The Energising Development Program (EnDev) hosted a five-day training seminar from the 31st of July to the 4th of August 2017 on the designing, construction and testing of institutional stoves. The renowned international stove expert and kitchen designer, Food and Fuel consultant Christa Roth from Germany, was present at the GIZ/EnDev 100% Solar Office located adjacent to the Chinese Embassy on Congo Town Back Road, Liberia. She served as the trainer alongside the EnDev stove team as host.
The training seminar was very interactive because various institutional stove builders and importers from Liberia and Sierra Leone were present as participants.
Improved cookstoves save firewood and money, protect from deforestation, cook fast and produce less heat and smoke. But it is also important that they fit the local demands and that users can cook the traditional food in a way they are used to. In short, user convenience plays a major role in the construction of improved cookstoves. The adaption to the Liberian user demand was highly successful with the help of the participants because of their knowledge and experiences in the construction of local institutional stoves.
During the seminar participants learned the importance of an optimized combustion and principles for improved construction of the different parts of a stove. At the end, the team was able to build one institutional brick stove which allows the insertion of a portable firechamber. For the beginning, the imported firechamber JumboZama, was tested. It can be used as a high-performance clean-burning combustion chamber.
Moreover, with their new knowledge, the participants modified a previously build stove at the EnDev compound to enhance its performance and to see if the improved version meets the standards of EnDev.
The consultant, Christa Roth, was very impressed with the level of commitment and teamwork the participants and supporters had in the workshop, making this seminar a success.
