Improving health and access to affordable energy for Ugandan communities
Uganda lost 26% of its forest cover between 1990 and 2005, and currently has a deforestation rate of over 2% per year. While urban wood demand for construction and furniture plays a large role in this situation, the problem is exacerbated as 97% of the rural population collect firewood for basic needs. Around 95% of households in Uganda cook using traditional cookstoves that are inefficient and toxic.
distributed throughout Uganda, improving household health by reducing indoor smoke emissions created during cooking
as they spend less time on collected fuel and more time with their families, education or working
have access to electricity so can charge their phones or a light via a USB
created in project sales, distribution, maintenance and monitoring, boosting local economies
reduced on average annually, from reduced emissions and avoided deforestation
needed for cooking, slowing the rate of deforestation in Uganda
Please note that the SDG metrics listed reflect the total impact of the umbrella project's activities and do not reflect the impact of each micro-scale project.
The HomeStove is an ultra-clean burning, fan-assisted wood stove that cuts toxic pollutant emissions by 90% and reduces fuel use by 50%. The stove has been developed after 4 years of product development with local cooks in Uganda, India, Ghana and Laos to make sure it's suited to their specific needs, for example, the hotter flame and flexible size mean traditional dishes can be cooked quickly and more safely. Using BioLite’s Direct Conduction Thermoelectric System (DCTS), the HomeStove also generates its own electricity – providing users with enough reliable, on-demand electricity from a day’s cooking to fully charge a mobile phone or provide an evening’s worth of bright, LED light
As considerably less fuel is needed, time spent collecting firewood or cooking is reduced so families have more time for other income-generating activities or to improve their living standards; this also alleviates pressure on Uganda’s remaining forests. Users have also noted their respiratory health has improved, they reported significantly less coughing since using the new stoves thanks to the reduction in indoor air pollution. For communities without a reliable grid connection, or who rely on diesel generators for sporadic electricity, this project offers a solution: the HomeStove generates its own electricity, providing users with enough reliable, on-demand electricity in a day’s cooking to fully charge a mobile phone and provide an evening’s worth of bright, LED light.
