Mma Eunice Owenson Foundation strive to change three-stone open fires cooking method with high-impact cookstoves and solar lighting systems in rural communities of Niger Delta - Nigeria. MEOF project objective is to provides,distributes improved cookstoves and solar lights through innovative support to women entrepreneurs,which will allows more than 500-1000 households access to health care,clean cooking,solar electricity and protecting the environment - to end extreme energy poverty in Nigeria.
In Niger Delta - Nigeria,an estimated 24 million households lack access to clean energy.This problem leads more than 10 million families to cook with unimproved cook stove and emit carbon.Cooking this way is hazardous.To some families,Clean Energy alternatives are nearly impossible to access due to the remoteness and their inability to pay the full costs up-front.When they do acquire,few end up using properly because the end-users were never trained about the proper cleaning or usage of stoves.
MEOF ,through a market-based approach is seeking to respond to how best end users needs are met.A network of micro-entrepreneurs are creating demand,developing new distributions model and changing practices ingrained centuries ago.Each stove/solar systems cost $35-$150 which is prohibitively high for most families.MEOF identifies micro-entrepreneurs in its target communities,mostly women with existing shops and provides them with trainings and ongoing support to launch a clean energy businesses.
Applying a market-based approach to scale up, while aiding a vulnerable population in Nigeria to adopt clean energy and breaking the vicious cycle of energy poverty.This project will ease acquisition,enable individuals,households and women entrepreneurs to sell and distribute stoves to nearly 10 million potential consumers.Therefore,increase income per capita of micro-entrepreneurs,boost savings of household by 50% and reduce annual bio fuel use by 80% and save families time as they burn clean.
