Project Overview (Kenya)

Saving the Mau Forest  

In Kenya, over 36% of the population lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day, with millions relying on polluting fuels like charcoal and firewood for daily cooking. These traditional fuels are costly, harmful, and contribute to health and environmental challenges. 

Indoor air pollution from inefficient stoves causes serious health problems, leading to an estimated 23,000 premature deaths annually, mostly among women and children. At the same time, widespread charcoal use drives deforestation, threatening Kenya’s forests and the livelihoods that depend on them. 

Kenya’s forests include vital ecosystems such as the Mau Forest Complex and the Aberdare Range, which provide water, biodiversity, and climate regulation. These forests face ongoing threats from unsustainable fuel harvesting and land conversion, making forest protection critical for the country’s sustainable development. 

Our Impact with the Jikokoa Stove 

BURN’s Jikokoa stove is changing lives and preserving forests by: 

• Reducing charcoal use  
• Cutting indoor air pollution  
• Help households save on spending for fuel 
• Reducing pressure on critical forest ecosystems 

Cleaner air and reduced fuel costs allow families, especially women, more time and resources to pursue education, work, and caregiving. By expanding clean cooking access, we help protect Kenya’s forests, improve public health, and deliver verified carbon emission reductions.