Clean Cookstoves to Save Trees

Help prevent deforestation in Africa through low-fuel cookstoves!

Malawi is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world, with over 90% of the population relying on wood or charcoal for cooking. However, cooking daily on inefficient traditional open fires leads to serious repercussions including smoke-related illnesses, burns, economic hardship, as well as the destruction of the natural environment on which millions of Malawians depend. The wood required for cooking and accidental fires has lead to much deforestation.

With your help Malawians can be provided with cookstoves that prevent unnecessary dangers and deforestation. RIPPLE Africa's fuel-efficient cookstove provides a simple and culturally appropriate alternative to the traditional three-stone fire most commonly used in developing countries. This low-tech, 100% sustainable cookstove assists in counteracting deforestation by substantially reducing the need for fuel-wood by two-thirds. In addition, it produces significantly less smoke and the enclosed design lessens the likelihood of burns.

With your help we can prevent forest fires and unnecessary injuries from cooking. For just $15 you can provide a family with an efficient and safe cookstove.

Thanks to YOUR donations, we have now built a total of 143 cookstoves, helping over 700 men, women, and children in Malawi! Clean cookstoves use two-thirds less wood to operate than traditional open fires, which is greatly reducing the need to cut down trees and helping to combat the depletion of this natural resource. In countries like Malawi, women are expected to perform all the household duties, which consumes most of their time and energy in a day. But women who have received a clean cookstove are reporting that they are spending considerably less time on wood collection. They are also able to save time by cooking two things at once thanks to the dual burners on the clean cookstoves. Area clinics and healthcare professionals are also happy to report an improvement in overall health for both women and children. The enclosed design of the stove results in a reduction of smoke production, which has led to a decrease of respiratory illnesses and fire-related injuries. These clean cookstoves are not only helping the environment by reducing the amount of wood use, but also improving the quality of life for men, women, and children in Malawi. With your help, we can continue to improve the lives of Malawians and help the environment at the same time. Thank you for your continued support!

September 2017

Because of GreaterGood.org donors, we've built 93 additional clean cookstoves to reach a total of about 465 people. Since the Changu Changu Moto reduces the need for firewood by two-thirds, this means a savings of two bundles of wood per week for a yearly total of more than 100 bundles for each of the 122 household beneficiaries in 2017.

May 2017

Because of GreaterGood.org donors, we've built 29 clean cookstoves for families, reaching a total of about 145 people have benefitted. Each stove has saved 2 bundles of wood per week, an equivalent of 100 bundles of wood per year, which means that the decreased impact on the forests is considerable even for such a small number of cookstoves. As we monitor the carbon emissions of the three-stone fires and the Changu Changu Motos, we know that each cookstove also saves 2.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, equaling a total saving of 72.5 tonnes of CO2 per annum from the 29 stoves that we have been able to build with this funding. Additionally, because the amount of wood needed per week is only a third of that required by the traditional three-stone fire, we can estimate that the women who use these stoves are saving up to 10 hours per week collecting firewood for cooking. This time is allowing the women to start businesses, spend time with their children or further their education. The current goal is 325 cookstoves for households in the Nkhata Bay District of Malawi.

RIPPLE Africa is a non-profit organization working in the Nkhata Bay District of Malawi, Africa, and is focused on projects ranging from education to healthcare to protecting the environment. RIPPLE Africa's guiding philosophy is adopting practical and culturally-relevant solutions to development issues through partnerships with the community and local leadership.