A Kenyan cooking stove manufacturing company, USAFI Green Energy, is making waves with its innovative approach to addressing cooking fuel and environmental challenges within refugee communities in Kenya.
The company’s groundbreaking efforts have earned them a nomination for the prestigious Ashden Award, recognizing their contributions to sustainable and clean energy solutions.
USAFI Green Energy began its mission to provide low-carbon and affordable stoves to the Kakuma refugee camp in 2020. Thanks to a strategic partnership with BURN, one of Kenya’s largest cookstoves and briquette producers, USAFI has been nominated for the Ashden Award in the category of “Powering Refugees and Displaced People.”
Dr. Stephen Hall, Head of the Ashden Award, expressed enthusiasm about the range of low-carbon solutions being honored, saying, “This year we have an incredible array of low-carbon solutions in the awards again, including another clean cook stove company, USAFI Green Energy, who have found a way to turn invasive plants into clean cooking fuels for refugee communities in Kenya.”
USAFI’s collaboration with BURN has propelled them to become the second-largest domestically produced cookstoves and briquette provider in Kenya, following in the footsteps of BURN, which won the Ashden award back in 2006 when King Charles served as its patron.
Brian Onyango, CEO of USAFI Green Energy, attributed his company’s success to the mentorship and guidance of BURN’s CEO, Peter Scott. Onyango stated, “Peter is my key role model and mentor on clean cooking, and I benchmark from him. I do a lot of site visits at the BURN factory to learn more and work together on our briquette tests and partnerships alongside the stove’s supply.”
USAFI’s cooking stoves are designed to use clean briquettes made at the Kakuma camp. These unique briquettes are produced from compressed invasive plant species, primarily Prosopis, which have long been a nuisance to local communities. Prosopis, an invasive tree species, causes multiple problems by dominating local vegetation, depleting water resources, injuring cattle with its sharp thorns, and producing poisonous seed pods.
In a bid to combat the spread of Prosopis, USAFI not only utilizes the invasive plant for briquette production but also undertakes a robust tree-planting initiative. They have distributed over 2,000 tree seedlings to the local community, focusing on more beneficial species like Mwarubaini (neem). This dual approach highlights USAFI’s commitment to ecological regeneration while providing a sustainable source of fuel.
USAFI’s efforts offer a cost-effective fuel source that eliminates health risks associated with traditional cooking methods. Furthermore, they have played a significant role in job creation by directly employing 35 individuals to manufacture stoves and engaging 90 others from the host community to produce briquettes. Importantly, 95% of the workforce is under 35 years old, and 40% are women, reflecting a commitment to gender diversity and empowering the youth.
The Ashden Award, a global recognition of low-carbon innovation, was established by Ashden, a UK-based charity focused on accelerating transformative climate solutions in collaboration with the UK and global communities.
The Ashden Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 14, 2023, in London and will be available for online viewing. USAFI Green Energy’s innovative approach to tackling environmental and cooking fuel challenges has not only earned them a nomination but also serves as a beacon of hope for sustainable energy solutions within refugee communities.
BY KEN MUTHOMI