Schools using traditional 3-stone fires for all of their cooking activities result in excessive firewood consumption, damaging not only the environment but also the schools’ finances as they struggle to budget for the annual firewood purchases. An average school with 700 day scholars consumes approximately 9 trucks of firewood per year to cater for all of their cooking needs.
The introduction of institutional improved cook stoves (IICS) assures at least 50% of the firewood can be saved when compared to the traditional stoves. Nevertheless, further savings can be achieved if attention to the water content of the firewood used is paid. That is why at Simoshi we train schools and kitchen staff on how best to store their purchased firewood.
There are many species of trees all with different forms based on their varying fiber structures and densities. This means they differ in the ways they can be used and also the amounts of energy they store. Firewood does not always contain the same amount of energy. The main reason for this is the water that is stored inside it:
Fresh wood contains up to 50% of water, and water does not burn.
When firewood is dried for one year, its calorific value doubles, having the water content decrease from 50% up to 15%
This kitchen at Mengo Primary School is lacking space to store the firewood outside, and while funds are being saved to build a firewood shelter outside, the firewood pieces are stored inside the kitchen in the meantime, right beside the IICS, to ensure the best combustion and maximum savings are achieved.