Update on the Reducing Poverty through Honey Production and Distribution Project

In May of 2018, Footsteps Africa wanted to find a way to help increase the productivity of rural poor women on the outskirts of Blantrye. Women like Mary were travelling over 145kms to sell the bottles of honey to honey processors and formal retailers in the Blantyre city region. However, the honey failed to even pass the minimum quality needed by the companies. 

There were many reasons for this: 

• Lack of modern honey production and processing skills existed among rural poor women to produce quality honey demanded by formal honey buyers and exporters 

• Lack of modern bee hives to produce high yields quality honey 

• Lack of proper honey extraction machines and soft knowledge on extracting honey for high-end markets 

• Knowledge and skills gaps in proper storage, packaging and branding 

• Knowledge gaps in business management and recording, financial literacy, access to saving and credit 

• Lack of improved personal hygiene and lack of access to affordable clean water solutions needed in honey processing.

The story of Mary’s efforts reflects the economic struggles that women’s traditional bee keepers face in Malawi due to low-quality honey that prevent them from accessing viable markets that could generate good income for their productive efforts. Additionally, apart from honey, women beekeepers in Malawi rarely develop trade in other by-products of bee farming such as bee-wax that could double their earning potentials. 

Twisi and his team at Footsteps Africa were determined to find a way to connect all of these missing gaps in the chain. 

In the beginning the plan was to integrate this project into our water, food and income project activities in Chikhwawa district. However, after further assessment they realized  that the agroecological factors in Chikhwawa were not supportive of a successful and sustainable bee farming project.  

They reluctantly moved the project to within Blantyre rural district as a stand alone project. This went against their overall programming approach which integrates different projects to maximize impact and project management. Unfortunately an enormous forest fire gutted the hives into unrecognizable ashes. 

Fortunately, Footsteps Africa had taken out hive insurance from the supplier and they were eligible to receive compensation and replaceable Hives within three months. However, due to COVID-19, the supplier of the HIVEs was unable to import and it took them almost a year to have a consignment successfully imported into Malawi from Kenya. 

By the time they had the delivery of the second HIVEs, they were unsure of next steps. They wanted to get it right the second time. They waited patiently to find a suitable site to implement a sustainable Bee farming project that would also benefit marginal women farmers who would like to do bee farming as a business. After surveying several places, they initially settled for Nkhata-bay district in Northern Malawi. But they later changed to Mzimba district along Lunjika hills in northern Malawi because they have a plan to implement irrigation farming and renewable energy projects in the same area. 

In this way, the bee farming will be integrated into the holistic structure of all Footsteps Africa projects and allow them to successfully provide support to all our projects with the limited staff and resources they have available. 

This is a real testament to the tenacity and determination of Twisi and his team and that he followed through on the project precisely because they were given the opportunity and flexibility to reach their goals. 

Help Save Society Foundation to defy the odds and provide much needed relief during Extreme Flooding in South Sudan

Over the past few weeks, heavy rain has led to catastrophic flooding that has affected more than 700,000 people across South Sudan. Several states are experiencing the worst floods recorded since 1962. Homes, farmlands, and businesses are being swept away and thousands are fleeing to either the capital city or to neighboring communities on higher ground. Climate change is likely to blame for this unrelenting flood period in South Sudan, where four out five people are living in “absolute poverty.” 

Rockflower partner, Save Society Foundation is located in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan. SSF works with marginalized communities, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, women, youth, and people with disabilities, to provide a better standard of living through economic transformation, improved health, quality education and  promotion of peace, conflict mitigation and democracy. Michael Ariamba, Executive Director of SSF has been updating us on the nationwide devastation caused by the recent floods. 

“Most of the victims are women and children...some 200 women with their children are taking refuge in their relatives’ houses/homes and they need basic needs such as shelter, blankets, cooking utensils, soaps, mosquito nets and plastic sheets. 

These women and girls, some of them need to be trained in entrepreneurship skills...to support what they are trying to do on their own in market places in Juba to help their children and also pay for their children’s school fees. This will sustain them while awaiting relief foods that can be seen as a quick solution to rescue them and their families from their dire situations.”

