How joint savings are driving clean cooking shift in Mwanza

Mwanza. Some women in Mwanza have decided to come together through rotating savings groups (known as upatu) to afford efficient clean cooking stoves after realising the harmful effects of using firewood and charcoal.

For a long time, these women particularly small-scale entrepreneurs frying and selling fish and food vendors have depended on firewood and charcoal. This not only affects their health by damaging their eyes and lungs but also forces them to spend large sums of money daily on polluting fuels.

However, change is beginning to take shape after education on clean energy has opened their eyes, The Citizen can tell.

The women now believe that their solidarity through upatu is the solution to owning gas and electric stoves.

How upatu is helping them

Resident of Ibanda who is a food vendor Salome Bahati, says she spends more than Sh15,000 daily on charcoal to prepare food for sale at her restaurant. She notes that this is too costly, yet she has seen others benefiting from using electric stoves.

“I have been educated on the use of clean energy and I have realised its benefits. With an electric stove, you can cook everything within an hour, unlike charcoal, which takes a long time and costs a lot,” she says.

“The challenge is the initial cost of these stoves. That is why we find it better to contribute through upatu. Every month, one woman gets an electric stove or cooking appliance until everyone owns one.”

Salome explains that she has already started speaking with her colleagues in her business area to contribute weekly and eliminate the high costs of charcoal, which also contributes to environmental destruction.

“Even if we each contribute Sh5,000, within a few months we can buy a stove. This will help us escape smoke and save our lives,” she says, noting that the price of an electric stove is Sh120,000.

Amina Jumanne, a resident of Bwiru Bima in Ilemela, also emphasises the solidarity of women through savings groups and upatu, urging others to prioritise contributions toward clean energy equipment instead of sharing money that sometimes ends up without achieving its purpose.

“Stoves are available, but the prices are high. We cannot afford to buy gas at Sh25,000 at once. We ask the Government to support us, but on our side, we have decided to organise ourselves.

Through our savings groups, every month two or three women get a stove. This is the only way to ensure that no woman is left behind,” she says.

For her part, Maria Chacha, a fish fryer at the Kishimba landing site and a resident of Ibungilo, who already uses an electric stove through a loan, says the difference in costs is huge.

“A sack of charcoal costs me more than Sh62,000 a month, but with an electric stove, I spend about Sh1,000 a day and still have some left. The challenge is paying the loan through different companies, which sometimes becomes confusing. That is why upatu is better… you get a stove directly and own it,” she says.

This means Maria will save more than half her expenses if she uses electric stove, since the average electricity cost is about Sh30,000 per month.

The effects of firewood and charcoal

Fish seller at the Kishimba landing site, Rozy Nyembo says that due to the smoke and heat from firewood, she is forced to drink at least five litres of cold water daily, sometimes up to 10 litres.

“Because of the heat and smoke from our work, I must drink at least a five-litre container of cold water every day. If it’s not cold, I have to drink more because of the excessive heat,” she says.

Maria Chacha adds that smoke has been a major problem for women, as not only does it make their eyes tear up while frying sardines, but it also makes it difficult to sleep at night due to eye irritation.

“The effects we experience are severe, including constant eye pain. At night when you close your eyes, they begin to hurt. Once they tear up, you feel some relief, but it is still a big problem,” she says.

Khalid Masesa, Chairman of the Kishimba landing site, says that the use of firewood has caused the market to burn down more than four times.

“This market serves many fish fryers, but the firewood we use is both a health and business hazard. Fryers suffer eye and chest problems, customers complain and fires have broken out four times because firewood was left burning. If we get gas or electric stoves, all these risks will be reduced,” he says.

Khalid also explains that firewood is expensive since a trader can spend more than Sh200,000 per day, while electricity or gas costs cannot reach that level.

“The problem is lack of awareness. Many think electricity is expensive, yet it is cheaper. With more education and lower costs, everyone will switch to clean energy,” he says.

Yudas Hume, Chairman of Medical Research Street in Kitangiri Ward, Ilemela District, says the introduction of clean energy education has come at the right time.

“In my area, there are more than 800 households and over 22,000 people. Most of them are women entrepreneurs. There is already growing interest in using these stoves,” he says.

He adds: “I thank the Government under Mama Samia for this step. It has reduced the cost of living, especially when we relied on firewood and charcoal. This initiative is easing our burden.”

He advises that education should continue and the Government should look into reducing the cost of clean energy equipment so that everyone can afford it.

The clean energy campaign

Dolla Urio, a mobiliser for the Pika Smart campaign an initiative to empower marginalised group to use clean cooking energy, says the campaign aims to ensure that all citizens use clean energy.

“We are in Mwanza for the Pika Smart campaign to ensure that citizens use modern equipment powered by clean energy. The Government has set a target that by 2034, 80 percent of Tanzanians should be using clean energy.

Currently, only 20 percent do. With the education we are providing, we believe we will support President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s slogan of ‘Clean Energy for All,’” he says.

Dolla adds that the response in Mwanza has been strong, as they can educate more than 100 people daily. Many request that the Government help them acquire stoves through loans.

“That is the challenge we are presenting to the Government. Research also shows that with an improved stove, you can spend between Sh200 and Sh700 a day, while with charcoal, one spends Sh10,000 to Sh15,000. The difference is huge,” he says.

This story is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. If you have any comments about this story, send us a message via WhatsApp at: 0765 864 917.