top of page

Adopt-A-Cookstove aims to provide new, high efficiency wood-pellet gasification cookstoves to households in Rwanda. We are currently working with local cooperatives to distribute clean cookstoves to households and to train them on their use. Each of our clean cookstoves avoids between 1.1 and 3.3 tons of CO2 equivalent per year.

 

Most households in Rwanda currently cook by burning solid fuel under an open flame, which results in negative health and environmental impacts and is an economic burden for households. Transitioning from burning solid fuels to using a clean cookstove provides various public health, environmental and social benefits.

Logo@4x-8.png

Distributing clean, carbon reducing cookstoves to rural Rwanda

women & equality

Women in Rwanda spend about 5 hours per day collecting fuel to power their households. This leaves them with less time to spend with their children and pursue education and paying jobs. 

Households who obtain efficient cookstoves can save up to 4 hours per day on collecting fuel and decrease the risks that are present while gathering fuel, such as physical attacks, dehydration, and sexual assault.

health

The burning of solid fuel (firewood, charcoal) generates hazardous air pollutants, which is the fourth leading risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in Rwanda.

 

Clean cookstoves burn efficiently and do not release any hazardous air pollutants.

To view our infographic, click here!

environment

Cooking over open fires generates black carbon emissions, which are the second strongest contribution to climate change after carbon dioxide. Additionally, the gathering of wood causes increased deforestation and erosion. 

 

Wood-pellet gasification cookstoves release approximately 90% less black carbon compared to cooking with charcoal and do not require the consumption of firewood.

Can you spot the difference?

Our carefully selected cookstoves result in less carbon emissions than the conventional, commonly used three-stone fire stoves. When community members switch to our efficient cookstoves, it immediately provides significant environmental, social and health benefits to the communities. 

Our team sat down with Rwandan families to see if they can spot the difference between the two stoves. Can you?

Solution

Get Involved!

We are located at:

2400 Bren Hall

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 93117

Email us at:

bottom of page