Improved cookstove projects: Fighting climate change and empowering women in Kenya 

According to the Clean Cooking Alliance, 25% of the world’s population relies on polluting open fires and inefficient fuels such as charcoal, wood, and kerosene for cooking. This puts considerable stress on forest resources and leads to approximately 3.2 million deaths annually, particularly among women and children, due to exposure to smoke and toxic chemicals.  

In Kenya alone, household air pollution causes 23,000 deaths each year and directly impacts the health of around 15 million people. Increased access to improved cookstoves can help tackle these issues: in addition to avoiding greenhouse gas emissions and reducing deforestation, improved cookstove projects contribute to economic and social development, supporting gender equality and good health. 

In April 2024, EcoActors Michèle Dyson, Aurélie Soulier and Stéphane Tromilin visited the Dziva cookstove project in Kwale county, near Mombasa, Kenya, where they met our local partner, Newedge Farmantics, and the beneficiaries of the project. 

How do improved cookstove projects directly benefit women? 

The importance of cookstoves goes far beyond cooking, especially for women and girls, who are the primary users. They often bear the responsibility of preparing meals and collecting firewood for the household, spending up to five hours per day collecting wood and cooking. This can keep young girls from attending school, and women from participating in other social and economic activities. It also means that they are highly exposed to large amounts of smoke and therefore suffer from respiratory and eyesight issues. 

Access to improved cookstoves can help reduce health and safety issues caused by household air pollution and decrease the time women spend collecting wood. Women can then reallocate this time for other activities, as Miriam Kilolerwa, beneficiary of the Dziva project, told us during our visit: “Before the Dziva cookstove, I used the traditional three stone fire to prepare food and there was a lot of smoke. It was hard to cook with that much smoke and finding firewood was not easy. The children would get hungry while waiting for me to come back from fetching firewood. Cooking with the three stone fireplace was also risky for the children because they could easily get burned. And when it rained, we had to cook indoors which meant inhaling even more smoke. Ever since I got the Dziva cooking stove, I am happy because it emits less smoke, uses less firewood and I now have time to do other meaningful things.” Having more time means being able to work and be more independent. 

“The women’s firsthand accounts provided valuable insights into the project’s impact, revealing nuances that statistics alone couldn’t fully convey,” says Aurélie, Communications Manager at EcoAct. “When we arrived in the village, they were very eager to talk about the stoves and share the benefits. One of them even told us that she was very happy because her hair had grown back now that she didn’t need to carry as much wood on her head!”

Improved cookstoves make a huge difference in the daily lives of the rural communities of Kenya, and especially for women. The majority of the projects we develop or support at EcoAct contribute to gender equality and women’s empowerment, because we believe that women, in addition to being on the front lines of climate change, must be part of the solution. 

Why is the women’s role in improved cookstoves projects crucial? 

As part of the Dziva cookstove project, 33 jobs have been created, half of which are for women. Indeed, four of the seven field officers, and twelve of the fifteen ambassadors are women.  

Field officers are each responsible for a ward (an area) and oversee the ambassadors. Field officers are closely integrated into their communities and very proud to contribute to improving its quality of life. Their job is to monitor the stoves and oversee repairs when needed. As for ambassadors, they are deeply connected to their communities and are the link between the beneficiaries and the field officers. For example, they will notify field officers when a household needs its stove fixed. 

For the projects that EcoAct supports, it is crucial that women get involved because, as mentioned earlier, they are the ones actually cooking and using the firewood, meaning they know how important it is to have an efficient stove. They make great ambassadors because they know what they are talking about, and are trusted by other women. Bakari Chongwa, who is the local manager of the Dziva project, says that “women are better ambassadors because they know how to run a household, and they will make sure kids go to school and get food thanks to the revenue they get.” 

These jobs give women a chance to earn an income and learn new skills. Most of them are also very proud to be part of an innovative project and to contribute to the fight against climate change.  

“Everyone in the community is very happy with the Dziva cookstove project. My phone keeps ringing with women asking for a cookstove. There is a genuine need.” says Nzara Jawa, Field officer on the Dziva cookstove project, in charge of the Samburu and Chengoni wards (in Kwale County, Mombasa). 

At EcoAct, we involve the beneficiaries in consultations during product design and development to ensure that it will fit their needs. The improved stoves have to be adapted to the household: for instance, a big household will need a bigger stove. That’s where field officers and ambassadors play a key role, as they are in direct contact with the households. 

“Ensuring a continuous presence close to the beneficiaries is key to ensure their engagement in the long-term and provide them with a simple way to report quickly and efficiently any potential concern on their stoves or the project itself” explains Stéphane Tromilin, Head of EcoAct’s Project Development and Management department. “Establishing a network of ambassadors being part of the communities is therefore at the core of the project”. 

EcoAct also conducts awareness campaigns and provides training resources for maintenance and use to all field officers. These campaigns play a key role in reinforcing the benefits of improved cookstoves while also increasing awareness about the risks associated with traditional cooking methods. 

The importance of improved cookstoves for the environment

Deforestation is a big issue in Kenya, especially in Kwale county, where the local population collects wood for cooking and building houses.  

Mangroves are particularly affected as they are historically used as firewood for cooking. That’s how Bakari, the local project manager, realised they needed to start cookstove projects because “people didn’t realise they were killing their livelihoods when cutting the mangrove trees”, he says. Mangroves are also important ecosystems in the fight against climate change: they are the most productive and biologically diverse of all forest biomes, due to the habitats they provide for marine species. Additionally, they can stock over five times as much carbon as terrestrial forests. However, mangroves are being lost at a rate of 2-3% per year, with between 35-50% of mangroves lost between 1980 and 2000 globally. 

Thanks to improved cookstoves, the amount of wood needed to cook is considerably reduced, which means less deforestation, and the preservation of local biodiversity. 

How can you get involved? 

The Dziva cookstove project is entirely financed by EcoAct’s client, Sanofi. This project supports Sanofi’s commitment to move towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions across all scopes by 2045, in line with its SBTi Net Zero Commitment and with intermediate reduction objectives by 2030. To complement its reduction strategy, Sanofi invests in community-focused carbon offsetting projects to address its residual emissions from 2030.

“Our projects don’t just mitigate remaining emissions, they do so through the lens of community engagement and environmental restoration.” Camille Cottin, Climate Strategy and Engagement Lead, Sanofi.

EcoAct supports and partners with project developers all over the world who are working closely with local populations to preserve our precious ecosystems, improve livelihoods and fight on the front lines of climate change via the use of improved cookstoves, thanks to carbon finance.   

If you would like to learn more, please visit our website or reach out to us directly. We would love to talk to you about how you can support the projects in our international portfolio – all of which are certified by the most rigorous international standards – or about developing your own offsetting project!