Repi, West Manggarai – On 19 March 2025, the biomass stove production team from the Waste Management Institution conducted a socialization activity for the biomass stove developed in Repi Village. The biomass stove was initiated and designed by Comestoarra. The socialization event was officially opened by the Head of Repi Village. “We greatly appreciate the support for the use of biomass stoves in Repi Village as energy-efficient and low-emission cooking tools. We extend our thanks for the stove design and molding by Comestoarra, production training by the Acil Ende group, and the PEKA IKLIM program guidance by BINTARI in supporting Repi Village,” said the Head of Repi Village.
The seven moldings provided by Comestoarra were fully utilized by the biomass stove production unit. The production of biomass stoves in Repi Village began in November 2024, with guidance from the ACIL community, one of Comestoarra’s partner communities from Ende, NTT. After production, the Repi Village biomass stove team, assisted by BINTARI, carried out distribution as well as socialization on stove usage. The outreach and distribution activities were conducted in the Wae Liang, Watu Weri, and Lengkong Lala hamlets, using hands-on simulation methods to demonstrate the proper use of the biomass stoves.
The community warmly welcomed the biomass stove innovation in Repi Village. One of the stove users, Ms. Dinna from Gurung Hamlet, said, “Using the biomass stove is more efficient in firewood consumption and also faster for boiling water.” Previously, the community relied heavily on firewood as their main energy source for cooking. Now, with the biomass stove, residents can save on firewood usage.
Excessive firewood use not only risks reducing forest cover but also affects health due to smoke exposure and increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere. To mitigate these negative impacts on the environment and public health, the biomass stove serves as a solution offering multiple benefits in terms of economy, health, and the environment, supporting the cooking activities of Repi Village residents. As a follow-up, the Repi Village Government is committed to continuing biomass stove production through the village waste management team, aiming to disseminate this environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and low-emission cooking technology to the entire community in Repi Village.