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My name is Cindy Burleson and I'm chairman of the International Sibling Society.

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It's a privilege to welcome you to SDGs Explained, the podcast where we explore the 17 global

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development goals and how people in over 190 countries are working together to make life

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a better place on the planet.

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For all of us.

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Life both above and below the water.

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The 17 sustainable development goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect

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the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all.

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Addressing key challenges such as poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality,

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clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth,

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industry innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities,

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responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace

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and justice, and strong institutions.

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In this series you will learn much more about the global sustainable development goals.

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But if you're curious and you want to know more now, check out the SDGs Explained trailer

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and bonus features found in the same place you found our podcast here today.

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Hit the subscribe button.

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Let's get YouTube on our side.

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Speaking of YouTube, if you visited our website, ISSnow.earth lately, you'll see that the International

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Sibling Society is in the middle of a huge YouTube subscriber drive.

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As a global citizen, you're asked, are you ready to embark on a captivating journey of

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cultural exploitation and meaningful connections?

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We'll look no further than the YouTube channel of the International Sibling Society.

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We're a vibrant community dedicated to fostering understanding, appreciation, and unity among

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change makers across borders.

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Today we invite you to become an integral part of our movement by subscribing to our

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channel and embracing the power of shared experiences.

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With so many subscribers already on board, our channel has become a vibrant hub for engaging

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conversations, heartwarming stories, and diverse perspectives from every corner of the world.

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We believe that individuals, irrespective of nationality, have a unique bond that transcends

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boundaries and has the potential to bridge gaps in our global society.

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Through our videos, we aim to nurture this bond and ignite a sense of camaraderie that

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goes beyond geographical limitations.

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What you can expect from the International Sibling Society's YouTube channel is this.

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The channel is going to allow you to give or to see or to glimpse into the captivating

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And there you're going to find inspiring stories where you'll discover all inspiring stories

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of individuals who have overcome challenges, embraced diversity, and made a positive impact

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in their communities.

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These stories will touch your heart and remind you of the incredible strength that lies within

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human relationships.

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You'll also find cultural showcases where you can immerse yourself in the richness of

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global cultures through captivating showcases.

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From traditional music and dance performances to culinary delights and festive celebrations,

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you'll witness the beauty and diversity of cultural traditions from around the world.

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You'll also find thought-provoking discussions that engage, will engage your impressing global

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issues that affect people everywhere.

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Our insightful panel discussions and interviews tackle topics such as education, environment,

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global justice, and more, providing a platform for meaningful conversations and an exchange

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of ideas.

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You'll also find collaborative projects where you can be part of an exciting collaborative

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project that encourages cross-cultural interaction and creativity, from art challenges and virtual

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storytelling to shared experiences and joint initiatives.

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Our channel fosters connections that extend far beyond the screen.

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By subscribing to the International Sibling Society's YouTube channel, you're not just

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gaining access to an enriching platform, you're becoming an integral part of a global family

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dedicated to unity, understanding, and positive change.

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Your support will help us reach even more individuals and organizations worldwide, fostering

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a sense of belonging, promoting empathy, and encouraging a shared vision for a better future.

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Together let's celebrate this beautiful tapestry of humanity, weaving connections and transcend

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borders and inspire us to create a more harmonious world.

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Share our channel with your friends, family, and social networks, encouraging them to join

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this remarkable journey of unity.

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Thank you for being a catalyst for change and embracing the International Sibling Society's

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mission.

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Together we can create a world where individuals stand united, empowering one another, and

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living a lasting positive or leaving a lasting and positive impact on our shared community.

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We encourage you to subscribe now and be part of our global community.

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When this season of SDGs Explained, we're exploring the incredible projects currently

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underway under the Mandela Washington Fellowship recipients across the African continent.

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I'm your host, Cindy Berlison, chairman of the International Sibling Society.

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Today we sit in the studio of the Innovation Center in Reno, Nevada.

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Our guest comes all the way from Zambia.