Food insecurity in South Sudan has been furthered by an increase in conflict within the nation. The movement of people to higher ground has caused conflict between communities, fighting for their own preservation. This has increased the scarcity of food and complicated the ability of intervention by humanitarian aid organizations. Some communities have chosen to relocate to the capital city, with some making a seven day trek to safety. “Women, children, and elderly people arrived exhausted and hungry,” said Mr. Jamal, who is the interim UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the country.

Climate change is undoubtedly affecting the entire world, but East Africa is facing particularly disastrous weather conditions, and impoverished nations like South Sudan are struggling to keep their citizens alive. South Sudan is facing an alternating cycle of both flood and drought that could leave them without agriculture. In eight of the nation’s ten states, the flooding has caused livestock to  drown, and vital crops such as sorghum and millet to be destroyed. Since August of this year the cost of food has risen by 15%, leaving more than 60% of its population suffering from severe hunger.”

Right now, South Sudan is in a dire situation. Rockflower is working to channel more funding to SSF as they work to aid their community and provide basic necessities. At the same time they continue to teach entrepreneurial skills to women in order to economically empower them through this difficult time. Our partners are seen as beacons of hope in their communities, and when disaster strikes, people look to them for support. We plan on providing additional funding to SSF, but need your help to raise this immediate assistance. We would greatly appreciate any donation to Rockflower at this time so that we may support our partners on the frontlines of these natural disasters.

Updates on SOFDI's COVID-19 Mini-Project

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic many of Rockflower’s partners have been forced to suspend their projects for a period of time. Some organizations completely pivoted their planned projects and others created new projects to address the challenges faced by their communities as they battled the pandemic, more specifically, lack of resources and lack of education around COVID-19. 

The DRC is currently designated by the CDC as a Level 4 COVID-19 Zone, meaning that they have a very high level of transmission currently. To date, the nation has reported more than 50,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The pandemic has thrown fuel on an already blazing fire of devastation in a country in the midst of battling rampant terrorism, violence and further displacement of its citizens. 

The humanitarian situation in the DRC is catastrophic. Terrorist groups including the ADF, which the United States has deemed a terrorist group, are considered the deadliest of scores of armed militias that roam the country. Since 2013, the ADF has killed over 6,000 civilians. Terrorism and attempts at ethnic cleansing have lead to the current situation in which 4.5 million people are internally displaced, and more than 890,000 people from Congo are registered as refugees and asylum seekers. Recently, U.S. special forces were authorized to intervene to help the Congolese army fight the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed rebel group.

Rockflower partner, Solidarité des Femmes pour le Développement Intégral (SOFDI), a community-based, not-for-profit organization based in the Fizi Territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), launched a project in February to empower and educate women in the face of the pandemic. Rockflower funded this six-month micro-project that aimed to address these needs. This project has since been completed, and SOFDI has shared an update on the overall impact.

The COVID-19 Response Micro Project was mutli-faceted and addressed issues affecting women and children in the Fizi Territory. The team at SOFDI installed a number of hand-washing stations in public spaces and schools, educated teachers and community members about the virus, on how to prevent it and in addition distributed much needed food. 

One of SOFEDI’s public hand-washing stations.

They also provided 60 women with professional training in order to gain economic independence. The team was able to additionally include education on gender-based violence during the group gatherings. SOFDI raised awareness by creating a public campaign promoting COVID-19 preventative measures and the newly installed hand washing stations through radio broadcasts, megaphone announcements, pamphlets and banners throughout the community. The goal of the project was to directly work with 60 women to improve their education of public health, women’s health, and economic opportunities. In addition this indirectly affected thousands of people by providing hygiene materials and education around COVID-19.

Throughout the duration of the project, SOFDI conducted a number of interviews and field studies to better understand how effective the program was, and how they could continue to educate and empower the community moving forward. They found that there was a significant increase in the understanding of COVID-19 and its effects. Before the program, 37% of those interviewed were aware of the effects COVID-19, as compared to 86% at the end of this project, a nearly 50% increase. They also saw a 15% increase in community members who were practicing at least two preventative barrier measures. These include social distancing, mask wearing, restraining from physical contact, washing hands often and limiting indoor gatherings.

