By Investing in Mukuru Clean Stoves, a social enterprise that produces and distributes affordable, clean-burning cook stoves in Nairobi, Kenya, Rockflower is joining the growing movement to tackle the increasing problem of "dirty air" for so many in African cities.
An article by Kwasi Gyamti Asiedu on June 28th 2018 in Quartz, references a recent study by Stanford University and the University of California, detailing the catastrophic effects of poor air quality for those in African cities, where "the causes are often hiding in plain sight - Kerosene, used in homes all over the continent to light homes and cook foods, is a deadly threat of which many people are simply unaware."
The article further notes that "[o]ther research has shown dirty air has lead to the premature deaths of 712,000 Africans each year, more than the toll of unsafe water, malnutrition and unsafe sanitation. In September last year, researchers calculated the monetary cost of air pollution in Africa for the first time: $215 billion from outdoor pollution and $232 billion from indoor pollution (based on 2013 figures)."
Innovative enterprises such as Mukuru Clean Stoves are imperative to change minds about the benefits of clean cooking.
This first phase of Project funding will be used to:
Produce 200 clean burning stoves.
Set up a "Lease to Own" program.
Train up to 200 households in the proper use of clean stove technology.
Mukuru plans to make the Lease to Own program self-sufficient by using the revenue from the sale of the initial 200 stoves under the lease agreements to support further manufacture and sales.
Read more about the Mukuru Clean Stoves project and stay tuned for updates on the project's progress.
A funding campaign for the project was lead by Rockflower Youth Advisory Board member Elizabeth Hardardt.