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Please welcome Lazarus Suelula, a passionate change maker, award winning entrepreneur,

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and advocate for sustainable development.

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Lazarus it's a pleasure to sit across from you in the studio and have you on the show.

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Thank you.

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Let's just dive right on into it, Lazarus.

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To start with, can you tell us about your project and how it aligns with the United

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Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

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Thank you once more, Cindy, and I'm thrilled to be here and also to share my experience

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about my work in Zambia.

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My project is called Virgin Green Renewable Energy Limited and we are located in Zambia.

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We are championing SDG number 7, SDG number 3, SDG number 17, and also SDG number 13.

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Fantastic.

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Wonderful.

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What is your project focus on improving?

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My project focuses on improving lives, those that depend on using firewood and charcoal

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and also inefficient cook stoves that uses dirty fuels.

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So at Virgin Green, what we are doing, we are trying to recycle waste materials into

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clean cooking solid fuels by recycling biomass wastes into charcoal briquettes.

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At Virgin Green, we also produce energy-saving cook stoves that uses less fuels and reduces

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carbon emission.

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And this product we sell to our low-income families that uses dirty fuels and also inefficient

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cook stoves so that we can be able to reduce the levels of deforestation.

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Well, Lazarus, tell us a little bit about how these families cook and prepare their

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food.

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Thank you.

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So in Zambia, generally about 90%, I would say, they use wood fuel.

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The forest?

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Yes.

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So these are fuels that comes from the forest.

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They go in the forest, they cut trees, and then they come back and use that wood.

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This could be a problem.

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Very much.

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What's happening to the forest?

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So the situation is like currently we are losing about 250,000 to 300,000 hectares of

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trees every year, of which 90% of these trees goes to energy.

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Because like I said, area on, 90% uses wood fuel like charcoal and firewood.

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Because most of them, they are living between $2 to $3 a day and they cannot afford to cook

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using other forms of energies like electricity and LPG gas.

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So most of them, the only affordable fuel that they use is by degrading the forest and

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then use the firewood that they fetch from the nearby forest.

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So the product that Virgin Green Renewable Energy Limited is creating is helping to solve

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this problem in the forest.

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What is your product made of?

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So like I said before, we recycle waste materials.

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So these materials that we recycle, we rely on biomass fuel.

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So let me just explain a bit about what biomass is.

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So biomass, this is a biodegradable material that is able to decompose.

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So what we don't use in producing the solid fuel that we produce, we don't use polyplastics,

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but we rely on biomass materials like agricultural waste, municipality waste, all those things

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we are able to collect and then we recycle them into a product that we call charcoal

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briquettes.

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Charcoal briquettes.

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Yes.

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Wonderful.

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I know that on some different videos that I've seen of fishing on some of the large

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bodies of water that we've talked about that are in your country, and they will be people

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on boats cooking their fish with live fire or what have you on the boats, which culturally

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speaking it's a beautiful picture, but I can see how cooking food with open flame is

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a cultural tradition there and that your product is offering a new way to solve this problem

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of harming the forest through burning it with this cultural rite of cooking with the trees.

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So basically that's very true.

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Well you know, speaking of the country, Zambia, what can you tell us more about the people

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in your country, in your country itself?

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Should we visit?

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Yes, you can visit.

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Zambia is a friendly country and it's also, in Zambia we have got one of the seven national

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wonders of the world, which is our Victoria Force.

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So it's a beautiful place to tour.

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So whenever you are ready and everyone listening to us, if you want to visit us, we are located

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in the southern part of Africa.

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We are neighboring with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of Congo.

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So you are welcome.

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Fantastic.

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Well, I'm glad that you are actively involved in achieving several of the sustainable development

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goals through your efforts in Zambia.

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Let's take a closer look at those specific SDGs that you mentioned.

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You mentioned that your project is working to achieve sustainable development goal number

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7, which is affordable and clean energy.

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Renewable development goal 7 involves ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable,

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and modern energy for all.

