Improved cookstoves prevent deforestation

In our last project report we announced that the team in consultation with the community and the parent’s associations had decided on a new pre-requisit to attend a Zahana school: that the family uses an improved cookstove in their home. The public schools also adopted the new Zahana principle for school their attendance.

The use of improved Zahana cookstove as fee to attend Zahana school has helped to convince parents of the benefits of this approach, bringing small changes in their kitchen with big environmental impact. ‘Before’ numbers are from the last report. ‘Now’ are the 22/23 school year.

Before: 58% Now: 65.4% in Analakely
Before: 88,7% Now: 88.7% in Tsaramandroso
30% Now: 50% in Fiarenana
33% Now: 74.8% in Fiadanana

The biggest impact was in Fiadanana. With the biggest school, with now 2 buildings, almost 200 students and 5 teachers paid by Zahana they are our ‘first’ village. We built their first school in 2006. Over time we had the feeling the community in Fiadanana was becoming complacent and took Zahana’s presence for granted.

We are very happy to report, that a very simple formula ‘not using an improved cookstove = no kids in school’ spurred many parents to action. And we have the numbers to prove that: A jump from 33% to 75% in the adoption of improved cookstoves in their homes.

Links:

• Improved Cookstoves and bio-charcoal
• Who can build the spiffiest improved cookstove?
• Improved cookstove project continues despite COVID-19

There are big changes coming that hopefully will impact the adoption of improved cookstoves.

Our new on-site coordinator Haja (since late 2021) collected baseline data of the adoption rate of improved cookstoves:

Analakely: 58%
Tsaramandroso: 88,7%
Fiadanana: 30%
Fiarenana: 33%

While the communities that joined Zahana recently are very eager in implementing improved cookstoves (and other Zahana ideas, such as the rice-bank) in their homes our ‘traditional’ Zahana villages leave much to be desired.

Why somebody would not want to switch to an improved cookstove that saves 75% of the energy needed to cook is not exactly clear to us. There are now also locally made improved cookstoves one could buy. We had a series of meetings to address this and, as a consequence of the facts learned from the data, two big changes have been decided:

Our teachers and gardeners that get a salary from Zahana have to be good community role models and use improved cookstoves in their homes. They are also encouraged, time permitting, to make their own bio-charcoal for cooking or buy is as cooking fuel in their community. There contracts have been amended accordingly to reflect this change.

Parents that want to send their children to Zahana’s school have to commit in writing to use improved cookstoves in their homes. This is a pre-condition to be admitted and we rely on peer support to assure this decision is implemented.

Links:

• Improved Cookstoves and bio-charcoal
• The rice bank: revitalizing a good idea