By Henry Owino
Across the world, the poorest people and in particular women, are the ones who are most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Women are both intensely affected by climate change and have a powerful role to play in using clean energy.
In Africa, women and children are often the primary collectors of energy resources such as firewood and water. Thus the consequences of climate change end up having direct, negative impacts on their lives due to deforestation and droughts making their daily chores even more arduous.
Additionally, women across many developing countries and Kenya in particular, spend hours each day cooking over an open flame, and thus, have a higher risk compared to men, in developing adverse health conditions.
Families and institutions in Kenya are resulting to clean energy by using modern clean energy-saving stoves. This comes after many years of relying on traditional open flames (three stones) that consumes lots of wood-fuel, emit smolder smoke among other health hazards to operators.
Many households and learning institutions have resorted to clean energy cooking solutions influenced by women. Upon realizing health effects associated with smoke and heat emissions, women have turned to modern energy saving stoves locally known as jiko.
The stoves help save fuel energy, emits less smoke, less money is spent on charcoal and abridges time one would spend in looking for firewood and cook food among negative health impacts involved.
For instance, women are more prone to lung cancer due to exposure to smoke from solid fuels like wood than men. It is commonly referred as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), thus a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs.
Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production and wheezing. It’s caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases/smoke or particulate matter.
Making a visit to Uthiru and Kinoo Wards in Kiambu County and Kangemi in Nairobi County where women have previously suffered from various health conditions related to irritate smoke, you are welcome by surprise of the clean environment and healthy mothers.
Shiro Wanjiku, one of the women leaders in Kangemi estate, affirms that residents have completely turned away from traditional jikos to modern energy saving cooking stoves. Women are change agents, pacemakers and clean environment ambassadors in Kangemi.
Responding to Talk Africa Correspondent, these women brag of their positive influence to the community they live. Wanjiku claimed the cleaner environment is as a result of clean energy cooking solution. She narrates they first started with the ban on polythene papers by the government, which acted as a wake-up call for women to retort to alternatives.
“Although the majority of Kenyans including local residents complained when the ban was implemented, nowadays they are happier and continuing to appreciate our clean environment,” Wanjiku affirmed.
“Kikuyu Constituency used to be very filthy denying us (women-traders) many roadside customers from purchasing our sales. Currently, that is history here, and women are proud to have made efforts to sustain the clean environment,” Wanjiku explained.
Wanjiku claimed the recent ban on logging was yet another blessing in disguise to residents. She laments a few, as usual, had to complain but women in Uthiru, Kangemi and Kinoo took it positively.
“We quickly thought of alternatives and modern energy saving jiko sprung to mind. As we speak, it is now all over the place as you confirmed with the residents,” she bragged.
Josephine Njeri aged 32, explained main reason why residents had to find an alternative is that firewood became scarce and prices shot up. Wood-fuel is the main source of energy in most parts of Kikuyu Constituency as the lifestyle is that of the countryside.
Again charcoal prices increased 5 fold expensive for the poor locals to afford especially women who buy it, yet life had to continue. Life proved difficult for residents, the only breakthrough became clean energy technology thus clean cook-stoves.
“A bunch of firewood used to cost Ksh 200 but after the logging ban, it shot up to Ksh 350 and rare to find. We had to work extra hard to search for wood-fuel and the same time buy it expensively,” Njeri lamented.
Njeri said although modern jiko may look expensive to buy, ones bought it saves you a lot in terms of firewood consumption and money spent. Depending on the model and size of the jiko, it costs between Ksh 500 and Ksh 4000.
“I must admit these modern cook-stoves burns more efficiently than traditional stoves. It reduces the amount of fuel consumed, regulates the speed of cooking and processes, and reduces harmful emissions,” Njeri declared.
The use of modern clean cook-stoves has helped reduce usage of wood and charcoal within the area. It saves women time needed to collect fuel and/or money needed to purchase fuel.
