Feature: Kenya's slum dwellers turn to ethanol stoves to reduce indoor pollution

Rapheal Maina, a Kenyan resident of the one of the sprawling slums in Nairobi, has been using charcoal and kerosene to cook food in his household ever since he migrated from his rural homestead over 20 years.

However, the smoke emitted from this form of cooking has taken a heavy toll on his health. Maina told Xinhua in Nairobi that he was therefore elated when he found about ethanol stoves that cook without emitting any smoke.

He is one of the over 600 beneficiaries that have so far replaced their charcoal and kerosene stoves with innovative ethanol stoves.

Government data indicates that about 14,300 people die from exposure to toxic fumes from cooking and heating their homes on open fires and rudimentary stoves.

This is largely due to the fact that about 70 percent of Kenya's primary energy comes from either biomass or charcoal. This is typically burnt on smoky open fires or on inefficient charcoal stoves.

Experts say that this is a major cause of respiratory disease and eye infections amongst women and children who spend a large part of each day exposed to the indoor air pollution.

The stoves have been designed and distributed by Safi International and promises to change the way low-income households cook.

Safi International Kenya Director Elisabeth Klerck said ethanol stoves are very efficient cooking stoves at the household level. "On average, the cook at the half the cost of traditional stoves," Klerck said.

The viability of the stove is also pegged on the Kenya's large sugar industry. Klerck said a by-product of the sugar industry is ethanol which is a clean burning, renewable fuel.

The innovative stoves are designed to use ethanol fuel in order to cut out indoor air pollution and in the process lower greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, they cost over 33 U.S. dollars, which is beyond the reach of the low-income earners.

Safi International have therefore partnered with donor agencies to subsidize the cost of the stove in order to make them more accessible to those who need the stoves most.

In April 2014, Britain's Department for International Development provided a grant to support ClimateCare implement programs in Kenya that will reduce carbon emissions.

ClimateCare is using part of the funds to subsidize the cost of the cook stoves in order to make them more affordable. The slum dwellers are able to acquire the ethanol stoves at 27 dollars.

ClimateCare is also providing capital for a revolving fund from which local savings and credit cooperative societies can borrow money to lend to their members to buy the stove.

"The interest rate charged will be zero and the loan should be repaid in five installments," said ClimateCare Director Tom Morton. "We are providing enough funds to allow 1,600 people borrow at any one given time."

Safi International Kenya Operations Manager Felix Okoth said the stoves will soon be rolled out to all informal settlements in the country. Endi