Additionally, 60 disadvantaged women were chosen to participate in the program, where they were divided into four groups, or cooperatives, and met weekly to discuss issues relating to the pandemic and to learn valuable job skills. Five women in each group were selected to pursue vocational training, in entrepreneurship and agricultural business. They focused on tailoring, soap making and information technology. The group leaders were then able to share what they had learned with the rest of their cooperatives. These women received valuable employment skills, as well as important information about COVID-19 that they could then share with other community members.

Addressing the community’s knowledge around COVID-19 was the primary goal of this project, however the organization was able to take advantage of these educational gatherings to address issues related to the promotion and defense of women’s rights each week. In these sessions, the women discussed issues of gender-based violence, human rights and sexual and reproductive health. The organization found significant improvement in the group’s knowledge of female empowerment and safety.

Looking forward, SOFDI aims to continue educating the community about COVID-19 and work toward stopping the spread of the virus. They are also hoping to set up a number of vocational centers for women and girls, where they can learn valuable job skills, as well as gain knowledge on women’s rights. The COVID-19 Mini-Project has had a significant positive impact on this community, for which the pandemic has added yet another layer of struggle to an already dire humanitarian situation affecting the DRC. Rockflower looks forward to continuing to support SOFDI as they consistently work to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and girls.

A Year in Reflection: African Youth Alliance Reports on Year One of the Five Keys Five Villages Project

In 2020, female-led and volunteer-run community-based organization, African Youth Alliance, overcame a number of unique struggles but still managed to persevere in their mission to empower rural women and girls in the North West Region of Cameroon. AYA has been a Rockflower partner for five years but recently undertook a two year, multi-key approach to prove the merits of community based education and empowerment. Since beginning their two year project with Rockflower, AYA has been able to develop and build the skills of over 350 women and girls from 5 vulnerable rural communities.

In this first year of the project AYA volunteers educated women on topics including female leadership, family planning, community health, agricultural practices, basic accounting principles and more. Early sessions on hygiene, community health and agricultural practices played a key role in community resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic caused AYA to suspend operations temporarily, with the support of Rockflower the organization was able to provide its participants with critically important PPE and even began producing soap powder. In communities affected by conflict, the women focused on identifying challenges they faced in their current situations and collaborated to determine methods for acting as mediators of peace in their communities.

Despite the challenges faced by AYA and its participants, the organization has made great strides in educating and economically empowering women to become leaders in their communities. The women were able to move forward with producing goods like soap and body lotion as well as establishing and harvesting crops from farms and gardens. AYA has even been able to issue a number of loans to women looking to scale their agricultural operations. Looking ahead to year two, AYA hopes to expand their education sessions and ensure that all of the women involved are on the path to becoming fully empowered community leaders.

Water Security in Arusha

The Mategemeo Women Association recently completed their Shallow Wells for Water Security project.

The project included the construction of 4 shallow wells and 2 water kiosks resulting in:

• 300 households now have access to clean and reliable water

• Employment opportunities for the locals have been created through supplying and selling water from the two kiosks

• Some of the administrative costs of Mategemeo Women Association have been covered by the profits obtained at the kiosks

• Increase in children’s school enrollment and women’s farming activities (significantly contributing to households’ food security)

• Improvement of households’ hygiene and sanitation standards

While the project has had many successes, they were not without challenges. The local population has grown resulting in more pressure on water resources. While there have been improvements in hygiene and sanitation due to the access of clean water, some are still not practicing proper standards.

These issues will be solved by searching for more funding to continue the project in more areas, organizing hygiene and sanitation training sessions for community members, and prepare simplified health information materials to disseminate to locals.

Goat Dairy Farm Project

Rockflower is launching a campaign with Gambia Goat Dairy. GGD will implement a sustainable livestock system that combines modern agricultural strategies with equipment and practices tailored to the unique environment of West Africa. This will maximize the productivity of endemic goat breeds in a replicable dairy model that can be easily adapted to operations elsewhere in The Gambia and in neighboring countries. The pilot project will test sales strategies that target multiple market segments, ensuring that high quality protein products reach the populations that need them most.

