So much has been written and said about using traditional 3-stone fires for cooking. But an image is worth a million words, and this video clearly shows the drastic difference when using an institutional improved cook stove (IICS). Today, more than 40% of the population in Africa lives without access to electricity, and 70% without access to clean cooking fuels. The socioeconomic impacts of this are huge.
The most obvious when watching this video is, at first sight, is the quantity of firewood used between one and the other. But there are many benefits that can be enjoyed when moving away from traditional cooking practices. For example, do you know what contributes to 3.7 million premature deaths annually, mainly women and children?
Inhaling hazardous smoke from traditional stoves and open fires causes millions of premature deaths annually, disproportionately affecting women and children. The arduous task of collecting firewood also hinders educational and employment opportunities and strains natural resources – compounding costs for vulnerable populations.
At Kitebi Secondary school we can see both cooking systems in use as the improved cook stoves are being repaired during the holidays.