Improved smokeless stove technology

Introduction of an improved energy smokeless stove technology to Indigenous Maasai communities with the goal of improving health outcomes in the effort to combat the negative effects of climate change.

Worldwide, about two billion people use firewood and charcoal as their main source of energy for cooking and heating their homes(CIFOR,2009).traditional biomass fuels (wood, agricultural wastes and animal dung) are the major source of energy in developing countries. Different studies show wood-fuel accounts for 60- 95% of the total energy used in developing countries.

In Tanzania, biomass fuels account for more than 90% of the primary energy supply in the country. (Kilabuko et al 2007)

Improved smokeless wood Stoves are cooking devices designed to improve the combustion and efficiency of biomass. They consume less fuel, increase convenience, implement clean cooking interventions that improve women and children`s health and wellbeing through socioeconomic, public health and climate mitigation.
The smokeless stove technology being proposed require little to no outside inputs as it will be entirely made from materials readily available in this community.

The simple moulds required to make the bricks can be constructed with locally source wood. The design of the improved smokeless stove will be tested to ensure that it meets the international criteria of being efficient and clean.

Over 4 million people die annually worldwide from Household Air Pollution related to cooking with solid biomass fuels, more than HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. (WHO report 2016) More than 1million households in Maasai communities use inefficient traditional cookstoves, which incompletely combust solid fuels which use firewood and charcoal, traditional cookstoves were often inefficient and
without a proper smoke ventilation system. The burning of firewood in traditional cookstoves produce high levels of black carbon that result in poor indoor air quality and cause respiratory problems, especially among women and children. These families are unaware that the smoke produced by the traditional stoves causes serious health and environmental risks factor.

Air pollution and widespread deforestation. Collection of firewood considerable a burden which is predominantly carried out by women and girls
normally walk up to 5km and spend many hours gathering firewood giving them less time to read and relax.

The following are consequences results from the use of wood fuel

• Health: Indoor pollution from biomass cooking cause health issues to women and children, pneumonia among children and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among women.
• school drop up and early Marriages
• Deforestation: According to a World Bank study shows US$20 billion was spent annually on cooking fuels in 2010, and US$300–400 million was spent on all types of stoves. By 2020, fuel spending is set to more than double to US$47 billion.

Women and men are affected differently by climate change, Women are still
considered primarily responsible for securing water, food, and fuel for cooking and heating and are thus rendered more dependent on natural resources that are threatened by environmental change. At the same time, widespread gender norms hinder women’s access to income, land rights, and political participation, thereby limiting their coping capacity. Just as importantly, women have a unique potential to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Women make decisions every day that affect the livelihood of their families and communities, shape their environment, and influence the level of greenhouse gas emissions. Whether managing organic waste, replanting trees, or using and retailing clean cookstoves, women are
often at the frontlines of fighting climate change. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 calls for universal access by 2030 to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services, including clean fuels and technologies. Improved smokeless stoves technologies are critical for achieving the goals set by other SDGs that pertain to poverty alleviation, good health, gender equality, and climate action. Thus, the solution will provide households with access to clean cooking is of vital importance in Maasai communities that are still experiencing access deficit. Tracking household energy use, including primary and supplementary fuels and technologies for cooking, heating is nevertheless a complex exercise in Tanzania.

Our chemistry teacher taught us about fuels, characteristics of good fuels and the various disadvantages of traditional inefficient stoves and explained the importance of improved smokeless cookstoves, i got interested when our teacher explained how this stove used fewer firewood health problems caused by indoor air pollution like asthma, headache and eye.

During the holiday period, i began constructing the stove. My family members watched in doubt and amazement. After a few days of work handled over an improved three-holed with a chimney stove to the family. Following a brief session on how to use and care for the stove. we had a bunch of firewood that we normally use for two days, I took it in the kitchen pulled three sticks and began cooking prepared a three-course meal at the same time. In the end, I had firewood left. I used the same sticks while making dinner. My kitchen had less smoke, I have used fewer sticks and all meals were ready at the same time. I was astonished.   After discussing the stove’s outcomes performance at the end of the first day, the family decided to wait a week to conclude on the effectiveness of the stove. When the week ended the household realized they have cut down their firewood consumption to 80%.  I will not go back to the open fire it was wasteful and unhealthy.  Now we collect wood every 5 days! I have more time to study. 

In the Maasai community, more than 2milion households use inefficient traditional cookstoves, such as three-stone fires, which incompletely combust solid fuels which use firewood and charcoal, traditional cookstoves have been causing health problems, especially among women and children. Collection of fuelwood considerable a burden which is predominantly carried out by women and girls normally walk up to 5km and spend many hours gathering fuelwood giving them less time to study and even some drop out of school.

With access to the improved smokeless stove to Maasai communities will no longer rely on firewood. Women and girls can now use clean cooking stoves to prepare their family’s meals without compromising their family’s health. Other local residents, especially women are now free from their daily duties of collecting firewood and are able to use the time saved for more productive activities such as farming or childcare. The reduced dependence on firewood will also help down deforestation in the area.

