23-06-2016 | di COOPI

Stove production: earnings in conserving environment

Chitetezo Mbaula is a user and environment friendly stove designed to protect from hand burns and save on average 40% of fuelwood compared to the traditional three-stone fire.

Uncontrolled deforestation in Malawi is strongly affecting Climate Change therefore firewood sourcing reduction from the few left forests is one of the local communities' priorities in Salima District.

In this District and trough DISCOVER (a five years program funded by DFID, Irish Aid & RNE) COOPI is developing innovative solutions with local communities to overcome vulnerability generated by climate change and environmental disasters. Amongst the interventions put in place, COOPI trained several stove production groups through Stove use sensitization and production techniques and methodologies.

Agnes Mafuta is one of the producers from Chembe Stove Production Group. She is 43 years old and mother of 6 children. She started producing stoves in 2012 and to this date she sold 900 stoves with a return of 450,000 MWK (Malawi Kwacha). According to Agnes this activity has changed her life completely, "since introduction of stove production in the community, I spent most of my spare time producing stoves. It supplements on my agricultural activities, and I am able to raise money for my needed farming and household inputs".

As a result, she managed to purchase several livelihood improving inputs and was also able to support her two children with travels to and from South Africa where they are currently working.

Being a hard worker on stove production, Agnes benefited a lot from the activity and at the same time she has been sensitizing her fellow community members in the use of Chitetezo Mbaula and the beneficial effects it brings on nutrition, health and on deforestation reduction.

Agnes says despite facing some challenges, she will not stop producing them, as the benefits she is receiving are greatly improving her life and that of the community at large. and thanks DISCOVER and COOPI for involving her in the program.