Samuel Kallon 
By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
Green Energy Charcoal Briquette Enterprise CEO and Founder, Alhassan Islam Tawarallie, stated that he turned agricultural waste into charcoal.
Alhassan Islam Tawarallie stated this during a site visit of ILO, within the frames of the Opportunity Salone programme in Kenema District.
Green energy’s CEO, The Company was formed in 2021 when they were still strangers. Nevertheless, due to the ILO and Project Opportunity Slone Programme, they were able to observe and provide help.According to him, since the ILO began to assist them; they were able to construct two mini factories and are now able to expand their business throughout and outside the country.
He claimed that although he is battling serious challenges in teams of production due to how his production site is not conductive but his factory is too small for the volume of people coming in to supply.
He said light is another problem, that is the machines which he uses to produce the charcoal all runs on electricity and are costly to manage.
Furthermore, he stated that the beginning of last year, he managed to obtain a solar panel costing him seven thousand dollar ($7,000). He proceeded to say that transportation is another big problem; he needs a vehicle for the transportation of his produce across the country, since he has extended to five major cities, namely Sierra Leone and Liberia.
He affirmed, “All agricultural waste such as cassava piles, rice husks, piles of coconuts, and the grasses themselves, I utilized to make charcoal which is environmentally friendly, does not produce any smoke, cheap and does not use flames.”
He went on saying that currently he has been employed twenty-one workers presently that are working for him, and people around Europe the world including Spain, and other part are presently buy from him.
The Chief Technical Advisor of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Sierra Leone, Tonderai Manoto, stated that the focus of the Opportunity Salone program is to better the living standards of the people of Sierra Leone through better infrastructure and employment.
According to him, the project will enhance not only market access for farmers but also healthcare and education services that are vital to communities.
He went on to state that the beneficial effects of the project go beyond access to transport; they help improve food security and promote economic development in Sierra Leone and contribute positively towards development.
