It’s a cloudy morning drizzling in Upper Bong at the training center where 25 women are training to manufacture eco stoves. The ground is not so wet or muddy. Some women are standing under the shade with mud in their hands molding, while others are in a shelter hitting iron in preparation to build an Eco stove. 

Everyone is focused on their work as two trainers are walking around to monitor them. Similarly, in Nimba, 23 women are being supervised while participating in Eco stove production training.

It’s the second week of an 8-week training to manufacture Eco stoves at both training centers. The women look delighted with what they are doing. “These women are determined to learn, and it makes our job easy because they make an effort,” says Daniel M. Massaquoi who is a trainer and supervisor of the group in Upper Bong. 

Massaquoi says he learned about the Eco stoves years back while he was in exile in Siera Leone. He says since he learned how to manufacture the Eco stoves, he has been determined to teach more people about its importance. 

“Coaching these women brings back good memories of my time in Sierra Leone and as I share my knowledge it’s a refresher for me. “Besides that, these energy-efficient stoves keep the heat for a long time, they are safe to use indoors as they produce very low smoke, and the fire dies off without generating smoke,” Massaquoi noted. 

Both groups of women in Upper Bong and Nimba expressed their contentment with the training saying it will benefit them in the future as they will eventually be able to sell the stoves when they have sufficient capital to buy their materials. 

Mohammed K. Dunbar is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of N’gheleh Enterprise Inc., a company that is contracted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to conduct the Eco stove training for the women in Upper Bong and Nimba. 

Dunbar says the company is planning to support the women who are willing to venture into entrepreneurship of Eco stoves production and those who are willing to be distributors or sellers of the stoves and earn commission. 

“Our contract with UNDP is to train 25 women in Upper Bong and 20 in Nimba, but as a company, we also have a responsibility to assist the communities hence the company is sponsoring 3 additional women in Nimba making it a total of 23,” explains Dunbar who adds that many women showed interest to join the training and a high number of applications were received. 

At the end of the 8-week training, each participant is expected to produce 10 stoves which will belong to them to boost their efforts to start their businesses.

“To boost the trainees' morale and assist them with capital, each will own 10 of the stoves produced during the training and will decide what to do with theirs but as a company, we have a responsibility and commitment to guide them into entrepreneurship,” says Dunbar.  

He further explained that the training targets women because they are the caretakers in most households. Therefore, it is a necessity to capacitate them with more skills that add value to their income generation.

Dunbar said that the training is free, and the selection of women aged 18-65 from vulnerable homes was done through community engagement with local authorities. At the end of the training, the women would have produced 480 eco stoves. 

“Before attending this training, I did not know about the Eco stove, but when they came into our community and told us about it, I immediately seized the opportunity and I like it,” says Princess Berrian. Princess pointed out that she likes the idea that she can freely use the stove indoors without worrying about smoke and the use of large quantities of charcoal to cook. She has plans to turn it into a business venture. 

Next to her stand Kemah Wongbor and Agnes Lehgay who say they are already marketing the stoves in their communities. Wongbor says she uses the returns from the sale to fund her children’s education. Lehgay narrated that she is already demonstrating to those who are living in rented homes how they can protect the walls from being affected by fire. Agnes says she plans to train more women on how to produce and manufacture the stoves. 

“As long as one can afford to buy or source the recycled iron, it is easy to produce. I want more women to make these stoves and earn a living, while I teach them. That’s my plan to make an income. Thank you, UNDP,” Lehgay laughs hard. 

Emma Biah is a group leader in Upper Bong, and she says within two weeks of the training, the group was able to build almost half of the whole stove. “We are excited to learn new skills as this will help us boost our income to sustain our families. The trainers are patient with us and that makes it easy to understand them,” Biah intimated.

In 2018, UNDP answered the National Determined Contribution (NDC) call for the production and use of three hundred thousand energy-efficient coal stoves also known as Eco stoves by 2030 as part of efforts to reduce deforestation. The target is to have at least seventy-five thousand households using the stoves.

According to Moses A. Massah, UNDP Energy, and Environment Programme Specialist, the Eco stoves use a low quantity of charcoal yet the heat lasts longer and can be used to cook more pots of food than the use of the traditional mode of cooking. 

In 2019, a hundred and thirty-five (135) women from three counties Bomi, Gbapolou, and Grand Cape Mount were trained to produce Eco stoves, 45 from each county. Following those counties were women from Margibi, Grand Bassa, and Lower Bong producing the same number of energy-efficient stoves.  A total of 2,700 stoves were produced during these training sessions.