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According to WHO, roughly three billion people cook and heat their homes using solid fuels (such as wood, charcoal, coal and dung) in open fires and leaky stoves. Most are poor and live in low- and middle-income countries."
Nepal is a particularly vulnerable due to the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake that ravaged much of the country, severe flooding and a history of conflict. Field Ready began working in Nepal after the earthquake, developing programs to address needs in health and WASH, whilst innovating new solutions to save lives and reduce suffering."
Mr. KC has been working to develop cleaner cook stoves and had spent nearly ten years working on different designs. But he was unable to make his design that he had in mind. Working with Field Ready, he was able to make a new metal casting design. This new cook stove burns far more efficiently.
There have been several positive outcomes from the cook stoves. Less wood resources are gathered from local forests for fuel. There is less smoke, so people have improved health outcomes for the local population, some of whom no longer suffer from persistent coughs. Users now enjoy food cooked quicker on more effective burners.
In addition to health and environmental benefits, Mr. KC has been awarded a contract by the Nepalese government to make 210,000 cookstoves giving him not only a sustainable income but also a growing and successful business.
5,000 have been installed to date, and the innovation is projected to help over a million
people.
