Smokeless stoves saving lives in 1,250 households

Thank you so much for your support of this project providing smokeless cooking stoves to families and communities in Kenya.

Last month, a group of volunteers from Ireland (and Australia!) got the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and support the installation of stoves during their time in Kenya.  The volunteers really enjoyed the experience.  They were amazed that something with such a life changing impact can be made to happen in a relatively short time and with tremendous team effort.

Installation is a messy job as the stove is built using mud made with soil from the garden.  The chimney is the game-changer as it extracts the smoke from the kitchen.  It is made locally out of tin pieces that are put together at the site of the installation, then a hole is cut through the iron sheet roof and the chimney is sealed onto the roof using more mud. The design of the stove is very specific and the trained installer has a very important role to play in making sure the stove is built to work correctly. 

All the neighbours call in to see what is happening and on the days the volunteers were helping there were plenty of visitors curious to meet them and have a chat. 

A survey is completed with the householder on the day the stove is installed and another 6 months later. It includes questions about the health of the household and money and time spent on gathering firewood.  Recent results, from 1,046 surveys carried out 6 months after the stoves were installed, found that 98% of families surveyed had not experienced any respiratory illness since the stove installation, they also said there were no eye infections, their children didn’t suffer from any burns and their kitchens were smoke free.

97% of households reported an increase in their household income.  This is because the stoves use 2/3 less wood than the traditional open fires, saving money and time spent collecting the firewood. That allows more time to focus on income generating projects allowing households to pay for school fees, save for the future, buy seed and fertiliser, invest in their farms and expand their business'. 

The life changing impact of the stoves you have supported contribute not only to better health but also contribute to a higher standard of living.

If you would like to donate again, please mark Giving Tuesday November 28^th on your calendar.  The more money we can raise on that day the more we earn in bonus funds from GlobalGiving.