to have been
disseminated
|
Messages |
Frequency |
Ranking |
|
Tree planting protects the environment ( Improve
soil fertility / wind breaks) * |
13 |
1st |
|
Fire wood can be harvested from planted trees |
1 |
5th |
|
Income can be generated from planted trees |
2 |
4th |
|
Community members should plant trees / need to
plant trees / Community ownership of wood lots* |
9 |
2nd |
|
Trees are scarce to so difficult to get fuel wood |
1 |
5th |
|
Land for tree plants / Planting materials for tree
planting |
3 |
3rd |
|
Planted trees can be sources of housing materials |
2 |
4th |
T multiple responses
Issues on accessing land for tree planting and planting materials for tree planting were also discussed. Following this the
actual “mechanics” of nursery and tree planting was demonstrated.
Extension intensity on tree planting is as high as
in the other two behaviours targeted. The average frequency of delivery of
extension activities on tree planting is about twice per month since the on-set
of the focused extension intervention in early 2001.
The use of radio / tape and role plays was hardly
dominant method for dissemination of extension messages. However, in one of the
pilot sites this was used at least once a month. On the other hand, the
domestic energy flipchart was used quite extensively. Over the period, the
frequency of use the flipchart ranged from 1-4 times per month with the modal
class of two. Its use focussed on messages on the need to plant trees and
benefits of trees in the communities.
Demonstrations were rarely used. In most cases about
1-4 demonstrations have been conducted on tree planting, since the inception of
the intervention, mostly about two demonstrations have been conducted mainly on
nursery practices and field planting.
As in the case of the other two focal behaviours,
talks and lectures are the most widely used extension methods.