It was great to hear from RETAP who have been a leading light in the field and innovator from whom many other stove producers have learnt, and who currently supply approximately half of the stove market in Kenyan schools. At the time of winning their Award, and with the help of the GEF Small Grants Programme, RETAP were also starting to run a woodlot programme to provide schools with fast-growing eucalyptus and other seedlings so that they become self-sufficient in fuelwood. This has helped to transform cooking in schools from a dirty and environmentally destructive activity to one that is closer to CO2 neutral.
Fast forward some ten years and I also had the chance to see the very slick process behind the efficient charcoal-burning Jikokoa™ stove made by BURN Manufacturing, winner of last year’s Ashden Clean Energy for Women and Girls Award. The stove itself represents a step-change in the design and efficiency of domestic charcoal-burning cookstoves, dramatically improving the health and wellbeing of its users.
As well as being an aspirational household product, it cuts down on smoke and soot by more than 60% compared to the widely used Kenya ceramic jiko, and significantly reduces the time spent cooking and collecting wood. At around 3500 Kenyan shillings ($35), the initial outlay for BURN’s stove is also considerably less than an LPG stove.
An exciting and ambitious business, BURN has a well-run production line with high health and safety standards, great employee engagement, and training and career advancement opportunities, particularly for women who make up over half the workforce. It feels extremely modern and very much at the forefront of a ‘new’ Kenya.