The $2,500 goal will go towards establishing the pilot project of a small-scale goat dairy farm in the Gambia. Donations will provide supplies, feed and livestock to fully stock the farm.

The Goat Dairy Farm Project campaign is being led by Isabella Ward, a Youth Advisory Board member in our Catalyzer Collective.

Please visit https://goat-dairy-farm-project.causevox.com/ to donate.

A Year with RAIN

Rockflower funded Rain for Sahel and Sahara’s Rain Garden. Recently, we received an update on the outcomes of the project in Niger.

Niger is a land-locked country covered predominantly by the Sahara Desert. The Tillabery region is one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to the effects of climate change. With temperature increases expected to be 1.5 times higher than the rest of the world, Niger is faced with higher inter-and intra-annual variability in rainfall, resulting in more frequent and extreme droughts and floods. This significantly impacts Niger’s already fragile soil, crop production, and availability of potable water.

The Tillabery region is where the two rain gardens that provide for 60 women in the cooperative are located. During the 2018-2019 program year, the Nassile and Tagantassou gardens produced over 46,000 lbs. of crops, such as cabbages, carrots, eggplants, green peppers and tomatoes. This enabled the women in the program to feed their families contributing to nutritious and diverse diets across their communities and to sell surplus crops for an additional profit.

The Nassilé gardeners engaged in additional income generating activities to earn 274% of the previous year’s total (594,050 fCFA) – their increased earning power was due in large part to a new cereal bank initiative (271,900 fCFA with stock remaining). The tomato crop was infested by nematodes, soil-dwelling crop pests, but this was remedied by crop rotation. Staff visits for monitoring were limited due to security concerns over the close proximity to Mali.

Gardeners in Tagantassou increased the group’s income to bring in 411% of the previous year’s earnings (150,000 fCFA) to contribute to their economic independence and garden sustainability. The Tagantassou garden faced significant challenges, including an excess of plant debris (stalks of millet, sorghum, and weeds), loss of seedlings due to animal/pest invasion, and insufficient available well water. The gardens were reconstructed, training sessions were held, and an additional well was created. The possibility of bio-briquettes to remedy the excess plant debris is also under discussion after RAIN was informed by Rockflower’s partnership with RUGLI via their Bio-Briquette Project.

Both gardens installed borehole wells over 50m in depth with solar powered submersible pumps. In Nassilé, the well produces 1.5 m3/hour of potable water, and in Tagantassou, the well produces 3.5 m3/hour. Resulting in sufficient water for consumption and reducing time poverty for women.

As risks due to climate change increase, the potential in RAIN’s work is being watched closely. In the 2019-20 program year, RAIN will expand our Sustainable Agriculture program into two new communities, Imboraghan and Betarmatas, including borehole wells, while also expanding existing gardens in Tagantassou and Nassilé.

There is an opportunity to help communities turn subsistence agriculture into a profitable business and build resilience.

Astillero Women's Collective Project Expansion into Agroecology

Rockflower is pleased to announce an additional level of support to Casa Congo for the Center for Agroecology in El Astillero, Nicaragua. The center is designed to ensure long term investment in the production and management of food in the community. This will provide a continuation in knowledge sharing and skills training and build a platform of success for the Astillero Women’s Collective, through the Women’s Apprenticeship Program and the Women 4 Water Project.

The Women’s Apprenticeship Program trains apprentices in agroecological processes and agroforestry systems. Once the apprenticeship is completed, the graduates are provided with initial resources to grow or improve their own gardens. All of the apprentices have been members of the Astillero Women’s Collective.

The Women 4 Water Project is a funding program to help women buy water tanks so that they can capture rainwater during the rainy season and store water from the town well during the dry season.

Learn more about the Agroecology Project.

Rockflower Partners with FRSD

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Foundation for Research and Sustainable Development (FRSD).

FRSD is devoted to the preservation of the natural diversity of plant and animal species, and their habitats, through the prevention of environmental degradation and destruction. FRSD develops and implements projects through conservation education, action oriented programs for preventing climate change and preserving valuable plant and animal species and their natural habitats.

The Water Purifying Technology Project aims to rediscover the ancient, traditional methods of sustainable water purification using locally available medicinal plants, seeds and tubers that cleanse water while retaining its natural benefits.

