Presents: Turning Waste into Energy: A Healthier Future for Ghana
A special newsletter featuring Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo is coming on Friday, June 27, 2025!
Inside This Edition
| Section | What You’ll Learn |
| Health Exclusive | How clean-burning briquettes slash smoke-related disease and improve sanitation |
| Environmental Gains | Meeting 70 % of Ghana’s firewood demand without cutting a single tree |
| Tips & Tricks | Simple steps to advocate, volunteer and spread the word in your community |
| Mind & Motivation | Evening routines for better sleep—curated by Nana Owusuaa |
Spotlight on Innovation
The Answer: Briquettes Made From Human & Agricultural Waste
By collecting faecal sludge from eco-toilets, sawdust from timber mills and crop residues from farms, Ghana can produce safe, low-smoke fuel briquettes that power homes, schools, restaurants, and even factories.
“Now I cook without smoke choking my children.”
— Abena, mother of four, Kumasi
The Problem: Firewood, Charcoal & Health
More than five million Ghanaians still rely on wood and charcoal for their daily needs.
- Heavy indoor smoke → respiratory illness
- Rapid deforestation → climate change & soil erosion
- Unsafe waste disposal → disease outbreaks
The Solution: Turning Waste Into Fuel
- Collect toilet waste, sawdust and crop residues.
- Sanitise & carbonise to kill germs and create clean charcoal powder.
- Compress into dense, easy-to-handle briquettes.
- Distributed to households, schools and businesses nationwide.
Health & Environmental Benefits
- Cleaner air indoors → fewer smoke-related diseases.
- Proper sanitation → less open defecation, safer communities.
- Forest protection → up to 70 % reduction in wood cutting.
- Green jobs → new opportunities in collection, processing and sales.
What You Can Do
- Advocate for eco-toilets and briquettes in your district.
- Volunteer with waste-to-fuel programmes.
- Spread the word in schools, churches and market centres.
Let’s cook clean, live healthy and save our forests—together.
📰 Owusuaa Health Newsletter – June Edition
Title: A Cleaner Ghana—Turning Waste Into Cooking Fuel for Homes & Schools
- Hook:
“Over five million Ghanaians still cook with firewood and charcoal—at the cost of their health and our forests.” - Plain Language:
Replace “faecal-sludge pyrolysis” with “heating toilet waste until it becomes clean charcoal.” - Highlight Health First:
Explain how briquettes cut smoke, stop open defecation and create dignified jobs. - Clear Sections:
Problem → Solution → How It Works → Why It Matters → Call to Action - Local Voice:
Include a quote like Abena’s above in Twi, Ewe or Ga when possible. - Strong CTA:
“Want briquettes in your community? Contact the Owusuaa Clean Energy Team today.” - Visual Aids:
- Charcoal vs. briquettes photo
- Woman cooking on a smoke-free stove
- One-step infographic: toilet → treatment → briquette → clean flame
Mind & Motivation
“Unwind With Purpose” — Evening routines from Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo that blend mindfulness with practical prep so you sleep smart every night.
Author Spotlight: Nana Owusuaa
- Co-Founder, Owusuaa Newsletter Magazine
- Founder, Hair Senta & HIBS-AFRICA
- Motivational speaker & author of Direction
With contagious energy and insight, Nana inspires thousands across Africa and beyond. In this issue, she reflects on balance, leadership and the healing power of quality sleep.
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Coming Next Week
Writer’s Corner
Who needs to understand this message the most?
Primarily rural and peri-urban households, where literacy can lag national averages (adult literacy ≈ 80 %, yet 7.9 million people still struggle to read).
Why jargon kills progress
Complex terms breed fear and slow word-of-mouth. Clear language makes adoption soar and forests stay standing.
| Technical phrase | Say instead | Impact |
| “Thermochemical carbonisation of faecal sludge” | “We heat toilet waste and sawdust until they turn into clean charcoal powder.” | Removes fear; sparks curiosity. |
| “60 % reduction in non-renewable biomass consumption” | “Families will need half the firewood they use today.” | Lets readers visualise fewer trees cut. |
| “Anaerobic pathogen inactivation” | “Germs are killed during the heating step.” | Answers the biggest health worry directly. |
Beyond Print: noEvery tree saved begins with a sentence someone understands.
