Safer Stoves Project
The safer stove making project began in 2017. A partnership was established with the African Community for Sustainable Development (ACSD) to train local people in stove making. By building stoves out of clay, using a safe and efficient design, opportunities were created for the trainees to sell the stoves in Gasundwe and surrounding villages in Gihombo sector.
In January 2020, Gihombo sector office offered the group a base and premises in Viro, next to our new nursery school there. In exchange for this rent free building, the group paid for the materials to upgrade it themselves. By September 2020 their start up business was growing and making a profit from stove sales. In addition, with funds for the materials from VRUK, they have produced 200 stoves for vulnerable families, identified by Gihombo sector office. This social enterprise has been very successful. Their own customer base is expanding to many parts of Gihombo sector. In fact, they are paying for the GiFo boat upgrade, with the idea of renting it to reach even more customers further afield in the future.
Mixing wood shavings with clay which is used to put on the moulds. It takes 2 weeks for stoves to dry and ready for use
Many people in rural Rwanda cook on open fires, using wood from the forests and pots of boiling liquid balanced on three stones. These safer clay stoves are much more efficient than the traditional open fire and a working height, improving the lives of the women who use them and keeping all the family safe from burns. Moreover, they make more efficient use of fuel, reducing the amount of wood consumed and carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The stoves are made and fitted by local men, providing work and the benefits of an income to the community.
This new design means there is less risk to women and children in the home, where open fires have previously been used. The Children’s Centre kitchen now has one of these new stoves.