Adoption of high efficiency cookstoves can save lives, empower women, and improve the environment. WEEMA International will train 4 local cookstove associations on methods to make the Gonzye stove, an insulated fire stove made from clay, as well as purchase over 300 stoves for local distribution to our women's groups. This large stove order will bring much needed money to the associations, help with marketing, and have a direct positive impact on the female stove recipients and their families.
Over 98% of Ethiopia families use solid fuels for cooking and cook over open fires within their homes. This practice has serious consequences- especially for women and children. Negative consequences include significant time spent collecting wood, high economic cost of fuel, serious smoke exposure leading to major illness and death, and degradation of the environment from wood collection and air pollution. Use of high efficiency, clean cookstoves can mitigate these issues.
Our training program will increase the output and accessibility of these locally made, affordable high efficiency cookstoves to families living in WEEMA's target area in rural Ethiopia. The purchase and distribution of over 300 Gonzye stoves will benefit the recipients as well as accelerate the adoption of these stoves within the community. The Gonzye stove is extremely affordable- less than $3 - and actually pays for itself within two months time from decreased fuel use.
The 300 stove recipients are members of women's groups, where they will continue to receive education, and the 40 trainees are part of local associations whose livelihoods will be improved with greater skills and an expanded market. The long term positive impact therefore includes saving women's time and money, improving family health through significantly less smoke exposure, reducing deforestation and carbon emissions, and growing local businesses. What a difference!