Contact Us
Owusuaa Health Initiative, Accra, Ghana
📧 owusuaahealth@gmail.com
🌐 Website coming soon
Together, let’s turn waste into hope—creating cleaner cooking, safer communities and a greener Ghana for generations to come.
TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION:
Clean Energy, Clean Language
1. Who Needs to Understand This Message?
- The majority of wood-fuel users in Ghana live in rural and peri-urban districts where education rates trail behind the national average. While Ghana’s adult literacy rate stands at approximately 80.38%, over 7.9 million people—about one in four—still struggle to read or write fluently. These communities are also the ones most dependent on firewood.
- Even among readers, technical terms like “faecal-sludge pyrolysis” or “carbonisation retort” are unfamiliar and confusing.
Ghana’s Literacy Snapshot
According to the World Bank (2025), Ghana’s adult literacy rate was reported at 80.38% in 2020. However, the need for accessible and relatable language remains critical, especially in areas with the highest dependence on traditional fuel sources.
2. How Technical Jargon Slows Progress
- Fear from Complexity: A 2024 study in Ghana’s middle belt revealed that unclear explanations of new stove technology created fear and hesitation. Many assumed the stoves were unsafe simply because they didn’t understand the science.
- Stifled Word-of-Mouth: Early adopters often couldn’t explain clean stove benefits to neighbours, stalling community adoption. As a result, improved stoves still account for only 5% of the market, despite over a decade of campaigns.
- Awareness Gaps: According to GHACCO (Ghana Alliance for Clean Cookstoves), low awareness and poor community engagement remain major reasons why charcoal still dominates.
- Ghanaians, particularly in rural areas, continue to rely on biomass as their main energy source, placing both health and forests at risk.
3. Real-World Insights: What the Data Shows
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) call for modern, sustainable energy for all. In response, efforts have accelerated globally and locally:
- The Clean Cooking Alliance promotes clean fuel adoption worldwide.
- Ghana’s Rural LPG Programme has distributed over 150,000 LPG stoves in rural areas.
- The GRAPHS Study (Kintampo Health Research Centre + Columbia University) tested the health impact of clean stoves on birthweight and pneumonia in Brong-Ahafo.
Results:
- In the LPG group, 77% used the stove for 80% or more of the study duration.
- In the BioLite group, 40.5% used the stove consistently.
Despite high adoption in controlled trials, challenges like inconsistent fuel access and poor maintenance remain common once programs end.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s forests continue to shrink, losing 3% of tree cover each year, largely due to firewood and charcoal use.
4. Why Clarity Can Save Forests—and Lives
Plain language can turn confusion into curiosity. For example:
- Instead of saying:
“Thermochemical carbonisation of faecal sludge blended with lignocellulosic residues”
Say:
“We heat toilet waste and sawdust until they turn into clean charcoal powder.” - Instead of:
“Anaerobic pathogen inactivation”
Say:
“Germs are killed during the heating step.”
Why it matters: - Reduces Fear: Clear, simple explanations build trust.
- Spreads Adoption: When someone like Abena in Kumasi can confidently explain briquettes to her neighbour in Twi, Ga, or Ewe—adoption grows.
- Enables Policy Action: Local officials with no technical background can still support briquette programs if briefs are read.
“New cooking fuel made from toilet and farm waste—no smell, less smoke, saves trees.”
5. Writing for Impact: Practical Tips
| Instead of… | Say… | Why It Helps |
| “60% reduction in non-renewable biomass consumption” | “Families will need half the firewood they use today.” | Makes the impact easy to visualise. |
| “Anaerobic pathogen inactivation” | “Germs are killed during heating.” | Answers health concerns. |
| “Carbonisation retort” | “We burn the waste safely in a heat chamber.” | Removes mystery from the process. |
6. Beyond the Page: How to Reach Everyone
- Translate into Local Languages
Keep sentences under 20 words. Prioritise dominant local languages for maximum reach. - Use Visuals and Infographics
A simple image showing:
Toilet ➝ Treatment ➝ Briquette ➝ Clean Flame
speaks louder than technical jargon. - Leverage Oral Traditions
- Radio dramas in Twi or Ewe
- Market-day demonstrations
- Local storytelling
These tools work where printed materials do not.
Bottom Line: Every Tree Saved Starts with a Clear Sentence
When we replace jargon with clarity, we remove fear and unlock action. People are more willing to try new cooking solutions when they understand how they work and why they matter. With better messaging, clean energy adoption grows, bringing health to families, hope to communities, and healing to our forests.
