Fuel Efficient Stoves

Everyone in Babati cooks their food over open fires.

The problems associated with this include deforestation as more and more trees are cut down; global warming through the release of carbon into the atmosphere; air pollution for the cook which can lead to respiratory problems, which in turn can lead to pneumonia and early death; and health hazards for cooks and their children.

The reality is though, few know of any other means of cooking. Gas and electricity are not available, biogas requires livestock and an investment beyond their capabilities, solar is little understood and so well suited to cooking their staple diet of Ugali. So regardless of the damage they are doing to themselves and their environment, they have no choice but to carry on.

But there is a road they can take that is affordable, sustainable, simple and achievable.

After two years of working with the Waangwaray Women’s group we have come upon solution that is working.

3 women, each paid a good daily wage, can make one stove a day. The beneficiary must provide bricks, water, grass, mud and make a 40% contribution to the labour cost of the stove. The remaining 60% will be paid for by LTT and their donors.

The stove, made entirely of mud bricks, mud and grass (known in the UK as Cob) is a simple design with one fire servicing two hobs and a chimney that takes the majority of the smoke away. Because the heat is contained there is less wastage of heat, because there are two hobs, twice as much can be cooked.

The Girl Guides have been trained on the benefits of the stoves and for each one they commission which is then built, they receive a small commission that is used to fund their Group.

Our plan is to train more women’s groups around Babati so that the benefits can be shared over a greater area.