Uses of Fuel Efficient Stoves to improve Health Conditions of Women and Children in Ethiopia

Abstract or Introduction

This research report aimed at identifying the problem that women and girls/children encounter during collection of much biomass fire wood and face health risk at indoor activities when cooking. The research gives awareness for the community to use fuel saving stove that minimize fuel and reduce smoke that hazard their health.

Many house hold from the district town and rural people knows nothing about fuel saving stove/FSS/ and are not using it in their home. They use traditional three stone fire or open fire for cooking, heating and lighting their houses. In a traditional open fire, three stones are placed in a triangular pattern on the ground, with the cooking pots resting on the stones directly above the fire. The open flame and lack of chimney or combustion chamber make this cooking fire inherently energy-inefficient. Rural women/ girls are consuming their time, energy their efforts in gathering fire wood from forest which is far from their home. As a result of this they don’t have time for education, if they are student they don’t have time for studying since they are responsible for role of cooking food in the household. When we compare boys with girl in the same house, girls role in household is much more tedious than the boy. Women/girls are exposed to sexual assault, rape, and kidnaps when they are going to collect firewood in the forest by men. As a result of this they are morally, physically and Psychologically harmed and their well-being will be affected.