Stove Building

Traditional three-stone fires lead to depletion of forests, air pollution and health issues; alternatives tailored to the region dramatically reduce this impact. NNF’s stove campaign saves over 10 million pounds of wood each year in Uganda and Vietnam.

Using efficient stoves brings dramatic improvements for people around Kibale & Khau Ca – saving firewood, producing less smoke, modernizing rural kitchens and so much more. The stoves are one of NNF’s most popular programs, and have been a great way for community members to bring conservation practices into their day-to-day lives. People, wildlife, and the forests we are working so hard to protect all benefit from efficient cooking.

NNF began the Kibale Fuel Wood Project in 2006 because 100% of people surveyed around the park said it was a struggle for them to find enough wood. For many, the only alternative was poaching wood from Kibale, which has had tremendous impact on the park and her inhabitants. Efficient stoves are one of the simplest ways to immediately stem deforestation. For similar reasons, NNF began a stove campaign in Northern Vietnam in 2014.

The basic concept of the Rocket Stove is to build an insulated chimney that directs fire and hot air at the cooking vessel. NNF stoves are made from locally available materials like mud, sand and dung (in Uganda) or cement and rice husks (in Vietnam), making them affordable to anyone and easily replicable on the local level. On average, families using efficient stoves burn 39% less wood in Uganda and 35-77% less with the different stove types in Vietnam.

Stoves are adapted to the needs of each community and household, while maintaining the fuel- efficient design. Currently, NNF builds:

  • Single & double burner stoves for cooking food for the family
  • Large and Extra-large stoves to cook for pigs
  • Large stoves for distilling traditional beverages

NNF’s Community Liaisons work individually with families, training them on construction, maintenance and overall efficiency. In total, NNF has assisted in building over 5,900 efficient stoves since 2006. By teaching people how to build the stoves (rather than building for them), individuals are empowered to improve their lives and help wildlife while acquiring the skills needed to repair and teach neighbors how to build their own. Evidencing success of this methodology, an ongoing census reveals that 34% of the stoves in our target areas were built by community members helping one another – with no NNF staff involvement at all!

Click here for step by step instructions