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As someone involved in renewable energy, it seems like you are contributing to this goal

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by advocating for and implementing clean energy solutions in your society and enterprise.

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This helps reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigates the adverse effects of climate

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change.

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When speaking of climate change, you are working to address sustainable development goal number

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13, which specifically deals with climate change.

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SDG 13 focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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Given your interest in renewable energy and energy efficiency, it's clear that you are

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actively contributing to this goal.

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By providing or promoting clean energy alternatives, you are helping to reduce greenhouse emissions

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and support sustainable development practices.

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You also mentioned that you are working with sustainable development goal number 17, which

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is one of my favorites, which is partnerships for the goals.

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We at the International Sibling Society are glad to be working with you in Zambia in partnership

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for the goals for sure.

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The 17th goal emphasizes the importance of global partnerships and collaborations to

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achieve all the sustainable development goals.

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As an advocate for renewable energy and energy efficiency, you likely understand the significance

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of partnerships and alliances in driving sustainable development.

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By working with others and engaging in initiatives that foster collaborations, you can contribute

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to this goal and you are doing that.

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And then you also mentioned sustainable development goal number 3, which is good health and well-being.

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Sustainable development goal 3 focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being

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for all at all ages.

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While you didn't provide specific details, it's possible that your work in renewable

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energy and energy efficiency directly supports this goal.

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By promoting clean energy sources, you contribute to improving air quality, which positively

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impacts people's health.

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And then of course there is sustainable development goal number 2, zero hunger.

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Zero hunger aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable

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agriculture.

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Although not directly related to renewable energy and energy efficiency, it's commendable

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that you are championing this goal alongside others.

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Addressing issues of hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture can have a significant

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impact on the overall well-being of communities.

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Your efforts in championing these SDGs demonstrate a comprehensive approach to sustainability,

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covering energy, climate action, health, nutrition, and partnership building.

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By focusing on these goals, you are making a positive impact in your society in Zambia

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and contributing to the global sustainability agenda for all of us, all around the planet.

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So as you work on each of these goals in Zambia, you move us closer to achieving the sustainable

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development goals.

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We are all in this together, regardless of what country we are in.

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So I just encourage you to keep up this good work, Lazowit.

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Thank you.

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Well, how did you come up with this idea for this project and what motivated you to pursue

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it in the first place?

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Thank you for that question.

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So the whole idea came out of a tragedy.

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I lost my grandmother in 2019 just after graduating from uni.

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And I was struck when we were being told at the hospital that the reason why your grandmother

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passed away was because of smoke, because I direct asked the doctor to know that what

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really happened.

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So they had to find the traces of smoke into her chest and lungs.

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And so when the doctor told me that the reason as to why your grandmother died was because

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of smoke, I was surprised because my grandmother never smoked cigarettes at all.

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So I got curious and I started researching to know the reason why.

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And the numbers that I found on the internet, the numbers that the World Health Organization

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had to put up in place, can you imagine, Cindy, that in developing countries about four million

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people die every year because of using dirty fuels like charcoal and firewood.

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These are records from the World Health Organization and Clean Cooking Alliance.

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And it was through my research that I also discovered that Zambia is placed on number

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one in Africa in terms of deforestation.

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Like I mentioned area on that our country is currently losing between 250,000 to 300,000

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hectares of trees every year.

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That is with a population of less than 20 million.

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So I started thinking within myself to say this is not acceptable because those numbers

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I was overwhelmed with them.

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So I started thinking around how can I be able to contribute to this.

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But I never wanted to and I also graduated at a time when Zambia had unemployment rate

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above 15 percent, we were ranked in the top 10.

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I was searching job everywhere but I couldn't find job.

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So I got tired and I wanted to sustain myself.

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So I started developing interest in business but I didn't want to just create a business

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that would just benefit myself.

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I thought of creating a business that will also impact the community.

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And yeah, that is how Veggie and Green came about.

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That is definitely inspiring, Lazarus.

243
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What could you walk us through the process of implementing your project?

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What steps have you taken to ensure it's successful?

