Success stories from Mozambique: Clean cookstoves change lives

Clean cookstoves change the lives of the families in the communities of posto administrativo 3 de fevereiro, in Manhica district in Mozambique. The project is being implemented by Livaningo since 2012 and aims to reduce the use of wood and coal, as well as indoor pollution caused by smoke.

The communities of posto administrativo 3 de fevereiro depend entirely of the forest to obtain wood for domestic use, despite this practice being considered as one of the biggest contributors to forest destruction, indoor air pollution and respiratory diseases.

The project ‘Clean energy and climate change’ is being implemented since 2012 in Magude, Manhica, Moamba and Boane Districts. Livaningo has been collecting success stories, trying to influence the Government to reduce the import tariffs for clean energy systems, support investments in the sector and evaluate the level of satisfaction of clean cookstoves users,.

Dona Maria is one of those stories. With 57 years she is the president of a group of 53 peasant women that since 2015 benefited from training to build clean cookstoves.

For Dona Maria the project brought many lessons on forest conservation, as well as diseases which may be contracted as a result of the smoke exposure. The adoption of the clean cookstoves also brought quality of life to the communities since it reduces the long walking distances to obtain wood.

The video testimony about the success story of Livaningo actions is available here (Portuguese only).