Gender Equality Kenya Project #43754

Stop deaths related to firewood-cooking in Kenya

by African PRIDE Centre

Stop deaths related to firewood-cooking in Kenya

Summary

Bio-briquettes are bottom-up fabricated sources of cooking energy that can make a BIG difference in the lives of women and children in Kenya. 64.6% of Kenya's households depend entirely on firewood for cooking - supplies that are rapidly shrinking. Poor households' budgets strain under this constrained supply making them revert to agro-waste use that releases large amounts of particulate matter, which causes respiratory ailments, diabetes mellitus, etc. Support our brio-briqueting to change this

$50
total raised

2
donors

0
monthly donors

9
months

Challenge

64.6% of Kenya's 8.7 million households depend entirely on firewood for cooking; each estimated to consume 10 Kg to 20 Kg of firewood daily. This has strained sustainable supply of firewood. Poor households' budgets are straining under this, which makes them revert to agro-waste use. Burning agro-wastes releases large amounts of particulate matter that is linked to respiratory diseases, pulmonary oxidative stress, diabetes mellitus, and death. Women and children bear the biggest burden of these.

Solution

This project seeks to provide a bottom-up solution to the problem of firewood use by training women and girls to make bio-briquettes that they can use and also sell to raise money for their other uses. Bio-briquettes burn clean and reduce the chances of women and children suffering from the challenges of pollution due to cooking using firewood and agro-residues. Targeting women and girls also aims at empowering them economically, which helps to defray the cases of gender-based violence.

Long-Term Impact

The project will reduce cases of respiratory ailments, pulmonary oxidative stress, diabetes mellitus, and deaths that rampant among grassroots women and children in Kenya. It will also empower women and girls by presenting them with an opportunity to earn incomes. This will slow on the cases of gender-based violence in the target community. Furthermore, money in the hands of women will lead to greater support for their children's education, as well as better living standards for their families.