By Markus Faigle | Volunteer
Jean Liva is a graduate and former student at our Zahana School. He is currently manufacturing Zahana cook stove for the village of Fiadanana. He uses dried corn cobs and dry grass instead of charcoal to cook his meals in his house.
After harvest, when the corn kernels had been removed the corn cobs were considered unusable and normally discarded in the fields or behind the houses. Readily available, corn is the second most common crop after rice, Jean Liva requires not more firewood in his kitchen. (See photos)
From interview:
Jean Liva manufactured what he calls the “Zahana cook stove” based on orders from his customers. He already manufactured 15 Zahana cook stoves since the beginning of year 2025. He only sells in his own home village of Fiadanana for the moment.
This home grown business has helped him to buy a small pig, and to take care of his rice fields. Manufacturing improved cookstoves has great impact on his everyday life. Since he started his home grown business, he has no more debt. It has increased his income to a point that he believes he can now afford to pay for his children to go to school. He is proud to have a marketable handcraft skill that directly improves the life of his family.
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