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So we started in 2020, late 2020 in October.

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I had to use the funds that I had to make the machine, the health machine that we are

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using.

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So from there I was able to, because I didn't have formal trainings and none of, no one

249
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was doing it in Zambia.

250
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So what I did was coming up with machines that would be able to produce the briquettes

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that we are producing.

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And so it was tough but along the way we had to manage on how to produce the machine because

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we didn't have enough funds to purchase the machines from overseas like China.

254
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So when we started in late 2020, I just had to organize two guys who came to help me.

255
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And then we started Detainway.

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We started making the charcoal that we make.

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The product was bad because we didn't have formal trainings.

258
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So we continued, we relied on researching on how can we be able to improve the product

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so that we make sure that what we want to do is okay.

260
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So when we started producing the charcoal briquettes that we produce, we realized that

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when someone comes to buy our product, they were not coming back, especially when they

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buy our charcoal briquettes, they were not coming back.

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And so it got into me, I started thinking to say, but why are they not coming back?

264
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And so it was from there that we had to conduct a market research.

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And we discovered that the cook stoves that were on the Zambian market weren't compatible

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with the charcoal briquettes that we were producing.

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So it was during that time when we also discovered that the reason as to why Zambia is ranked

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number one in Africa and five globally is because an average family in Zambia with the

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cook stoves that were on the Zambian market is able to consume one ton of wood fuel per

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year.

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And this is unacceptable.

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So we had to design our own stove that will reduce the consumption of fuel by 50%.

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And also make sure that the cook stoves that we designed was also compatible with our charcoal

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briquettes.

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And so after we designed the stove, we took it to the market.

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That was the beginning of our story because now we had customers who were able to come

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back, they would purchase our charcoal briquettes together with the cook stoves.

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This was the beginning of everything.

279
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:48,880
Fantastic.

280
00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:53,000
That is a lot of steps.

281
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:58,740
Market research there and then some innovation to create your own stoves that's compatible

282
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with your product.

283
00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:03,640
I'm just curious, can you put those stoves on a boat?

284
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:05,320
Yes, I can.

285
00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:06,320
Cool, cool.

286
00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:07,320
That's wonderful.

287
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:12,920
Well, I tell you what, can you share some of the specific activities or initiatives

288
00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,320
that your project undertakes to achieve its goals?

289
00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:24,560
Okay, so in alignment with the goals, what we're doing is so when I started the business,

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I had to think of a business model because I didn't want to create a business which is

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completely for profit.

292
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But I wanted to create a business which will also benefit the community.

293
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So that I should be able to have some minimal impact.

294
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So I started a social enterprise and not just a completely for profit business.

295
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So we had to design a business model where we had to incorporate the community.

296
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So let me just take you through on how we produce our products and also how we sell

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our product.

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So we are working with local people who supply us with raw materials.

299
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Like currently, we have about nine permanent employees and 110 part-time employees.

300
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So these 100 part-time employees, these are people who supply us with the raw materials

301
00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,720
that we use in the production of charcoal briquettes.

302
00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:36,960
They bring all kinds of wastes.

303
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:44,800
So what we normally do is we train them the kind of waste that we need from them.

304
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And once we train them, we provide them with the kins that they will use when they are

305
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collecting those wastes.

306
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And then they will put them in those wastes and then we go and collect them.

307
00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:01,920
So from...

308
00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:06,720
Now just to clarify, the wastes is what now?

309
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:07,720
The biomass wastes.

310
00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:08,720
I got you.

311
00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:10,280
That's the, okay, the biomass wastes.

312
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:11,280
I'm with you.

313
00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:12,280
Okay, in the containers.

314
00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:13,280
Yes.

315
00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:14,280
I understand.

316
00:27:14,280 --> 00:27:15,280
Okay.

317
00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:16,280
Yeah.

318
00:27:16,280 --> 00:27:25,200
So these, there are 110 and these are people who are not employee, who are not employed.

319
00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,160
So we go...

