Efficient cookstoves for schools in Uganda

CONTEXT
In Uganda, as in most other African countries, most households as well as schools cook with very inefficient cooking stoves or with the 3-brick fire, which consume enormous amounts of firewood and also pose a health burden for the kitchen staff. Uganda's schools cook between 300 and 1,500 children every day.

AIM OF DONATION COLLECTION
This project provides for the distribution of efficient cooking ovens in schools. The cooking ovens are made by Ugandan company VEW. The schools do not have the financial means to pay the full oven price. The goal of your donation is to give schools access to the improved stoves! However, in addition to your donation, the schools will have to pay part of the final cost themselves to enhance their appreciation for the improved oven.

POSITIVE IMPACT
The VEW stoves reduce fuel wood consumption and thus costs by about 70% compared to traditional ovens. After 5 years of use, the fuel savings are greater than the total cost of the furnaces.
Conserving firewood from a single furnace reduces CO2 emissions by around 70 tonnes per year, thereby helping to mitigate the global climate crisis. This equates to an uninterrupted drive of 2719 hours or the energy consumed by an average home over a period of more than 5 years.
Protects native forests
Improves the air quality in the kitchens and reduces the frequency of respiratory illnesses by kitchen staff.

The money saved due to lower firewood costs can be used by the schools for other purposes, e.g. new classrooms, dormitory refurbishment, learning materials and improved nutrition.

WHAT MAKES THE VEW STOVES SO SPECIAL
What distinguishes VEW ovens so much from other models is their extreme durability. While other ovens on the market need to be replaced after 2-3 years, VEW ovens have a lifespan of 25+ years as long as they are used according to the manufacturer's recommendations and serviced from time to time. Since VEW ovens, such as kits, are composed of individual parts, they can be used even longer if defective parts are replaced. This long durability is due to the extremely durable construction material (such as galvanized and stainless steel, cast iron and volcanic rock from the surrounding region).