Find out more about the Water Purifying Technology Project.

Rockflower Partners with WISE

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with Women in Sustainable Enterprise (WISE). They are a women’s membership based grass-root organization whose commitment is towards the economic empowerment of women and wetlands conservation through various sustainable enterprises.

Solar charging stations will be installed in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya to be run by women’s groups. The stations will rent solar lamps and provide phone charging services. This will initiate the use of clean, sustainable energy practices and develop women’s entrepreneurial skills.

Find out more about the Smokeless Homes Project.

Rockflower Partners with Gambia Goat Dairy

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with Gambia Goat Dairy. Their aim is to achieve food security through environmentally sustainable interventions. Gambia Goat Dairy prioritizes animal welfare and acts on community-defined need as they work to solve one of the world's toughest problems.

The first phase of their project consists of a pilot farm in the Gambia. The Gambia’s livestock generally yield 30 times less than their counterparts in more developed countries. This disparity is linked to antiquated agricultural practices and infrastructure, poor livestock management strategies, and lack of access to veterinary care in the developing world. Gambia Goat Dairy will implement a sustainable livestock system that combines modern agricultural strategies with equipment and practices tailored to the unique environment of West Africa.

Find out more about the Goat Dairy Farm Project.

Sustainable Agriculture Programming with RAIN

Last year, Rockflower supported RAIN in their goal of achieving two of our five keys, Access to Food and Water and Economic Empowerment. The Sustainable Agriculture programming in Nassilé and Tagantassou was strengthened due to our support, particularly as the need for such a program has increased due to a difficult agricultural year in western Africa.

Nassilé began the next growing season in September by meeting to assess their past revenue and decide on a timeline of implementation. In addition to meeting, they received practical training to enhance their gardening and increase their knowledge of market economics. The garden was started by choosing a high ground settlement to avoid flooding during the heavy seasonal rains. Then the land was cleared so that it could be plowed and levelled. Irrigation was installed resulting in 72 garden beds. October saw the first transplanting of tomato, eggplant and yalo crops. In addition to these crops, the nursery beds also have lettuce, green pepper, cabbage, carrot and onion.

Nassilé

Tagantassou had their first meeting to discuss preparations and the successes they had last year. The women were satisfied with last year’s production, but were constrained due to a lack of well water and caterpillars invading the tomato crop. They plan to utilize a biological treatment to limit or, hopefully, stop the damage. Their second meeting included practical training and a site location for the garden. In October, 18 beds were established with onions, green pepper, lettuce, tomato, cabbage and eggplant.

Tagantassou

Last year, 35 women gardeners from Tagantassou cultivated 1945 m2 of land to harvest 1034Kg of crops which supported over 1,000 Nigerians in the surrounding communities. In both Tagantassou and Nassilé, the knowledge they have gained through practical training has resulted in food security and built livelihoods. For example, in Nassilé total earned income was 198,352 FCFA (~US$345), which is significant as Nigeria’s GDP per capita is approximately US$378.

Due to the women gardeners satisfaction with last year’s production and their enthusiasm for this year’s crop yield, they are looking forward to the next phase of expansion. Two new wells will be dug in spring, one in each community, to increase access to water and enable a significant garden expansion. The expansion of this program will allow more community members to participate and for more of their, and their neighbors’, food security needs to be met.

Rockflower Partner Charlot Magayi Awarded 2nd Place in World Bank “SDGs and Her” Competition

Charlot Magayi, owner of Mukuru Clean Stoves of Kenya, (seen on the left) and Lucy Odiwa, owner of WomenChoice Industries.

Charlot Magayi, owner of Mukuru Clean Stoves of Kenya, was awarded second place in the World Bank’s global SDGs and Her competition. Her business addresses SDG8 (Decent Work), SDG1 (End Poverty), and SDG3 (Good Health). Magayi and Odiwa, the first place winner, were flown to New York City to attend the UN General Assembly to discuss their work and its impacts.

There were over 1,200 entries received from 88 countries. Congratulations to Charlot Magayi and Mukuru Clean Stoves of Kenya on this great recognition from the World Bank. Rockflower recognized your potential from the outset and is proud to have been an early investor in your work.