320
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When we started, we were recruiting, of course, but when they saw that we are now...

321
00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,400
When the community saw what we were doing, some of them started coming to us.

322
00:27:40,400 --> 00:27:41,720
Oh, I want to work with you.

323
00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:42,720
I want to work with you.

324
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:44,760
I love what you're doing.

325
00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,000
So now people started coming like that and...

326
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But we couldn't take everyone because the capacity that we have couldn't allow us to

327
00:27:52,200 --> 00:27:54,040
do that.

328
00:27:54,040 --> 00:28:00,440
So at the moment, currently, we have 110 part-time employees that supply us with the raw materials

329
00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:01,680
that we use.

330
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:08,800
And these are people, when they bring those biomass wastes, they can be able to...

331
00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:15,160
They can be able to earn a living out of it because we buy from them.

332
00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:22,320
And then from there, after the production of the product that we produce, we do not

333
00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:24,080
sell by ourselves.

334
00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:29,000
Of course, we sell some at the factory, but we are using a very unique business model

335
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:36,960
where we sell through a team of local women who own roadside kiosks across the slums and

336
00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:39,080
also townships.

337
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:49,240
So currently, we have a workforce of 65 women who are selling our product.

338
00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:54,840
And these are women who may be just selling vegetables across the roadside.

339
00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,880
I know you might be curious.

340
00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:03,840
In Zambia and in most developing countries, there are people who sell across the corridors.

341
00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:04,840
They just have got...

342
00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,740
They sell vegetables, tomatoes.

343
00:29:06,740 --> 00:29:08,720
So these are the people that we follow.

344
00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:14,600
And then when we follow them, we go to them, and then from there, we train them also.

345
00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,960
Then they'll be selling our charcoal briquettes together with the cookstalls.

346
00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:22,800
And then from there, they'll be able to generate a commission.

347
00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:26,680
And so when we are conducting a selling analysis, last...

348
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:33,880
The close of our 2022, we discovered that a person who is constantly selling our product

349
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:38,800
is able to generate not less than $1,000 a year.

350
00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:45,480
And also, our users who are using our product, they are able to save about $200.

351
00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:52,480
And so this is not just a business, just completely for profit, but it's a social enterprise.

352
00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:53,480
Absolutely.

353
00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:57,120
And right there, you have described social enterprise.

354
00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:01,800
Not a nonprofit, not a for-profit effort.

355
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:06,800
It's a profit that involves a community.

356
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:07,800
Community change.

357
00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:08,800
Okay.

358
00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,040
So maybe I can explain a bit on a social enterprise.

359
00:30:11,040 --> 00:30:18,920
So a social enterprise is a business that is not completely for profit, but it is also

360
00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,520
creating an impact.

361
00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:25,400
An impact could be creation of employment, economic impact.

362
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:28,240
It can be social impact.

363
00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,640
It can be environmental impact.

364
00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:36,520
Yeah, that's a business plus an impact equal to a social enterprise.

365
00:30:36,520 --> 00:30:37,520
Excellent.

366
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:45,000
And so many people around the world are discovering the sustainable development goals provide a

367
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business opportunity.

368
00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:53,160
So in this business opportunity of working towards the sustainable development goals,

369
00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,880
you actually are bringing about a global change at the same time.

370
00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:04,400
So I do appreciate you talking with us specifically about social enterprise and the benefits it

371
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:09,440
has for those in business and the community.

372
00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:10,440
Thank you.

373
00:31:10,440 --> 00:31:19,320
Well, I tell you what, can you share any success stories or memorable moments from your project?

374
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,280
Thank you.

375
00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:29,640
So the success of my story about my business has, when we started, like I said, area on

376
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:37,760
when we started in 2020, we were operating at a smaller scale and it was difficult.

377
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:48,120
2021 was very difficult for us, but a breakthrough came in 2022 when we were being supported.

378
00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:52,480
I was the winner of the Dr. NH Prize.

379
00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:56,720
And so this was the beginning of everything.

