Efficient kitchen stove distribution project in Kenya

CONTEXT

The Burn Stoves Project aims to distribute efficient cookstoves to rural households in Kenya, thereby generating environmental benefits while improving the health and quality of life of the communities involved. The project operates across all 47 counties of Kenya and distributes the “Jikokoa” stove, an efficient biomass model designed to reduce fuel consumption and improve indoor air quality.
In a country where more than 90% of the population still relies on local biomass (firewood or charcoal) for cooking, deforestation rates are alarming, especially in regions already facing arid conditions.
Local charcoal production is unsustainable and costly.
In addition to environmental issues, there are also social consequences: firewood and charcoal are burned on open fires or in traditional stoves in a highly inefficient manner, requiring large quantities of fuel. This results in significant costs for households, three-quarters of which live below the poverty line.
Furthermore, according to a study conducted by the Clean Cooking Alliance, excessive smoke from these traditional stoves poses serious health risks, contributing to more than 3 million premature deaths every year.
 

 

Project name: BURN STOVES PROJECT IN KENYA

 

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

 

DESCRIPTION

In this context, the Burn Stoves Project provides a solution by introducing a highly fuel-efficient biomass stove. By adopting this stove, households can reduce fuel consumption by 64%, helping to reduce pressure on local forest resources.
Efficient combustion inside the stove reduces indoor air pollution by 65%, delivering significant health benefits. These benefits, combined with savings in the time and costs required to obtain fuel, lead to an overall improvement in quality of life while helping to preserve the country’s forests. In particular, they contribute to reducing gender inequalities, as women are usually responsible for cooking and collecting fuel.
 

BENEFITS

  • improvement in air quality (particularly that inside homes),
  • reduction in consumption,cooking times and fuel procurement costs,
  • reduction of the burden of firewood collection on women and girls, giving them time to engage in other important initiatives such as education,
  • reduction of deforestation and pressure on local forest ecosystems,   
  • new job opportunities (stove production, distribution and sales are all local activities).

RESULTS

According to data relating to the monitoring period from 14 March 2023 to 12 March 2024, the project achieved the following results:

  • 344,977: stoves distributed, for at least as many households: 
  • 308,406 tons: tons of wood saved
  • 99.05%: percentage of households reporting an improvement in perceived indoor air quality
  • 408,170 tons CO2e: emissions avoided
  • 37 minutes/day: time saved for cooking
  • 95.11 USD/year: average household economic savings
  • 68: jobs created (period only)
  • 77: people trained (monitoring and interviews)