Let’s talk simply. Let’s talk clean.
Let’s cook a better future—together.
Introduction / Overview
Dialogue: “From Waste to Flame” with Berla Mundi & Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo
Berla Mundi (Host):
Good morning, Ghana, and good morning to our listeners around the world! I’m Berla Mundi, a broadcast journalist, television host and proud advocate for sustainable development. Today, I’m joined by an extraordinary woman whose work spans beauty, business and bold environmental change:
Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo, CEO of Hair Senta and HIBS-AFRICA, award-winning entrepreneur, certified life-coach, motivational speaker and author of the bestselling book “Direction.” She is also Co-Founder of OWM, Owusuaa Lifestyle Magazine and the creative force behind the new Owusuaa Weekly Magazine (OMW). Together, we’ll explore how ordinary waste can become extraordinary energy, and why clear, hopeful communication saves both lungs and trees.
Nana Owusuaa, welcome to the show! To frame our discussion, let me quote a thread of Buddhist thought that inspires many environmentalists: “Buddhism has always looked at the interconnectedness of all things… The founding Soka Gakkai educator, Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, wrote in The Geography of Human Life (1903) about an ethical bond between people and the planet.
Today, President Daisaku-Ikeda continues that call, stressing that neglecting nature endangers humanity itself.” You echo that philosophy in your new newsletter- and in Direction-by linking human health to the health of Ghana’s forests.
Could you walk us through the headline article in the latest Owusuaa Weekly Magazine and unpack the key tips for our listeners?
Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo : Thank you, Berla, and good morning to everyone tuned in!
Our June cover story is titled: “Turning Waste into Energy: A Healthier Future for Ghana.” It lives in four clear sections-each designed so that anyone, from a busy Accra trader to a farmer in Bolgatanga, can grasp the message in seconds.
- Health Exclusive – “Breathe Easy”
- We show how briquettes made from toilet waste, sawdust and crop residue cut indoor smoke, slash respiratory illness and improve sanitation.
- Environmental Gains – “Save 70 % of Our Trees”
- A single household switching to briquettes can halve its firewood use. If Ghana scales up, we meet most cooking demand without felling a tree.
- Tips & Tricks – “Act Locally, Speak Simply”
- Advocate: Ask your district to trial eco-toilets.
- Volunteer: Join a waste-to-fuel demo day.
- Spread the word: Use Twi, Ewe or Ga phrases under 20 words—no jargon like “faecal-sludge pyrolysis.”
- Mind & Motivation – “Unwind with Purpose”
- I share an evening routine—breathing, stretching, gratitude journaling—so readers sleep smart and wake ready to champion green living.
2. How Exactly Do You Turn “Poop” into Cooking Fuel?
Berla:
People keep asking: “Human waste is dirty—how can it possibly become a clean fire?” Break it down, step by step, in words a 10-year-old can repeat.
Nana-Owusuaa:
Sure:
- Collect it – Stool from eco-toilets, plus farm leftovers like sawdust.
- Dry it – Sun-dry or low heat so the smell and wetness go.
- Heat it hot – About 500 °C inside a closed drum; every germ dies.
- Grind it – It turns into black powder, just like charcoal dust.
- Press it – We add a little cassava starch and press it into hard sticks called briquettes.
- Use it – It burns hotter than ordinary charcoal, and far less smoke comes out.
In Twi: Yɛgye toilet yare no, yɛhye no, yɛbɛtwa no ho, na ɛdan kotoku dua a ɛnkeka yare biara.
Linking Philosophy to Practice
Berla Mundi: That mirrors Makiguchi’s idea of an “ethical and spiritual relationship” with the land. How do you weave this philosophy into a business magazine?
Nana Owusuaa:
We position every story as hope in action. Beauty brands, clean-energy startups, even sleep routines—each article answers two questions:
- Does it uplift people?
- Does it respect the planet?
If the answer is “yes” to both, it gets ink in OWM.
3. Why Is Wood Charcoal Quietly Killing Us?
Berla:
Out in the villages, many say, “Charcoal has always worked; what’s the fuss?” Spell out the hidden danger.
Nana:
- Smoke kills lungs. Breathing charcoal smoke daily is like smoking two packs of cigarettes.
- Trees disappear. Ghana loses 3 % of its forest cover every year. Fewer trees mean hotter weather and poorer rainfall.
