Halcrow Foundation funded a clean cooking project in rural southern Ethiopia.
We supported Vita Impact to empower women in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), Ethiopia. The project enabled women-led cooperatives to produce and distribute 1,260 fuel-efficient cookstoves, improving life for 630 families.
Health risks
Most households in rural Ethiopia rely on open fires or inefficient stoves which use large amounts of firewood. Women and girls spend hours collecting this wood, often walking long distances to find it. This leaves little time for work, families or school.
The smoke from these fires can cause respiratory illness, especially for women and children who are most often exposed to the fumes. Studies show that indoor air pollution is a leading cause of death in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Heavy reliance on firewood also drives deforestation, which reduces soil quality, harms local ecosystems and makes the land less productive. As crops decline, families lose income and poverty deepens across communities.
Community benefits
Halcrow Foundation funded a project by Vita Impact that directly benefits more than 3,000 people and indirectly benefits an estimated 3,800 more. It promotes the use of fuel-efficient Mirt stoves which were first developed by the Ethiopian government in the 1990s. Tests show they use 50% less firewood, freeing up women’s and girls’ time for income-generating activities and education. Indoor air pollution is also significantly reduced.
Valuable new skills
As part of the project, women-led cooperatives are given training in stove production and business management, helping them gain valuable new skills and earn an income. Before the stoves are distributed, field staff run awareness campaigns to promote their use and benefits. Recipients are also allocated at least 20 saplings for community planting, supporting fruit and nut production as well as reforestation. After the project ends, local cooperatives continue stove production, creating a sustainable, community-driven model.
Andrew Yeoward, Halcrow Foundation’s regional trustee for Africa, says:
“It’s inspiring to see women-led cooperatives in rural Ethiopia lead the production and distribution of fuel-efficient stoves. The foundation is incredibly proud to fund this project which empowers women and girls, improves household health and safety, and supports community-driven change.”
Photo credits: Vita Impact
