For a number of years now AFH has been running the 'Cow Project', as well as having a number of pigs on site.
This is where your support has been instrumental in obtaining a cow and a calf so that the children at AFH can have milk as part of their diet. As a project it has been a success and the children are also learning about animal husbandry in the process, skills which will be useful beyond Abba Father's House.
But often with success comes problems. Cows eat a lot, and they also produce lots of waste, dung etc. Unless you have a plan to deal with the dung it remains where it is. And dung attracts flies and mosquitos. And mosquitos carry malaria. Earlier this year we had an outbreak of malaria at Abba Father's House which affected a number of the children. In the case of one child it was so severe that immediate hospital treatment was needed.
When we considered what we could do to deal with the situation the proposal was made to build a biogas digestor. To explain what it does here's the output from an AI engine!
A biogas digester, also known as an anaerobic digester, is a sealed vessel where bacteria break down organic matter—such as animal manure, wastewater biosolids, and food waste—in the absence of oxygen. Here’s how it works:
Digestion Process:
The digester contains complex bacterial cultures that digest the waste material.
This anaerobic digestion process creates an oxygen-free environment where bacteria can consume the waste and thrive.
Outputs:
Biogas: The primary output is biogas, which consists mainly of methane (CH4)—similar to natural gas. Biogas can be used for heat, electricity generation, or as vehicle fuel.
Digestate: The residual material left after digestion is called digestate. It includes both liquid and solid portions. These can be used as animal bedding, nutrient-rich fertilizer, compost, or soil amendment2.
In summary, biogas digesters play a crucial role in converting organic waste into valuable energy (biogas) and useful byproducts (digestate)
As part of the support network for Abba father's House in Uganda we have a number of connections to other orphanages and agencies. Through these we were able to see biogas digestors successfully working and also have access to the design. And just as importantly we knew of local builders who could take these plans and make them a reality.
To get the digestor built we had a fundraising campaign and our wonderful supporters raised the sum of £550 which enabled us to start the project and get it completed. We continue to thank God for those of you who support Abba Father's House in so many ways, who enable us to improve the lives of those entrusted to our care.
God Bless
Juliet and the Abba Father's House team
