INTERIM EVALUATION
 OF
IMPROVED COOKING STOVES (ICS) PROJECT
NOVEMBER 2014

Introduction

This project funded by NAFA, involved trialling the use of 90 ICS (improved cooking stoves) in 8 villages in the Tawal area. Thirty-five householders in 8 villages, representing 90% of householders who had installed ICS as at late November 2014, were interviewed.

The main findings are:

  1. Twenty of the 35 respondents reported receiving training in use of the ICS
  2. The ICS is used exclusively by 57% of householders; while others use both the ICS and a traditional stove, mostly to make food for cattle.
  3. The reported advantages of the ICS are:
    • wood use reduced by 30 – 50%
    • improved cooking efficiency
    • better health status, improved safety, improved household environment
  1. Problems associated with the ICS:
    • Difficulty in lighting the fire and heating up the combustion chamber
    • Problems with chimney
    • Difficulty in cooking ‘dhindo’ (millet porridge)
  1. Strategies to address difficulties
    • Consider paying installers an additional 200 rupees ($2.50 approx) per stove to encourage full time efforts to roll out installation of stoves at a faster rate.
    • Further instruction needed on stove operation and kitchen management.

Read the Evaluation Report for ICS Project – by Dr Deborah Setterlund