Climate Change and Energy Challenges Disrupt Education in Mwanza Region
Mwanza is facing significant educational challenges as climate change and unsustainable cooking energy continue to impact school attendance and student welfare. Low-income families predominantly rely on firewood, forcing children, especially girls, to spend crucial hours collecting fuel instead of attending classes.
Siwema Alex, a Form One student, exemplifies the daily struggle many families face. “At home, we mostly use firewood because charcoal and gas are too expensive,” she explains. As the eldest child, Siwema assists her mother in gathering firewood, often arriving late to school or missing lessons entirely.
Climate change compounds these challenges, disrupting community livelihoods and student well-being. Erratic weather patterns have destroyed crops, reduced livestock, and shrunk fish stocks, directly affecting household incomes and children’s ability to attend school consistently.
Regional Education Authorities acknowledge the complexity of the issue. Current data shows absenteeism has dropped from 21 percent in 2020 to an average of 3.2 percent today, with ambitious plans to reach one percent by year-end.
Energy transition efforts are underway. The government has begun distributing subsidized cooking gas cylinders, with each district receiving 3,255 cylinders at half the market price. The National Clean Cooking Strategy aims to ensure 80 percent of households use clean cooking energy by 2034.
Local interventions include planting one million trees annually and constructing new schools with environmental conservation integrated into their design. Public institutions like Butimba Prison are also transitioning to cleaner energy sources, demonstrating commitment to sustainable solutions.
Despite these challenges, Mwanza remains hopeful. Current statistics reveal that while 63.5 percent of households depend on firewood and 26.2 percent use charcoal, initiatives are progressively addressing these energy and educational barriers.
