The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Uganda supported by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) and Uganda National Alliance of Clean Cookstoves (UNACC) have today launched a campaign dubbed ‘FumbAlive’ aimed at encouraging consumers to adopt the use of the improved cook stoves as a way of promoting energy saving cooking practices. The locally made improved cooking stoves have also been clearly marked with the Good Stove-Better cooking quality mark as the standard sign for genuine stoves.
The improved cook stove enables women to cook more efficiently and conveniently compared to the ordinary cooking methods such as use of open fires or ordinary cooking stoves (metal sigiri). Field studies show that the most critical factors for the adoption of clean cook stoves are reduced fuel consumption which makes them cheaper, reduced cooking time, less smoke emission and improved hygiene.
While launching the campaign at Wandegeya Market in Kampala, the Chief Guest Mr. James Banaabe, Commissioner Energy Efficiency and Conservation Department Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development said, “FumbAlive, which is a behaviour change campaign is aimed at positively influencing urban dwellers especially women to adopt improved cook stoves. The campaign was informed by Centre for Research in Energy and Energy conservation that indicated that exposure to cook stove smoke contributes to 13,000 premature deaths every year in Uganda. To this end, we adopted a ‘Good stove-Better Cooking’ quality mark that appears on certified Improved Cooking Stoves, whose main aim is to protect the consumer from other fake products on the market. This Quality mark ensures that the consumers are buying quality improved cooking stoves.”
According to the GACC Communications Coordinator in Uganda Ms Olga Namatovu, “FumbAlive generally means cook and live.”
“In a deeper sense it means live a much better life as you enjoy the benefits of using improved cooking methods that ensure you live a healthier life because of the less smoke that’s emitted during cooking, especially when using charcoal stoves. We hope to reach more than 1500 homes directly and atleast 75,000 people with the message of benefits of using the improved cook stoves,” she added.
In his remarks, Julius Magala of Global Village Energy PArtnership (GVEP) noted that, “Fumbalive is about embracing cleaner cooking methods that protect the environment we live in by reducing on emissions that destroy the o-zone layer. By adopting the use of improved cooking stoves, the consumer also saves on fuel usage as energy is burnt more efficiently.”
The FumbAlive behavioural change campaign is to be implemented across the country for a period of three months starting April till June 2016. The campaign will visit several urban markets with the aim of raising awareness and increase knowledge amongst the target audience on cleaner cooking solutions, their importance and benefits. This will also be an opportunity forthe public to purchase the genuine improved cook stoves a friendly rates.