- Hospital bills rise. Smoke-linked pneumonia and eye disease cost families more than the price of cleaner fuel.
So our ignorance—thinking wood smoke is harmless—slowly steals our health and our land.
4. “It’s Too Complicated”—How Do We Teach People Who Can’t Read?
Berla:
Literacy is low in many cocoa-growing districts. How do we explain briquettes without fancy words?
Nana:
- Picture first. One poster: toilet → big hot drum → black sticks → clean blue flame.
- Storytelling. Market-day drama in Twi: a coughing child switches to briquettes and starts sleeping well.
- Try & see. Give a family two free briquette bundles. One test meal wins more hearts than ten leaflets.
5. Is It Safe to Cook with “Poop”?
Berla:
Some call it foolish or even cursed. How do you answer that fear?
Nana:
Heat is our purifier. At 500 °C, every worm, germ and smell is gone—same science we trust to roast meat. The end product looks, smells and burns like charcoal, only cleaner. Nothing “cursed” remains.
6. What Immediate Health Change Can a Family Expect?
Berla:
Let’s make it personal. A mother of three in Tumu switches today—what happens this month?
Nana:
- Less coughing in the first week.
- Eyes stop watering while cooking.
- Fewer clinic trips by month’s end—saving school fees or seed money.
7. Final Call to Action
Berla:
Speak directly to anyone who still thinks “charcoal is cheaper.”
Nana:
Count the true cost: seedlings you planted that never sprout because the land is bare; medicine for a cough that never ends; the lost time walking farther for firewood. Briquettes cut those costs. Ask your assemblyman for an eco-toilet pilot, join a briquette demo, and tell your neighbour in plain Twi: “Yɛn nhwehwɛ dua no bio—ɛha na ogya no wɔ!” (“Let’s stop chasing trees; the fire is right here!”)
Closing Segment of the Dialogue
Berla Mundi:
Before we wrap up today’s powerful conversation, Nana Owusuaa, I’d like us to leave our audience with some sharp takeaways. Let me start with this:
How can clean-burning briquettes slash smoke-related disease and improve sanitation?
Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo:
Berla, the answer is simple but powerful. Unlike firewood and charcoal, clean briquettes produce very little smoke. That means our mothers, grandmothers—and especially the children by their side—aren’t inhaling dangerous fumes daily.
Now, here’s the part we avoid talking about: these briquettes are made from treated toilet waste and crop residue. So instead of leaving faeces to contaminate our water or cause disease through open defecation, we collect it, treat it with heat, and turn it into clean energy. We’re cleaning our homes and powering them at the same time. That’s real sanitation and health.
Berla Mundi:
That’s eye-opening. Next question—what are the environmental gains?
Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo:
Massive gains, Berla. Let’s start with the basics: we stop cutting trees. When people use briquettes instead of firewood or charcoal, we reduce deforestation by up to 70%. That means better rainfall, better soil, better farming.
Second, we turn waste into fuel instead of dumping it or burning it, so we cut methane emissions, which trap heat and cause climate change. We’re also creating green jobs in collection, production, and sales. Everyone wins: the forest, the farmer, the woman, the youth.
Berla Mundi:
Finally, this one is for the doubters. How do we realistically meet 70% of Ghana’s firewood demand without cutting a single tree?
Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo:
We change our mindset, Berla. That’s where it starts. We stop saying “eh, it’s just one log of wood.” Because millions are saying that every day.
We have more than enough raw material—from eco-toilets, sawmills, and farms—to create safe, affordable briquettes. We just need to support the production, spread the knowledge, and remove the shame around waste.
If Ghana commits—just like Rwanda or Kenya has done—we can replace firewood in 7 out of 10 homes without touching a single tree. And trust me, when we do that, we will breathe better, live longer, and cook with dignity.
Berla Mundi:
Thank you so much, Nana Owusuaa Gyimah-Addo. What you’ve shared today is more than a conversation—it’s a call to action. To every listener: don’t let your ignorance kill you or your children. Don’t let laziness burn down our forests. Let’s cook clean, live healthy, and build a smarter Ghana—starting now.
Ghana, our foolishness ends when we choose knowledge over habit. Thank you, Nana Owusuaa, for lighting the path. I’m Berla Mundi—stay informed, stay healthy, and let’s keep our forests standing.SGI
SGI-Our Shared Humanity/
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