Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
Every home in every country in the world uses some form of cooking equipment. Some people cook with
electricity, while others use gas or kerosene. However, in about half of the world's homes, people use
biomass fuels such as charcoal, wood, animal dung and agricultural waste such as maize cobs, coffee
husks, crushed sugarcane stocks and rice husks.
During the 1970s and early 1980s it was assumed that use of these fuels was the main cause of the
deforestation that threatened large areas of Africa, Asia and South America. As a result, many governments
and development agencies introduced improved cooking stoves which burnt fuel more efficiently. They
believed that the improved stoves w6uld help to slow down the rate of deforestation.
It has, however, become clear that deforestation is mainly caused by other factors, such as clearing land for
agriculture and timber extraction, rather than by fuel collection. Thus, people who rely on biomass fuels are
actually the victims of deforestation rather than the offenders. It has also become obvious that improved
stoves can bring other "hidden" benefits, which justify their continued promotion.
Collecting fuel is hard work and takes up a lot of time. It is usually the responsibility of women and
children. A woman spends many hours every week walking to collect fuelwood, and carrying it back home
on her head; any reduction in the amount of fuel she needs will allow her to save valuable time and effort.
In cases where fuel is purchased (notably in urban areas, where charcoal is commonly used), improved
stoves can lead to cash savings. In some cases, women may choose to use the same amount of fuel as
before, but are able to do more with it; they can cook more frequently, or boil water for drinking. Biomass
fuels also give off smoke which can cause both respiratory and eye infections. Improved stoves bum the
fuel more efficiently and so reduce the amount of smoke to which cooks are exposed.
As a result, improved stoves are now promoted as a means of improving the quality of life for poor
households which rely on biomass as their main source of fuel rather than as a solution to the problem of
deforestation.
One type of improved stove - the Upesi (also known as the Maendeleo) - has met with great success in
Kenya. There have been many enquiries about the stove from other countries, particularly in East Africa.
This book, which will help to answer many of those enquiries, provides a step-by-step guide on the
production of the Upesi. It touches briefly on other aspects of stove production such as firing methods and
marketing, and provides details of where to obtain further information.
It is important to note that the Upesi stove is not necessarily suitable for use throughout Africa. Local
needs vary according to local circumstances: environment, culture and cooking methods all play a part in
determining the most appropriate type of stove. However, the book will help project workers to decide if the
Upesi is the most appropriate.
The Upesi stove
The Upesi stove is a simple pottery cylinder (known as the liner) which is built
into a mud surround in the kitchen. It is designed to bum wood, although it can
also bum crop waste such as maize stalks and cobs, and animal dung. Fuel is
fed into the fire through an opening at the front of the stove. The stove does not
have a chimney, but produces less smoke than an open fire. This is because it
bums fuel more efficiently.
Fig. 1.1 A Upesi liner