The Rocket Stoves

The “rocket stoves” are our charity’s attempt to tackle deforestation and provide a new trade and a steady source of income to villagers all year round. They consume only a third of the wood fuel people would normally use in traditional open fires, and because they retain the heat, they cook faster. This means that people spend less time out fetching wood and cooking so have more time to dedicate themselves to income-generating activities. The stoves are made of clay and have a chimney system that channels smoke out of the home making life easier for the eyes and lungs of women and children too. The way STT’s Domestic Energy Programme works is that our charity trains builders to make these energy-efficient stoves and runs sensitization workshops in the villages to raise awareness about the benefits in store. After this it is up to the builders to find customers and the local materials. The deal is that our charity pays half the cost of labour and materials and the homeowner pays the other half. On our monthly village visits we then proceed to check the stoves have been built properly e.g. in the right wind direction, the right height, etc. Alternatively we run sensitization workshops or re-trainings where needed and introduce a range of incentives. The take up is varied but mostly good. The slowest uptake is by older homeowners who are understandably sceptical about cooking any other way to what they are used to.