Most Common Challenges in the Kitchen

As we go visiting and identifying new schools, while collecting information and indicators on their kitchen's cooking practices, we go through a steep learning curve that allows us to continuously improve our project implementation and practices.

We are constantly learning from the women using the institutional improved cook stoves (IICS), and we extremely grateful they share their experiences with us. Their wealth of knowledge is just incredible!

At Simoshi we are passionate about investing in Research & Development, specifically placing efforts to find the best models that would swiftly change cooking behaviors.

Today we are sharing a video filmed at Kisubi Mapeera Secondary School. The conversation between the Head of the Kitchen Mama Mary, and Aziz Wakibi from GVEP International, revolve around the difficulties found by Mama Mary and her kitchen staff. Old habits die hard, and the kitchen staff continue to unnecessarily overfeed the IICS, wasting firewood and accelerating their deterioration.

As part of our programme, Project Officers deliver on-going training and hand holding to all staff involved in the use of the IICS, to ensure not only that traditional cook stoves are abandoned, but also that a proper use of the IICS is in place.

Expanding Brands

Today we have visited Victoria Montessori Primary School in Entebbe.

At Simoshi we are constantly looking for Ugandan improved cook stove manufacturers that can also become a supplier for our Component Project Activity.

As part of the UN auditing requirements, all stove models need to be tested and prove to be at least above 20% thermal efficiency.

This is why we visited the school in Entebbe, and together with the laboratory Chemiphar, we tested the 100 litres stove model with chimney that BM Energy Saving Equipments manufactures, in their factory not far away from the school.

We were pleasantly surprised to find an exemplary kitchen in the school, where no traditional appliances were used, with an environment free of smoke, and most importantly, happy kitchen staff. Christine, the head teacher, claims that they were previously using 3 stone fires and purchasing firewood for 6 million Ugandan shillings per term. Today, with the BM improved cook stoves, expenditures reduced to 2.5 million.

It is our hope that kitchens like the Victoria Montessori one will be duplicated in as many schools as possible in Kampala.

A visit from The Gold Standard Foundation

A busy week passed by as Kampala hosted the East African Carbon Fair on the 14th and 15th of July.

We were very honored to host a site visit for Johann Thaler, The Gold Standard Foundation's Regional Manager for Africa.

Together with Jospeh Semaganda from Prime Equipment (the improved cook stove manufacturer) and Aziz Wakibi from GVEP International, we visited one of the schools located in Luzira, benefiting from the improved rocket cook stove technology.

We also visited Prime Equipment's factory, which happens to be just 2 minutes away from the school.

The school owner was a great host and she was proud to explain to Johann the benefits they are now experiencing as a result of changing cooking habits.

Stove Installation and Trainning Started

Today we have started installing the first institutional improved cook stoves (ICS) in Kampala. Several ICS were installed in Fountain Grammar and its three branches in Nabwero, Kawanda and Mutungo.

The day included training of the kitchen staff through the introduction of the Kitchen Management Techniques. Training is an on-going activity that includes topics such as the amount and size of firewood to be used, the moisture content, when to use a lid, monitoring the fire, etc.

We are excited to have started the field activities and finally see the school kitchens safer and healthier environments.

Simmering water for 30 minutes without adding any firewood!

As we make progress with the rating testing of our institutional improved cook stove different models, Rose at Chemiphar explains how a good stove can boil water for 30 minutes or more, without the need of adding any extra fuel. In this short demo, she is boiling 70 litres of water in a 100 litres saucepan, using a locally manufactured rocket stove.

Because the internal combustion chamber is hot from the previous two phases (the cold and hot start), the heat contained is enough to keep the water (of food) boiling for a period of time without adding more firewood, thus proving that the stoves are very efficient indeed in saving firewood.

Testing the institutional improved cook stoves

As part of the CDM and Gold Standard requirements to include Simoshi under the ICSEA Programme of Activities (PoA), the institutional improved cook stoves have to be tested for efficiency and safety.

Following the audited testing protocols Water Boiling Test and Safety Test, this week we commenced the testing activities at the accredited laboratory Chemiphar. This is a meticulous process and as you can see form the pictures below, it involves a lot of measurements, attention and manpower as a saucepan with 70 litres of boiling water is removed from the stove for weighing.

Sorting and drying the firewood the day before the testing starts.

The Chemiphar staff attentively following the testing protocol and guidelines.

Removing the saucepan with 70 litres of boiling water proved to be very challenging.

Constantly feeding the stove to ensure that the flames are on and the firebox is not overloaded.

Measuring the local boiling point.

Measuring the firewood moisture content.

The institutional improved cook stove in full operation and closely monitored by the manufacturer and Chemiphar's staff.

Local Stakeholder Consultation

As part of the Clean Development Mechanism and Gold Standard inclusion process under the registered ICSEA Programme of Activities (PoA), Simoshi held its Local Stakeholder Consultation on Wednesday 10th of June.

We had a busy conference room at the Hotel Triangle in Buganda Road, Kampala. Thirty seven stakeholders attended the meeting, had many questions and made useful suggestions. Thank you everyone for the fruitful contribution!

Above all, we had fun, and we are hoping to get the first 100 institutional improved cook stoves installed during the month of July.

M&S offsets with the purchase of VERs generated from improved cook stove projects

Very encouraging news for Simoshi and similar projects currently implementing improved cook stove activities linked to carbon finance.

The Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves (GACC) recently announced that Marks & Spencer has provided funds for 40,000 improved cook stoves to be manufactured, sold and maintained by local entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.

"For M&S, supporting clean cook stove adoption with offset purchases is smart business.  The need to act on climate change is urgent, and cook stove projects offer the unique opportunity to advance multiple sustainability goals simultaneously, including empowering women, creating economic opportunities for communities, and improving access to clean energy. The offsets have also helped M&S better achieve their broader sustainability goals including climate neutrality, supply-chain resilience, and stakeholder engagement".

We celebrate the great initiative from M&S and the continuous efforts from GACC to promote clean cooking projects around the world.

Welcome Readers

A warm welcome to all readers! We are glad to announce we have launched our institutional improved cook stove activities (IICS).

Simoshi's first project will install 600 IICS in boarding schools in the Kampala area. The first 100 IICS have now been ordered, and we will be soon posting updates and images of the schools benefiting from such project.

In the meantime, you are all invited to attend our Local Stakeholder Consultation, taking place on Wednesday 10th of June at Hotel Triangle, from 8:00 am and until 1:00 pm. The address is Plot 16 Buganda Road, Kampala.