By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader
Following the completion of the initial training, the project entered the stove construction and adoption phase, which spanned approximately ten weeks. During this period, participants applied the skills acquired during training to construct Rocket Lorena improved cookstoves in their own households through a rotational, peer-supported approach. This method ensured that learning was reinforced through repetition and practice. Each participant hosted stove construction activities at her home, with other group members providing labour, guidance, and encouragement.
This collective approach reduced individual workload, strengthened social cohesion, and ensured consistent construction quality. It also allowed participants to observe variations in kitchen layouts and adapt stove designs to suit different household contexts.
In total, eleven Rocket Lorena improved cookstoves were constructed, one for each of the ten participants and one additional demonstration stove.
The stoves were constructed using locally available materials such as banana stems and grass straws. The stoves were built using locally sourced materials, including anthill soil, spear grass, banana stems, bricks, and water. Chimneys were incorporated to safely channel smoke outside kitchens, which significantly improved indoor air quality.
The Rocket Lorena design provides for two pots cooking, which reduces total cooking time, firewood uses and improves convenience for households. Women reported faster meal preparation, more consistent heat, and reduced need for constant fire tending compared to traditional three-stone stoves.
Adoption of the stoves was immediate among participating households, as the women were directly involved in construction and understood both the functionality and maintenance requirements. The hands-on involvement greatly increased user confidence and long-term commitment to stove use.
By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader
By Oliver Namusisi | Project Leader
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