380
00:31:56,720 --> 00:31:57,720
It's changed.

381
00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:04,880
The prize changed the aspect of my business entirely because we received a grant of over

382
00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:14,240
$7,000 and we were able now to purchase the machine from China and other prizes followed.

383
00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:21,840
But I would say my memorable moments was the first prize I received from Dr. NH Prize because

384
00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:28,080
it helped me now to solidify my business.

385
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:33,600
And then the success stories has always been about the impact you had me area on.

386
00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:39,960
Currently, I have a workforce of permanent employees.

387
00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:44,640
That's about 11 of them, including myself.

388
00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:48,200
And we also have what a part-time employees.

389
00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:55,440
These are suppliers of raw materials, the 110 and also the 65 women who are selling

390
00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:57,320
our product.

391
00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:04,080
And since inception, we have managed to produce about 300 tons of charcoal briquettes and

392
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,960
5,000 cook stoves.

393
00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,160
This has allowed us in terms of environmental impact, it has allowed us to save over 20,000

394
00:33:12,160 --> 00:33:17,400
adult trees that could have been cut down due to charcoal and firewood.

395
00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:26,640
And through our product, we are also saving women and children from indoor air pollution

396
00:33:26,640 --> 00:33:31,920
because they are using a smokeless fuel that do not emit any kind of smoke.

397
00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:37,920
So they will have a different reality than what your grandmother faced.

398
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:38,920
Yes.

399
00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,280
That's inspiring indeed.

400
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:47,640
Well looking ahead to future plans, what do you see for future plans and aspirations for

401
00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:50,600
your project?

402
00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:54,960
So looking ahead, we have a plan.

403
00:33:54,960 --> 00:34:02,280
We currently, the numbers that we are currently making, those are not the numbers because

404
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:04,440
we are still very small.

405
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:09,600
You can imagine in Zambia we have 10 provinces, but we are currently just servicing three

406
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,160
provinces.

407
00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:19,280
So looking ahead, we are looking at maybe in the next five years, we should be able

408
00:34:19,280 --> 00:34:26,720
to be across the entire Zambia and also probably break in the neighboring countries like Malawi

409
00:34:26,720 --> 00:34:35,000
and Zimbabwe because most of them, the situation is the same just like in my country in terms

410
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:36,000
of deforestation.

411
00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:37,000
All right.

412
00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:42,120
Now some of this might be some of the things that you've already said before, but I want

413
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:44,920
to hear it from you.

414
00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:54,200
What again are those positive impacts that your project has had on your community?

415
00:34:54,200 --> 00:35:07,240
So like I said earlier on, the positive impact is on the environment because what we are

416
00:35:07,240 --> 00:35:15,360
doing now is we are saving the environment like I said earlier on, like from the time

417
00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:20,120
up to now, we have managed to save about 20,000 adult trees.

418
00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:27,160
Now you can imagine if we upscale because our long-term target is to make sure that

419
00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:35,760
every year we are able to save, every year we should be able to be saving 100,000 adult

420
00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:43,280
trees, those that could have been cut down due to charcoal and firewood.

421
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,680
And also the creation of employment.

422
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:52,320
Currently in my city where I come from, it's a whole different story.

423
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:58,880
I've managed to create a living for others, but that is on a smaller space.

424
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:06,920
We are looking at doing more so that we can be able to create more opportunities for the

425
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:10,760
community where I'm coming from.

426
00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:11,760
That's incredible, Lazarus.

427
00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:18,200
Moving towards the end of our time together here today, do you have any key advice or

428
00:36:18,200 --> 00:36:23,080
key learnings you'd like to share with our listeners who might be interested in undertaking

429
00:36:23,080 --> 00:36:28,800
a similar project in their part of the world?

430
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:32,080
Thank you so much.

431
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:41,560
One thing that I would say is we are best in different parts of the world.

432
00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:50,800
And where I'm coming from, one of the pressing challenges that we have is unemployment, climate

433
00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:57,160
change, and also we have different issues, I would say.

