Cleaner Kitchens, Healthier Lives : The Influence of Lorena stoves in Butta Subcounty

Cleaner Kitchens, Healthier Lives : The Influence of Lorena stoves in Butta Subcounty

In an initiative aimed at addressing climate change, curbing deforestation, and enhancing gender equality, Lorenas stoves were introduced in Butta.This project, funded by the Welsh Government as part of the Advancing Gender Equality and Climate Adaptation project, is revolutionizing how families prepare food, fostering safer, healthier, and more eco-friendly kitchens.396 Lorena stoves have been constructed in homes in Fuluma Parish, Butta Subcounty,Manafwa District .

Lorena stoves are improved cooking stoves made from local materials such as clay, grass, and water. They are engineered to consume less wood fuel, generate minimal smoke, and effectively maintain heat, resulting in reduced cooking times and decreased health risks.

Lorena stoves help decrease firewood usage by up to 60% in comparison to traditional three-stone fires. This reduction means fewer trees are harvested, directly aiding METGE’s forest restoration and conservation initiatives in the Mount Elgon ecosystem.

“I used to devote a large portion of my day to gathering firewood”, shares Nabulobi Irene, a mother from Fuluma. “Now, two small sticks are sufficient to cook a complete meal. The time I save is now spent attending to my garden and children. “Each stove signifies a cleaner household, a conserved tree, and additional time for farming or education,” mentions Simon Wayaka, METGE Extension Officer.

since the introduction of Lorena stoves, households in Butta Subcounty have reported fewer instances of coughing, eye irritation, and respiratory illnesses in children.”My kitchen used to be filled with smoke. Now it’s clean,” comments Nabumati Sarah, a local farmer. “Even my children are able to assist with cooking without their eyes watering.” As one woman in Butta expressed succinctly: “We used to cook with tears. Now, we cook with joy.”

METGE’s Trainer of Trainers (ToT) approach trains women and youth in stove construction. They in turn, teach others, subsequently, enhancing impact while creating opportunities for earning income.

“I construct stoves for other families, and they reward me,” explains Alice Wabule, a trainer in Fuluma. “It’s a job that benefits both myself and the community I support.”

This approach  empowers women not only to enhance their households but to become entrepreneurs and community leaders.