Under the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Project, the Humanity for Development and Prosperity Organization (HDPO) established community-based charcoal-planting associations and delivered a Training of Trainers (ToT) on producing alternative charcoal from agricultural and natural waste across 20 targeted villages in Galabat Eastern and Western Localities, Al Gedaref State.
The activity trained 20 participants, with one representative from each targeted village, through practical sessions delivered in Kassab and Doka. Participants were trained as village-level trainers and founding members of the charcoal-planting associations, equipping them with practical skills to produce alternative charcoal and transfer the knowledge to their communities.
Implemented by HDPO with partner and support from IOM Sudan and funded by the United Nations Peacekeeping, the initiative has laid the technical and institutional foundation for community-level production of alternative charcoal. The 20 trained participants will return to their villages to activate the associations and cascade their skills, supporting sustainable resource management and longer-term community resilience.
The intervention responds to continued reliance on wood-based charcoal and its associated pressure on tree cover and natural resources. The training focused on converting agricultural residues and natural waste into usable charcoal, providing communities with a practical alternative that can support livelihoods while reducing pressure on forests.
The activity was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Production and Economic Resources and the Sudanese Association for Environmental Protection. It concluded with a ceremony in Kassab attended by the Ministry’s Executive Director and a community leadership representative, underscoring institutional and community support for the newly established associations.