Something that Njeri disclosed made her even happier is that the modern clean cook-stoves also reduces the time taken to cook. Also, it reduces the level of drudgery associated with fuel collection and cooking and minimizes exposure to health risks.
Catherine Muthoni aged 36, whose life has changed for better, says she uses ceramic jiko a portable, charcoal-burning stove that consumes less charcoal. She nowadays uses it in all her cooking, saving up to 50 percent from every tin of 2kg charcoal she initially bought at Ksh 90.
“As long as I save money and fuel energy, I don’t care about how many trees are saved or carbon monoxide reduced in the air,” Muthoni proudly commented. The ban on logging has been an eye-opener to me, and many residents,” she added.
Muthoni recalls how she used to buy a tin of 2kg charcoal at Ksh 50 before the vendors inflated prices to Ksh 90. Those with large families really had it rough, as they were to part with at least two tins at Ksh 100. Worse happened when prices hit the roof at Ksh 180 per tin, meaning they had to pocket not less than Ksh 360.
Modern energy saving jiko has since solved the problems of high prices of charcoal, wood-fuel, and scarcity of fuel energy. Women who had running nose, red and watery eyes due to smoke are contented with new technology as a solution.
“I am happy and almost everybody here in Kangemi and neighborhood are because we are conserving the environment in one way or the other and same time make savings, ”Muthoni discloses. I feel revealed of budgeting for three tins at Ksh 270 daily,” she adds.
Muthoni says her ceramic jiko model requires only one and a half tons of charcoal per day costing her Ksh 135. She bought the jiko at Ksh 1500 and says no regrets compared to benefits.
Mary Wandia has worked for Children’s Garden Home and School for 7 years as a cook. She with other three colleagues have used wood-fuel as a source of energy in open-fire which consumes a lot of firewood and very smoky.
Nowadays they are the happiest cooks since the installation of modern jikos in the institution’s kitchen. They use utmost four bunches of firewood a day instead of 8-10 previously, no smoke as fitted with chimney, saves time and even cleaner.
Wandia said the food is cooked between an hour and two compared to the previous duration of three to four hours. The speed of burning is easily monitored and controllable with no need of being closer to the burning fire.
“We used to struggle to cook under heat and smoky fire, risking our lives because of high temperatures of fire and steam. However, nowadays we are safe, and at peace with the modern stove and the institutions saves close to Ksh5000 per month,” Wandia reveals.
Wandia commended the ban on logging might have come with benefits in disguise. They now experience light work, spend less money in fire-wood, smoke chimney jiko, and food get cooked as timed by regulating temperatures.
“As you can see my colleagues over there and myself eyes are clear, had you come here the last term of January to March, they were full of tears, cough, mucus or sputum and wheezing chest caused by obstructed airflow hence breathing become difficult,” Wandia recalls.
Walking randomly in many homes across the Constituency, at least every household owns modern jiko. They now adore clean energy and wonder why the idea never came early to them, only at the time of environment conservation.
John Kamau, a jua kali artisan, makes and sales ceramic energy-saving jiko within the constituency. In fact, he is stationed in an open-air market nearby, where residents buy the stoves.
Kamau says demand is very high for individuals, families, organizations, schools, and companies. He said booking or advanced orders are made for larger sizes for big institutions which cost between Ksh 40,000 and Ksh 60,000.
“I must say surely, sales have gone up and business of selling modern energy-saving cooking stove is currently booming,” Kamau admits. Residents have realized they can save money, fuel and conserve the environment as well,” he added.
Kamau says he doesn’t want to take advantage of crisis as an opportunity to make money. So, he has not raised prices but hired more people to assist him to make and serve more customers. In a day he sells at least 15 household jikos and 3 large ones for big institutions.
“No need to increase prices and lose business yet cost of materials have not risen unless otherwise,” Kamau assures customers.
The use of modern energy saving jikos has become very popular in urban homes in Kenya today. He concludes by saying, investing in clean energy saving stove offers solution equals healthy and wealthy people, as well as the environment that is securely conserved.
