Resource-saving technology in the kitchen

Traditionally, many women in Kenya cook on "three-stone stoves". This technique is to be replaced by permanently installed ovens and transportable energy-saving ovens that require up to 60 % less fossil fuel. This saves time and money, protects nature and women's health.

 

 

The traditional three-stone stove - here "ugali" is being prepared, which is a porridge made of maize flour.

 

 

Last year in December, we organised a seminar on the use and application of portable energy-saving stoves.  60 participants learned about technically improved wood and coal stoves and made a "cooking basket" together from local materials.  In it, dishes can be left to swell/steep and kept warm for up to 8 hours. We tried this out in the training with rice, which was only on the cooker for a few minutes until it was cooked and then finished cooking on its own in the cooking basket.

 

 

Due to too high incidences of corona in our project area, we could now - four weeks later than planned - continue our training on resource-saving technology in the kitchen. This time it was all about stationary  energy-saving ovens.  In Kenya it is called "Rocket Stove". When you cook on this stove, it makes a sound like a rocket).

 

Our 60 women learned both the theory (materials, functioning and construction) and the practice of stove construction. Together with the stove trainers, they built a stove with two stoking holes and two cooking places on the premises of the three Agricultural Training Centres in Siaya, Kakamega and Bungoma. The stoves are permanently built there and will be available to other courses and groups for practical lessons in the future.

 

 

Stove builder Emily Bunyasi explains to the participants which materials are needed for building the stoves.

 

 

The women are mixing the cement...

 

 

 

.... for foundation and construction...

 

 

... and for plastering.

 

 

Course participants demonstrate the handling of the finished Rocket Stove.

The participating team  in Bungoma showing the liners.

 

The Kakamega Team with the new built Rocket oven at Bukura ATC

 

 The Team of Siaya at Maseno ATC

 

... and the result of our training?

 

The women have learned that a permanent workplace is much safer and more hygienic - and it is much more fun to cook on a new stove.

They return to their villages determined to build such an improved stove themselves.  Some women have seized the opportunity and have already made an appointment with the stove builder. The cost of the materials is about 100 Euros - that is a lot of money and some of the participants cannot afford it.

But the women have already come up with solutions for this, too, in the form of so-called savings clubs (Merry go round). The members of the savings clubs regularly pay in a small amount of money, often every week. Each time money is collected, the entire amount is paid out to one of the members. The members take turns paying out, so that after a full cycle, each member of the group has had a turn.

 

 

 

The next day the women tested the newly built resource-saving stove. This time the motto was: traditional dishes with locally available food, e.g. "Luha healthy mash". This is a nutrient-rich mash made from bananas, sweet potatoes, cooked beans and green maize, or chips made from arrowroot, a very starchy root.

 

At the end of the two days the participants are looking forward to sharing the new recipes with their groups and demonstrating how to prepare the dishes. Some can't wait to teach the family and women in their community something new and useful.

 

 

Dr. Marystella Wabwoba explains to the women how to prepare the chips.

 

 

You can see more fotos about the training under "impressions".

 

Now have a look at  the dishes, developed and cooked during the training:

 

Kakamega

 

Enriched brown ugali   

 Enriched chapat

Wet fried fish     

Steamed green leafy vegetables   

Pumpkin soup   

 Fried corn (greenMaize) snack
Sweetpotato croquettes     

 Banana baghia and rote
Mixed vegetable salad     

Southern fried chicken
Mixed fruit juice

 

 

Bungoma

Grandma best smoked fish   

Chicken fritters
Mucuna wimbi ugali             

Mixed local vegetable
Local fruit salad                   

Luhya healthy mash

Carrot juice                             

 Improved green gram stew 
Crisps(Arrowroot, sweet potato, Bananas) 

                                  

                    Siaya

Mashed bananas     

Steamed local vegetable

Steamed and roasted chicken   

Dry fish stew 

Sweetpotato chapatti    

Stewed green gram
Greenmaize/beans boiled in pumpkin     

Pawpaw juice