At the heart of Sierra Leone’s school feeding program, serving 800,000 children lies a challenge: three stone fires that are inefficient, produce excessive smoke, and have adverse effects on the environment, climate, and human health. Recognising the critical role of school feeding programs in encouraging attendance, a 2022 World Food Programme survey revealed that, on average, one Sierra Leonean school consumed 60 kilograms of firewood daily using traditional three-stone stoves. 

To address these issues, we have forged a partnership with Burn Design Lab (BDL), leveraging their expertise to enhance the efficiency, durability, manufacturability, and affordability of our institutional stoves. This collaborative effort also involves the establishment of a production system to significantly increase our manufacturing capacity from 50 to an impressive 500 stoves per month.

The transition to cleaner improved cookstoves positively impacts the health and education of children and improves working conditions for school cooks. The far-reaching effects extend to the creation of more resilient communities, the promotion of gender equality, and the support of national economies and social stability.