Ngara, TZ – New stoves at school kitchens are healthier and more efficient – 25 Feb 2016

New stoves at three primary schools in Ngara have cut cooking time by 33% and reduced wood use by 80% for school breakfast cooks. The new stoves also reduce the amount of smoke in the kitchen. The smoke can be harmful to the cooks, who spend hours each day preparing breakfast for the students.

The stoves were designed and installed by SODAT with the help of a local mason. SODAT assistant manager David Gitanga proposed building the new stoves in 2015. When Better Lives coordinators visited the kitchens to understand the problem they could not stand in the kitchens for long before the smoke irritated their eyes and they had to walk out. This short-term discomfort could have a long-term impact on the health of the cooks.

The new stoves use an energy efficient design that concentrates and directs heat. A small bundle of sticks can heat two large pots. The design also directs smoke out of the kitchen through a chimney.

Smokey, inefficient kitchens are a problem for families as well as schools. SODAT hopes they can develop a smaller, more flexible version of this stove that families could purchase or build for themselves.