SDG2 IN KENYA

Mary Omer's story

Mary Omer and her milking cow

The Toshiba CarbonZero Scheme has been supporting the Kenya Cook Stove Project since it first began. The efficient nature of the stove halves the amount of firewood needed, saving time and money on collecting firewood. In some areas people have to purchase permits to access local forests. The time saved means that that can focus on agriculture activities, thereby improving household food security.

Agriculture is far and away the largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40% of the world’s population. In Kenya, over 80% of people are directly involved in agriculture, the majority of which is on a small-scale household level. This activity is becoming increasingly challenging in Kenya, with unpredictable rainfall and declining soil quality due to the loss of tree cover having a very negative impact on yields.

In Kenya, as in much of Africa, rural women face a double burden of having the main responsibility for ensuring their household’s agricultural output whilst also caring for children and fulfilling other domestic tasks. This is the case for Mary Omer of Kadero village in Kisumu East district, Kenya. She has been the head of her household, solely responsible for raising her five children and putting food on the table since she lost her husband in 2001.

Mary previously cooked on a 3-stone open fire. She says: “The wood consumption was so high and it was unbearable how much smoke I used to inhale. It also retained no heat so had to be relit every time I wanted to cook, and I would waste all my time gathering firewood.” However, all this has changed since she received her CarbonZero stove. She now uses less than half the amount of firewood she used to use and points out how the stove retains heat, meaning that her two grandchildren can have a hot meal when they return from school without the fire needing to be relit. With the time that Mary has saved on gathering firewood, she has had time to join a self-help group in the village where women are taught sustainable agriculture techniques. Through this, she has learned how to achieve high yields from her maize, cassava and potato crops, so also has food at home to put on the table for her children. She now also has time to tend to her cow which gives her five cups of milk every day. This income can be invested in books and uniform for her children’s education, and provides cash that could be invested in food in the case of shortfalls in production.

Mary says: “Things have changed in a very good way. As a mother, nothing makes you happier than knowing your kids will be well fed! That certainty gives me happiness in my heart.”

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