Fumbalive live is a campaign that promotes the use of improved cookstoves in Uganda. The stoves have been tested by the Ministry of Energy Uganda, CREEC and GIZ

Alliance Launches "Fumbalive" Cookstoves Campaign in Uganda

The Uganda Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, together with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and Uganda National Alliance of Clean Cook stoves (UNACC) have launched a campaign dubbed ‘Fumbalive’ aimed at encouraging consumers to adopt the use of the improved cookstoves as a way of promoting energy saving cooking practices. The locally made improved cookstoves have also been clearly marked with the Good Stove-Better cooking quality mark as the standard sign for genuine stoves.

The improved cookstove enables women to cook more efficiently and conveniently compared to the ordinary cooking methods such as use of open fires or ordinary cookstoves (metal sigiri). Field studies show that the most critical factors for the adoption of clean cookstoves 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 James Baanabe Isingoma, Commissioner, Energy Efficiency & Conservation said, “Fumbalive, which is a behaviour change campaign is aimed at positively influencing urban dwellers especially women to adopt improved cookstoves. The campaign was informed by World Health Organisation (WHO) that indicated that exposure to cookstove 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 Cookstoves, 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.”

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 for the public to purchase genuine improved cookstoves at friendly rates.

The campaign will be implemented through:

  • experiential roadshows where messages will be communicated through infotainment and IEC material distribution;
  • radio talk messages and programmes to educate the public on benefits of adopting the FumbAlive lifestyle;
  • Peer to peer interaction on social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter. Follow us on facebook.com/fumbalive and on Twitter @Fumbalive.
  • One-on-one interactions with consumers at the household level within target communities

According to Ms. Olga Namatovu of the GIZ-Promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme: “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 at least 75,000 people with the message of benefits of using the improved cookstoves” she added.

In his remarks; Julius Magala of GVEP International noted that: “Fumbalive is about embracing cleaner cooking methods that save costs through saving on firewood and charcoal. By adapting the use of improved cookstoves and clean fuels we protect the environment we live in by reducing on adverse climate change effects through cutting of trees for cooking”.

Daniel Wanjohi, Regional Representative from Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, said “The campaign is one in a series of interventions that are supporting the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Energy and Minerals Development to realize a target 5 million households are converted to a sustained use of cleaner and more efficient cookstoves and fuels. It must be appreciated that, behavior change is not a one-off event, but a process and the journey has started today.”

 

Source: Clean Cooking Alliance