3 billion people globally rely on dirty solid fuels like firewood, charcoal to cook and heat their homes. Most households use inefficient stoves, such as traditional three-stone fires, which incompletely combust solid polluting fuels like wood or other biomass releasing toxic substances, resulting in indoor(household) and outdoor air pollution that has widespread health impacts and environmental degradation. (World Bank report 2015)

Improved smokeless stove technology is traditional technology because we will be using locally sourced materials.The smokeless stove technology being proposed requires little to no outside inputs as it is made entirely from materials readily available in any community- clay, dung, sugar water, ash and grasses.

The simple moulds required to make the bricks can be constructed with locally sourced wood. The design of the smokeless stove will be tested to ensure that it meets the international criteria for being both efficient and clean.

Women experience high exposure to air pollution due to their greater involvement in household activities such as cooking, sometimes with infants or children in close proximity. However, reliance on polluting fuels and technologies imposes a burden well beyond the smoke inhaled. Drudgery, injuries, safety risks and time loss are just some of the negative impacts. According to the WHO Burning Opportunity report 2014, an analysis that girls in households that cook mainly with polluting fuels lose a significant amount of time15 to 30 hours each week collecting wood or water, a higher time-loss burden than for boys. In the process of gathering fuel, sometimes with a weight of 40kg or more, women and children can suffer ongoing cumulative physical strain and chronic discomfort. Women may also be at risk for threats of physical and sexual violence. Savings in terms of avoided sickness and illness, and associated healthcare costs, are among the most immediate and direct impacts of household pollution reductions. Since illness can be catastrophic for poor families, household air pollution reductions are also important to poverty reduction.

This solution plans to serve 500families holds in the Maasai community
with the aim of improving climate change and health issues among women,
children and girls who are the most affected by indoor air pollution, by switching to improved smokeless stoves women and children can no longer have health risks  and they will have more time to put towards other productive activities.

The solution has the potential to support inclusive climate mitigation action that directly promotes women’s contributions to emission reductions. The solution promotes environmental, social, economic and development co-benefits and takes a gender-sensitive approach through

• Access to clean cooking”. Clean fuels and technologies are critical for achieving the goals set by other Sustainable Development Goals that pertain to poverty alleviation (SDG2), good health and wellbeing (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), and climate action(SDG 13).
• the low-emission stoves serve as an important transitional solution—with benefits for women`s and children`s health and livelihoods.
• Improve public health by reducing household air pollution levels.
• Reducing harmful Greenhouse Gas emissions and black carbon stock

These goals will be achieved by;

• Sensitizing and awareness-raising and behaviour change campaign to popularize among households in the communities as a climate mitigation strategy and health benefits
• Manufacture and distribute improved smokeless stoves for the rural household population.
• Develop and introduce training programs for local communities and
  Focus on localized training of women to enhance their inclusion in the improved smokeless stove.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 calls for universal access by 2030 to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services, including clean fuels and technologies (hereinafter known as “access to the clean cooking stove) Clean fuels and technologies are critical for achieving the goals set by other SDGs that pertain to poverty alleviation, good health, gender equality, and climate action. Thus, the solution, providing households with access to clean cooking is of vital importance in the Maasai communities.

We are facing financial support that hinder us to accomplish our goal

We are High school students from Mwedo Girls secondary school who comes from the indigenous Maasai community where Women and children face the biggest risks because they spend the most time around the household. There are important gender and health considerations inherent in this for example when the supply of fuelwood is affected by drought women and girls in these villages walk up to 5kilometers and spend many hours gathering fuel woods for cooking which they are exposed to health effects and high level of insecurity. Women as girls have no time to relax or time to read and a significant number of these women and girls in the communities are still missing out on quality education, better health, jobs and broader economic opportunities because they don’t have access to clean efficient cookstove for heating and cooking.

As we had the opportunity to go to school and been tough the effects of dirty solid fuels like firewood we decided to come with the solution of improved smokeless stove technology to help our communities.

We are a student of Mwedo Girls secondary, The school is owned by Maasai Women Development Organization.
Maasai Women Development Organization (MWEDO) was started in 2000 by three indigenous Maasai women who were motivated by the shared experiences and struggles in life and their quest toward achieving the goal of improved livelihoods of the indigenous Maasai women.

MWEDO envisages indigenous Maasai women who are free from poverty and socially and economically independent. The overarching goal is to improve the livelihoods of indigenous Maasai women in Tanzania through access to education, healthcare services and sustainable economic opportunities.   Access to education for Maasai women comprises adult literacy education to improve reading, writing and numeracy, girls’ access to secondary and college/universities education through the provision of bursaries.

MWEDO organization and MWEDO girls secondary school works together to improve the livelihoods of indigenous Maasai girls through access to education.

I considered myself qualified for this prize because i am one ofthe victims who has experienced the effects of household air pollution and i have seen how women and children are being affected.

We will use the prize to make more Improved smokeless stoves for our community. With access to Cleaner Cook Stoves, the communities no longer relies on firewood. Women and girls can now use clean cooking stoves to prepare their family’s meals without compromising their family’s health. Other local residents, especially women will be able to use the time saved for more productive activities such as farming or childcare. The reduced dependence on firewood will also slow down deforestation in our area.

I am a young girl from the Maasai indigenous community where very few girls have the opportunity to go to school most of the girls in our community never go to school. I am qualified for this prize because i want to improve the lives of so many women and girls in my community.