In the heart of rural Morogoro in Tanzania, where lush landscapes meet modest huts, the story of Jane Mkude unfolds. Jane is a 40-year-old mother of three, and like many in her community, mornings are spent in search of firewood through dangerous forest areas, a task she shares with her children. She relies on traditional open-fire cooking methods for basic activities such as boiling water for tea or cooking more elaborate meals such as Ugali (a traditional maize flour dish) and beans.

For decades, this activity involved the inhalation of toxic fumes, damaging Jane’s health and that of her children. Ironically, the harmful smoky fires provided meals for that family’s survival while impacting their health. As the years passed, she became aware of the health implications of the frequent coughs and respiratory problems that plagued her family. She knew that something had to change.

The major obstacle to change in rural areas such as Jane’s community are access and affordability. Most members of her village are subsistence farmers struggling to make ends meet with the average daily income of less than USD 1.

ENVOTECH, a local enterprise, presented a solution for improved charcoal stoves in Jane’s village. The sales agent showcased how the innovative stoves reduced indoor air pollution and promoted safer and more hygienic cooking practices. For Jane, and other community members this was a much better option compared to the wood fuel. They inquired about the cost noting their financial constraints to which they were surprised to learn about the PAY-As-You-Go option provided by ENVOTECH. A sigh of relief rippled through the end users as the burden of the upfront cost was lifted, and the promise of healthier, safer cooking practices was within reach.

How was this possible? Through funding support provided by the EU Funded CookFund Programme, ENVOTECH received a grant from UNCDF, the implementing partner to incorporate a payment model to scale up access and affordability of the improved charcoal cookstoves. With a small initial deposit and daily payments equivalent to the cost of traditional fuels, Jane and other users like her, could afford to buy the cookstoves.

Innovative financing solutions to address affordability of clean cooking alternatives are uplifting lives by contributing to healthier outcomes for families, particularly women and children whose time is freed up for income generation activities and education.