The 2010 clay stove impact assessment report is submitted

Mr Trywell Khonje, M&E officer for ProBEC Malawi, submitted the 2010 clay stove impact assessment report. ProBEC has been promoting improved portable clay stoves in Malawi since 1998. ProBEC has trained many clay stove producer groups who have been producing and selling these stoves in 18 districts. A total of 202 households were interviewed from five districts. The study was conducted by five enumerators who visited the households with a structured standard questionnaire provided by the regional office in Johannesburg.

The report reveals that while all the 202 households had improved portable clay stoves, 98 of them also had a three-stone fire, and two households had the fixed rocket stove as well as the clay stove. Hence 51% of the households were exclusively using the clay stove.

The households use the improved cooking stove to prepare their main meals: breakfast/tea, lunch and supper. They also use the clay stove for roasting meat/maize, heating bathing water, and cooking porridge.

31% of the stoves have been in use for more than three years, and are still in use. This means that the durability of the clay stove may be pegged at four years, depending on care. 70% of the clay stoves are used more than three times a day. 91% of the clay stoves were in good condition, 7% had broken pot rests and 2% had no pot rests.

44% of the households have replaced their clay stoves while the producers indicated that they do not replace broken stoves for free unless it has not been used by the customer.

The users indicated the three main advantages of the portable clay stoves are fuel saving, fast cooking and decline in smoke. The users said that they are satisfied with the performance of the stove and, in some areas, they have made the clay stove a fixed stove in their kitchens so that it can last longer.

Firewood remains the primary source of fuel in all the households, while secondary fuels include maize cobs, maize/sorghum/cassava stalks, and twigs, saw dust, charcoal, pigeon pea stalks and tea bush.

90% of the households collect firewood for free from different places and 10% both buy and collect firewood. Of the households that collect firewood, 40% collect from public forests, 17% from private wood lots and 43% from their own farms.

Firewood management techniques are being adhered to.

For a copy of the report, email erika.schutze@gtz.de