“Winning this award is a crucial validation to the work that my team and I are doing with the aim of significantly reducing household air pollution in Africa, and it boosts our commitment to making the world a better place by implementing the SDGs. The award naturally comes with the responsibility to network and share with other women business owners about my challenges and breakthroughs in running my enterprise; with the aim of sharpening each other’s business skills.
Our partnership with Rockflower was a major stepping stone in terms of enabling us to create more impact and grow our business. Through our partnership, we have directly impacted the lives of over 1000 people by providing 200 households with clean cookstoves.”

— Charlot Magayi

Read the World Bank’s press release here.

Read Ideas for Action’s article about events Charlot attended here.

Progress on Food Security for Ebola Widows in Liberia

Foundation for Women and Children Empowerment (FOWACE Inc.) has completed the first phase of their project to fund innovations for food security for widows affected by Ebola. From the first financial support they received from Rockflower, FOWACE Inc. were able to start a sustainable, environmentally-friendly food security and income generating project with 10 groups that benefited 362 people across seven towns.

With additional support from Rockflower, they will now begin phase two which will focus on expanding the gardens with additional crops to accommodate more groups, all of which are excited as they have already identified what they plan to plant.

Increasing Food Security for Widows Affected by Ebola

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with Foundation for Women and Children Empowerment (FOWACE), a women and children-centered organization established to provide lifesaving and empowering programs for marginalized and vulnerable women and children in rural Liberia.

In the aftermath of the Ebola crisis in 2015, many women have struggled to survive due to losing their husbands, who provided vital economic support to their families. Rockflower's partnership with the FOWACE will focus on training women in vegetable garden management, providing farming tools and teaching business and marketing marketing skills.

Find out more about the Food Security for Ebola Widows project.

Rockflower Partnership to Expand Water Supply for Women Farmers in Tanzania

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Mategemeo Women's Association, a non governmental organization in Tanzania promoting socio-economic development, human rights and inclusion by providing training and micro credit for women to establish their own businesses.

Rockflower's partnership with the Mategemeo Women's Association will support the sinking of four communal, shallow wells and the establishment of 2 water selling kiosks.

Find out more about the Shallow Wells for Water Security in Arusha project.

Investing in Female Founded Social Enterprise to Expand Clean Burning Stove Technology in Nairobi, Kenya

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.

Turning Biomass into Clean Alternative Fuels in Uganda

Rockflower is pleased to announce a new partnership with Rwenzori United Group for Life Improvement (RUGLI), a community-based organization in Uganda focused on creating community services aimed at empowering women in various communities for sustainable development through:

• Livelihood support/ sustainable agriculture

• HIV/ AIDS awareness

• Business enterprise support for women/youth

• Support services support for the disabled, elderly and the needy

Rockflower's partnership with RUGLI will support the production of a biomass briquette initiative that will turn agro-waste and household by-products into an alternative to charcoal and fuel wood.

Find out more about the Bio Briquette Project. 

Expanding Clean Cooking Technology in Nairobi, Kenya

The Mukuru Clean Stoves Project is a collaboration between Rockflower and Mukuru Clean Stoves, a social enterprise that produces affordable, clean-burning cook stoves in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Mukuru Cook Stove Project will provide funding to Mukuru Clean Stoves to significantly expand the sale and reach of Mukuru clean-burning cookstove technology through the creation of an innovative "Lease to Own" program. The project would fund:

• The production of 200 clean burning stoves.

• Setting up the Lease to Own" program.

• Training to 200 households in the proper use of clean stove technology.

“Facilitating the transition to clean cooking and heating contributes to fundamental development benefits, including improving people’s health, reducing air pollution, and enabling mothers to spend more time with their families and pursue economic opportunities. The focus now is on scaling up activity through innovative market-based approaches and by mobilizing private financing, and on applying the lessons we have learned from years of engagement in the sector.”

-Riccardo Puliti, Senior Director for Energy and Extractives at the World Bank

Find out more about the Expanding Clean Cooking Technology fundraising campaign.

The Expanding Clean Cooking Technology campaign will be led by Rockflower Youth Advisory Board member Elisabeth Hardardt.