Little Joan rubs her eyes. While her mother prepared dinner, she sat on the floor next to it and played with sticks. The smell of the stew has mixed with the soot from the fire in the small mud hut. The girl's eyes are burning and she has to cough several times because the smoke has also settled on her lungs.
Her mother sends her outside, she knows that the constant inhalation of smoke from the fireplace is not healthy for her daughter. Joan goes outside and looks at the many small gray plumes of smoke that rise from all the huts during the day. Here in rural Lindi in Tanzania, cooking over an open fire is still the most common way of preparing food. Unfortunately, this not only has a negative impact on the health of the local population, but also contributes to the major global problem of climate change: The carbon dioxide released by burning firewood rises into the atmosphere, accelerating the warming of our planet.
A 'healthy and safe environment' is one of the WHO's goals. Cooking on the 3-stone hearth is a far cry from this goal. Anyone who has followed our news in recent months, and possibly even attended our Charity Event last Saturday, will know that Artemed Stiftung is actively working to achieve this goal. The "Artejiko" - the name of the new rocket stove - developed together with the local population in villages in the Lindi region of Tanzania, is intended to replace conventional food preparation. An approx. 30% higher thermal efficiency and a 1/3 reduction in CO2 emissions make a significant contribution to promoting health and protecting the climate. Another advantage for the families and the environment: only about half the firewood is needed, which means that the women have to spend less time collecting wood and have more time for other things. For example, they can take on smaller jobs and earn extra money for the often very poor families.
The stove has already been presented to the population in Lindi(we reported), and the numerous families are now eagerly awaiting their own model. We would now like to get the "Arteijko" into the households as quickly as possible - and we are asking for your support: a donation of just 50 euros can buy a family a stove like this! Of course, any other amount is also very welcome. You will not only be helping the local people, but also yourself by contributing to climate protection!
