Refugee communities often face significant challenges in securing cooking fuel, relying primarily on firewood and charcoal. This dependence not only contributes to deforestation but also exacerbates environmental degradation. Most families cook over open fires, which are highly inefficient and require larger quantities of fuel than necessary. In response to this pressing issue, the Green at Mind Cook Stoves offer an innovative solution, providing energy-efficient cooking alternatives. These stoves significantly reduce the amount of firewood or charcoal needed, emit much less smoke, and minimize environmental harm while enhancing the overall cooking process. Since the production is done in the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, the enterprise also offers job opportunities to young refugees.
The Green at Mind Cook Stoves are ingeniously crafted from repurposed materials like old drums and plain metal sheets, combined with clay liners and vermiculite. Vermiculite, a fireproof sand, is chosen for its ability to endure intense heat inside the stoves, allowing for quicker and more efficient cooking. The production process begins with the creation of the liners, made from a mixture of loam, clay, and sand. These liners are left to dry for 14 days before being fired in a specially prepared kiln. Once the liners are ready, the focus shifts to cladding, which involves constructing the stove's metal exterior. In the final assembly phase, the clay liners are fitted into the metal components, completing the construction of these durable, high-performance stoves.