434
00:36:57,160 --> 00:37:05,160
But you need to find something that really attaches to you.

435
00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:11,400
And you need to come up with a solution on how you want to do it.

436
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,560
The one thing that I would say is identify a challenge.

437
00:37:15,560 --> 00:37:19,600
We've got different problems in different parts of the world.

438
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:22,960
And then be able to be passionate about it.

439
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:25,120
And then I know it's not going to be easy.

440
00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:28,280
It's not going to be simple.

441
00:37:28,280 --> 00:37:29,280
It will be tough.

442
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:34,800
But as long as you stick to what you're doing, the world is able to, the world is watching

443
00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:38,080
you as long as you're doing the right thing.

444
00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:48,640
And you will be able to break through and do what is right in whatever you want to do.

445
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:51,720
Well that is excellent advice, Lazarus.

446
00:37:51,720 --> 00:37:56,480
Before we go, is there anything else at all that you'd like to add to what we're conveying

447
00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:02,440
here today with our listeners?

448
00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:10,200
So like, yeah, what I would say is thank you so much for hosting me here.

449
00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:18,360
And also to hear my views about the sustainable development goals and how our work is contributing

450
00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:19,360
to SDGs.

451
00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:27,480
But one thing that I'm worried is because time is moving, these goals have to be met

452
00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,680
before the year 2030.

453
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:36,960
So we can only do this if we come together.

454
00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:46,280
We can only meet, we can only achieve the SDGs if we come together as a universe.

455
00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:51,360
Because time is moving and every day it's counting.

456
00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:52,360
Yes.

457
00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:53,360
Well said.

458
00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,600
Well said for sure.

459
00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:58,440
Well we want to know how to reach you.

460
00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:00,240
How can we find you?

461
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:02,040
How can we contact you?

462
00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:13,160
So firstly, you can reach us through our email address at Virgin Green Renewable Energy Limited.

463
00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:20,040
That should just be ltd at gmail.com or in small letters.

464
00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:29,440
You can also reach us, we have a website, virgingreenenergy.com.

465
00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:31,640
Virgin Green Energy.

466
00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:37,840
It's www.virgingreenenergy.com.

467
00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:38,840
Virgingreenenergy.com?

468
00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:39,840
Yes.

469
00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:46,920
Okay, www.virgingreenenergy.com.

470
00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:50,200
It's www.virgingreenenergy.com.

471
00:39:50,200 --> 00:40:01,920
Well, Lazarus, I want to thank you for sharing your incredible project with us today.

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It's been an honor to highlight your work and the impact you're making in Zambia.

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We wish you all the success in your future endeavors.

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And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to the International Sippling Society's

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Sustainable Development Goals Explained or SDG Explained podcast.

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Tune in next time for more inspiring stories and projects aligned with the Sustainable

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Development Goals.

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Remember together, as Lazarus said, we can make a difference.

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Lazarus, it's been an absolute pleasure having you on the show today and learning about your

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impactful work within Zimbabwe, or Zambia.

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Thank you for joining us.

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Thank you.

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00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:49,480
And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to SDG's Explained today.

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00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:53,480
Join us next time where you found our podcast here today.

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00:40:53,480 --> 00:40:56,480
Or you can search for us by name.

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00:40:56,480 --> 00:41:04,080
SDG's Explained on any of these well-known platforms, Spotify, Amazon Music, Samsung

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00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:11,360
Podcasts, Podcast Index, ListenNotes, and of course the RSS.com community.

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00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:18,740
You can also find the International Sippling Society and the SDG Explained series on YouTube.

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00:41:18,740 --> 00:41:23,760
We urge you to take time to look us up on YouTube and subscribe to our channel.

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00:41:23,760 --> 00:41:31,000
Indeed, we need your support to get our message out through the algorithms so everyone, everywhere,

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around the planet can hear it and share with us all that they're doing to work towards

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achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in their part of the world.

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It only takes one click.

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Hit the subscribe button.

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Let's get YouTube on our side.