Biogas Makes Life Better!

Zhang MingGan (58) and his wife Luo Decui (56) are really happy to have received a biogas digester for their home through the International Biogas project that NMS operates YONGSHUN in Hunan Province, China.
The couple belongs to the Tujia ethnic group and has five adult children: four daughters and a son. All the children are married and working in big cities, so the couple unfortunately does not have any help on the farm. For this reason, they are very happy that they no longer need to collect wood in the forest. "It was a pain and took a lot of time," says Zhang MingGan, smiling. Now the kitchen is clean and cooking is quicker and easier Zhang says. "Now food can be made in 20 minutes! Before, the cooking often took half the day”. Now they enjoy improved hygiene and a better life, but Zhang is probably most enthusiastic about the increased yields in the years to come as a result of the organic fertilizer that comes out as a "bonus product" from the biogas tank after the methane gas has disappeared. He has noticed that the crops already are better than before. Mr Zhang is thankful that he can use the organic fertilizer from the biogas tank on his garlic, onions, cabbages, carrots and oranges.

In a simple way, MingGan Zhang’s and Luo Decui’s (56) biogas tank helps to protect the environment and makes their lives easier and better in terms of finance, time and health. In addition, the biogas digester is also very good for the environment.
How does the biogas tank work? Biogas is formed when animal (or human) dung and other compost are inserted into the digester and become methane gas in the tank under the ground. This gas has no smell or smoke and can be used for cooking and lighting fires. When the mixture has released the gas, it comes out as organic fertilizer of high quality. That means Qingxiu Zhang and Gu Zhengyi not only get gas for cooking and light, but they also receive high quality organic fertilizer that increases their crop yields.

Biogas has clearly made life better for Zhang MingGan (58) and his wife Luo Decui (56). Over the past five years, NMS has made it possible for over 1,000 families in YONGSHUN in Hunan to have biogas on their farms. Now we want to help to provide biogas for several families in YONGSHUN as well as in Madagascar where we seek to transfer the technology. Do you want to make this possible?

Did you know Chinese New Year has just passed? Many farmers in YONGSHUN dream of starting a new year that is better than last year. Would you like to give a New Year's gift that helps to combat poverty, protects the environment and improves women's health? To give an entire tank of biogas for a family in YONGSHUN costs only 100 Pounds. You can give an entire tank (or a half, or a tenth) to one of Zhang MingGan's neighbours. The amount is up to you. If you’re in the UK (or if you have UK bank account), you can support our project here. If can read Norwegian, you can give one-off gift to the project here or support the project regularly here. If you live in another country and would like to support this project, please send us an e-mail and we’ll let you know the best way.