According to the World Health Organisation, around 2.1 billion people worldwide cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass and coal, which generates harmful household air pollution. In sub-Saharan African countries, it is even more common for families to gather around open flames or smoky coals to prepare their daily meals. Indoor air pollution, primarily from burning solid fuels like wood and charcoal, has become a leading cause of respiratory diseases, particularly among women and children. Statistics show that air pollution from unsafe cooking methods caused an estimated 3.2 million deaths per year in 2020, including over 237,000 deaths of children under the age of 5. Kenyan stove designer, climate activist, and 2022 Earthshot Prize winner Charlot Magayi grew up in Mukuru, a sprawling slum in Nairobi. She witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of indoor air pollution on her community, particularly among women and children who bore the brunt of respiratory illnesses.
Magayi, orphaned at age ten, dropped out of school after giving birth to her daughter at sixteen. The teenage mother settled on selling charcoal used locally for cooking. The fumes from the charcoal affected her and her daughter badly, causing them repeated respiratory tract infections. Magayi’s daughter even got burnt by their charcoal stove when she was two years old.
Returning to adult school a few years after the birth of her child, Magayi learned about the science of burning fuels and pollutants. She was awed by the percentage of Africans using heavily polluting cooking methods at home.
Recognising the health hazards associated with traditional cooking practices and the urgent need for clean cooking, Charlot Magayi started Mukuru Clean Stoves in 2017. For 8 years, she has been providing clean cooking solutions for low-income homes in Kenya and beyond.
In my line of work, I don’t just build stoves; I build facilities, I empower people, and I innovate complementary products. – Charlot Magayi.
The stove she designed sells at an affordable rate, uses much less charcoal and reduces pollution compared with other traditional cooking methods.
As a business, Mukuru Clean Stoves is a social enterprise that designs, produces, and distributes improved, reliable, and affordable cookstoves for low-income households. These stoves are made using locally sourced recycled metal and distributed by local women business owners and microfinance institutions.
Clean cookstoves decrease fuel consumption by 30-60% and reduce toxic smoke emissions by 50-90%. These stoves, designed with safety and efficiency in mind, use clean-burning fuels that significantly protect users’ health. The vision is to substantially reduce household air pollution and safeguard the health of women and their children in African communities.
Since 2017, they have sold over 400,000 clean cookstoves in Kenya, helping families save over $50 million in fuel costs. They have impacted the lives of over 2,000,000 people who now benefit from cleaner air within their homes. They have also avoided over 800,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
This clean cook stove is very good. Nowadays, I use Ksh.20 in charcoal to cook food. Before, I used Ksh.60 on charcoal. Ksh.20 charcoal is enough for me to cook everything. With this clean cook stove, my children don’t get sick from toxic smoke. I love this clean cook stove. – says a Kenyan Customer.
Charlot Magayi, through Mukuru Stoves, has provided families with cleaner cooking options that preserve their health and contribute to the economy within Mukuru. Local artisans and women are trained to manufacture and distribute these stoves to generate income and build relevant skills for themselves.
I have been imagining a life that reaches past my own individual borders for a while now and the last 10 days have been a testament to what can be achieved if we just stretch our imagination past the limits we set for ourselves. – Charlot Magayi.
Her work has earned her prestigious accolades, including the Earthshot Prize, which celebrates solutions to environmental challenges. She has also earned a fellowship with Echoing Green and was a top 10 winner in Africa Business Heros 2021, among a long list of other awards.
Today, thousands of families still benefit from cleaner cooking solutions and remain forever grateful for this brilliant initiative.
