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Savings Groups Enable Women to Afford an Efficient Cook Stove

Project facts

Project type: Energy efficiency

Project location: Siaya, Kenya

Project standard: Gold Standard VER

Annual emission reduction: 183.549 t

Project start: October 2010

Traditionally the rural communities of the Siaya region of western Kenya have cooked on open fires, which require huge amounts of firewood. Thanks to community savings and loaning (CSL) groups, however, women can now afford more efficient stoves. This reduces the demand for firewood and thus protects the local forests, which leads to reduced CO₂ emissions. Furthermore the CSL groups lead to a financial and social empowerment of women.

Offset emissions

Project overview

 

The project

The stoves use 40-50 % less firewood and are made by local stove artisans using locally available materials. Households thus save money and time for the procurement of firewood. In addition, the superior, more efficient combustion process significantly improves the air quality within the home, thus helping to reduce respiratory disorders especially of women and children.

myclimate works closely with the local Kenyan Tembea Youth Center for Sustainable Development, which sets up and manages the CSL groups. Over time, CSL groups mature and are graduated to semi-​autonomous operating entities across the project region. They conglomerate into women-​led “financial institutions” with power to influence decision-​making, shape leadership and inform policy at project level and beyond. The methodology of community savings and loaning has leadership components especially for women, as there is always a chair person, a secretary and a treasurer, which are mostly female.

Thanks to this secure method of financing, women can afford a stove, and often have money to spare for such things as healthcare, insurance, school fees or high-​quality seeds. On average, fifteen women meet between two and four times a month. The myclimate project partner Tembea subsidises half of the stove price, whilst an interest-​free loan is granted for the remaining 1,000 shillings. The women must pay back this loan within two years at the latest. 

The myclimate offsetting payments also flow through Tembea into educating local stove artisans in the production and installation of the efficient stoves, training households to use and maintain them correctly, and into campaigns to raise awareness among the population regarding the subjects of renewable energies and energy-​efficiency. 
This project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG1
No poverty
A household saves 35 euros and 166 hours due to reduced fuel consumption.
SDG3
Good health and well-being
Women and children from 124.310 households benefit from better air quality.
SDG4
Quality education
72.870 people have been reached with awareness creation on climate change, clean cooking and community saving & loaning.
SDG5
Gender equality
30% of the jobs created by the project are held by women and the project reduces time spent by women and girls collecting firewood.
SDG7
Affordable and clean energy
573.554 persons benefit from efficient and cleaner cooking.
SDG8
Decent work and economic growth
578 people benefit from permanent employment.
SDG12
Responsible consumption and production
The clean and energy efficient cookstoves are produced locally with local material.
SDG13
Climate action
Each stoves saves around 2.0 t CO₂ per year.
SDG15
Life on land
393,802 tons of wood have been saved since project start.
SDG16
Peace, justice and strong institutions
1806 grassroot groups have been established, capacity has been built. 
SDG17
Partnerships for the goals
67,836 efficient cookstoves have been produced.
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Pamela Omondi from Ng'ura village. She loves the Tembea Cookstove because of its safety. She has a mentally and physically disabled son who used to get burnt from the open fire. © Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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© myclimate

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Helen Onma, cookstove installer since 2015, 38 years old, 4 children. She builds 2 cookstoves per day. Since she is working as an artisan her children can go to school. © Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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The Nyipinje-CSL group bought a corn mill which now provides a regular income and enables the women to plan their lives fairly long-term. © Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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© myclimate

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© Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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Linda Atieno, field officer of the project, 29 years old is giving a training for a Community Saving and Loaning Group. © Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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© Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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© Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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"Tembea has changed my life." Genevive Akoth, farmer and project employee as a community mobiliser, 33 years old, mother of 3 children. © Robert Hörnig, myclimate

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© Robert Hörnig, myclimate