Action in Africa Unveils New Porridge Eco-Stove

Approximately 200 children enjoy a porridge meal at the Action in Africa (AIA) center, and it is a source of joy for every child there. However, few realize that the engine behind their smiles and hope is the stove.

Recently, AIA unveiled a new eco-friendly porridge stove. This initiative was sparked by Evelyn, the center’s porridge chef, who raised concerns about the risks and challenges posed by the old-fashioned stove. She advocated for a modernized solution to create a safer environment for herself and the children. For the past decade, Evelyn had been working with a rudimentary stove made of bricks. This setup posed some safety hazards, and she expressed great excitement about this milestone improvement.

Evelyn shared that her work environment had been fraught with risks. "At any moment, I feared the stones would shift or collapse, spilling the children’s porridge onto the floor,” she said. “This was their only meal of the day, and the pressure to avoid mistakes was immense, especially with the large number of kids at The Center.” Additionally, there was the constant danger of children stepping on the unstable stones and getting burned.

She also described the personal toll of working with the old stove: excessive heat, smoke that caused her eyes to water, and soot-covered saucepans that were difficult to clean. “The smoke affected my breathing, and cleaning the stained saucepans was exhausting,” Evelyn said. “However, after raising her concerns with supervisors, they conducted a pilot study across various schools to evaluate more efficient and safer alternatives. I’m so grateful that all the challenges I faced are now behind me.”

Kimbowa Paddy, AIA’s Expansion Project Consultant, added that the idea for the new stove had already been considered at The Center, and he helped accelerate its implementation after observing the challenging conditions Evelyn worked in.

He also highlighted the unique features of the new stove: it is environmentally friendly, minimizes smoke exposure for the user, saves energy by using less firewood, cooks faster, and is insulated with pumice to reduce excessive heat. It is user-friendly, modern, functional, and far more efficient.