Improved Cookstoves for 25 Liberian Village Homes

Traditional cooking methods in Liberia using firewood and coal can have major negative impact on air quality, health and the environment. In the last two years, VIP has had the goal of introducing rocket stoves as an alternative to using coal pot and biomass three-stone open pit for cooking. However, our improved cook stove project has not taken off like our second project, solar lanterns. While there are now close to 500 families with solar lanterns, our fund raising for cook stoves has lagged behind and we have not gone beyond the pilot phase of a few families using our prototype rocket stove.

Now that the solar lantern project is scaling up, VIP will turn its focus in 2017 to raising the funds needed to expand the improved cook stove project in Liberia. At the end of 2016, we shipped a welding machine with accessories to begin fabricating some rocket stoves for more field testing and distribution. Funds raised in 2017 will allow us to hire the services of an expert welder, purchase raw materials, distribute cook stoves, and conduct impact studies.

While the solar lantern project has been operating in Bomi and Montserrado Counties, VIP's improved cook stove project will begin in Grand Cape Mount County, Western Liberia.

As always, the Board of Directors of VIP thanks you for your investment and partnership. We hope you find this partnership valuable and worthwhile. Please consider telling your friends and family about our project - share the link on your blogs or social networks, use the tell-a-friend feature on the project page to email your network, or just bring us up in conversation.

P.S. Stay tuned for what 2017 will allow our partnership to bring in improving air quality, health and the environment of rural towns and villages in Liberia.