Click here for a short documentary film on VidaGas.  It was produced by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to showcase VidaGas and other companies that are helping to meet Millennium Development Goals.  Click here for a two-page overview. 

VidaGas is a local propane distribution company established to support the Mozambique health system program (see demonstration program). In future programs, our social enterprise will not necessarily be via energy distribution but from an enterprise that addresses gaps in community infrastructure and benefits the health system (see the model). 

After signing the official agreement in March 2002 with the Mozambique Ministry of Health to improve the quality of health services in northern Mozambique, VillageReach identified the need for an alternative fuel to power essential equipment (e.g. refrigerators, lamps, sterilizers) in rural health facilities. Outdated, inefficient kerosene-burning refrigerators and lamps were found to require constant maintenance and hard to find spare parts. Additionally, the burning and storage of kerosene itself can be hazardous to human health making it an inappropriate choice for use in a health care setting. Because availability of alternative fuels in the region was scarce, VillageReach set out to find a way to provide health facilities with an affordable, clean-burning alternative to kerosene.

To achieve this goal, VillageReach, in partnership with The Foundation for Community Development (FDC), established VidaGas. VidaGas is a Mozambique-based for-profit company whose primary mission is to supply the Mozambique Ministry of Health with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), also known as propane gas, for powering essential equipment in health facilities.

VidaGas is also working with the provincial governor’s office, the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, and the Ministry of Environment in Mozambique to introduce LPG to households and businesses. Together with its local partners, VidaGas is seeking ways to introduce LPG as a modern substitute for commonly used biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal, and dung, the burning of which is harmful to human health and the environment.

The VidaGas LPG distribution plant was officially opened in November 2002 and is now providing LPG to the Ministry of Health as well as residential and commercial customers. The plant is located in the town of Pemba in northern Mozambique, a centralized location allowing easier access for people coming from remote villages. In addition to LPG and storage canisters, VidaGas offers a range of LPG-powered appliances including lamps, cookers, and sterilizers. In order to make this equipment more affordable for residential customers and encourage their use, a micro-lending program is being established that will allow families to purchase the necessary equipment at a very low initial cost.

Establishing social enterprise activities that support essential community services is a fundamental part of the VillageReach program.

Printer-Friendly VidaGas Fact Sheet (PDF)

UNDP study on VidaGas (PDF)

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Health Care
Typical problem areas of rural health care systems in low-income countries include refrigeration, medical waste management, and lighting. In northern Mozambique, vaccine wastage rates are high because of unacceptable temperature variations in kerosene refrigerators, contaminated needles are being used to immunize children, and unlighted clinics can only effectively operate during daylight hours. LPG-powered refrigerators have low temperature variability, require virtually no monitoring, and are nearly maintenance free. Portable and bright LPG lights enable staff at health clinics to effectively handle emergencies such as childbirth throughout the night. Powerful LPG incinerators completely destroy used syringes and other medical waste to prevent cross-contamination from re-use.

Human Health
The burning of biomass fuels such as wood, charcoal, and dung releases large amounts of toxins that can lead to severe ailments, including infectious and chronic respiratory diseases, pregnancy-related complications, blindness, asthma, and heart disease. LPG is a clean-burning, nontoxic fuel. Because it is non-toxic, it represents a major improvement over commonly used kerosene, the drinking of which, mainly by children, has resulted in nearly 100,000 poisoning cases in South Africa alone (World LP Gas Association/World Bank 2002, "The Role of LP Gas in Meeting the Goals of Sustainable Development").

Environment
The collection of biomass fuels, particularly wood, has a major impact on the environment and community life. As the land is stripped of vegetation, flooding becomes a persistent problem during the rainy season. The resulting desertification prevents the land from being used for agriculture. Along the coast of Cabo Delgado, wood is becoming increasingly scarce and mangroves have become a primary local source of fuel. As a result of disappearing habitat and breeding grounds, the numbers of commercially important fish and prawns are dwindling. These effects will inevitably pose a serious threat to the local commercial fishing industry, one of the main revenue sources in the region.               Learn more about deforestation in Mozambique.                              

Economy
LPG is an ideal fuel for cooking, lighting, laundry, and other light industrial activities. Long-term economic benefits from its use will result from households and businesses being able to perform a wider range of activities with less effort spent on acquiring and utilizing the necessary fuel. For example, with access to LPG-powered refrigerators and freezers, local fishermen would be able to preserve the day's catch, eliminating the need to drastically reduce prices in order to avoid losses from unsold fish. For women and children, LPG cookers would mean an end to the daily routine of having to collect and carry firewood for that day's meal. This would free up time during the day for other activities such as education, community development, and farming.

For more information about VidaGas, please contact: vidagas@villagereach.org

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