The new stoves use less wood and cook food quicker

In northern Ghana, especially in Sissala West District, communities rely heavily on wood and charcoal to fuel stoves which are inefficient and produce a lot of smoke. This causes frequent illness among the population and high deforestation rates.

In more rural areas where there is no electricity grid, 100% of energy needs are fulfilled by these stoves. Women and children can also spend up to 14 hours a week gathering wood. As a result, children often have to skip school.

So Plan Ghana teamed up with research partners to work with women in the Kupulima community to and build and test 48 new, more efficient stoves.

Problem solved

Successful trials showed that the new stoves, made simply from bricks, a support and a grate, used 20% less fuel than the traditional stoves, and communities revealed that they were spending as little as 10 minutes a week to gather wood. Those that still had to walk long distances made trips less often, as the new stoves were allowing them to conserve wood and save their forests.

“I used to travel more than 3 kilometres into the forest with my children in search of wood for fuel almost everyday. Now our problem is solved, this new stove uses less wood,” said Adisa, from the Jitong community.

New stoves and solar panels

Plan therefore worked with the communities, government and NGOs to build 1000 more new stoves in 8 communities across Sissala West District. To help those with no access to electricity, solar panels were also installed. 

What’s more, children are now free to stay in school, and women have the time to undertake income generating activities.

“I now have enough time to do other economic activities, especially at the dam site, and my children are on time at school,” added Adisa.

Less wood, faster cooking

With the stoves producing a lot less smoke, community members felt a significant improvement in their health.

“One interesting thing about this stove is that before you know it, you’ve finished cooking, because it uses less wood and cooks faster,” said Memunatu, from the Kupulima community.

Community groups were also trained on how to build the stoves using materials that are readily available to them, such as clay, and the stove support and grate, made from metal, means local metalworkers have seen an increase in business.

Read more about Plan's work in Ghana