More about Cooking Baskets in Kenya

Cooking Basket's can help to make a huge difference for the better, especially for those living in some of the poorer parts of the world. In Kenya, for example, each back-load of firewood collected by women and young girls, whether in a rain forest or semi-arid area, will only last on average for about 4 days-worth of cooking. 1 large log of wood like the one in this photo only lasts for approx 1 hour. The staple meal of Githere (beans and maize) usually takes around 4 to 5 hours to cook each day, therefore needing around 5 or 6 logs. Simply by soaking the beans and maize the night before and then using a Cooking Basket to help cook them, the Githere will only need 30 minutes of boiling time instead of 4 to 5 hours...In this way, only 1 or 2 logs are needed instead of the usual 5 or 6. In other words - there is a reduction of approx 50% to 70% in the use of cooking fuel which is similar to that which I have at home in UK whilst cooking with my gas.


Back in Kenya, collecting firewood &/or charcoal for cooking is demanding both physically and also in regard to the amount of time required and it is the women and young girls who have to do the fetching and carrying of firewood on their heads &/or their backs. As well as the physical hardship, there is also the potential danger of elephants, buffalo, or other wildlife to contend with, as well as the possibility of arrest for the illegal collection of firewood and charcoal in protected areas such as the Kakamega rain forest.





Uncontrolled depletion of trees and fuel-wood, whether in a local rain forest or semi-arid area, can cause major problems with erosion, reduced rain-fall, loss of local water sources and also mean a greater distance to go in order to collect firewood and water. Cooking Baskets can also help to reduce the amount of water that is needed for cooking, too - a major advantage when it is sometimes necessary for women and girls to walk between 3 to 18 km for water each day, particularly during times of water shortage or prolonged drought....



During my latest 4 months living and working as a volunteer in Kenya I was able to give Cooking Basket demonstrations to local community groups in both the Kakamega rain forest in the Western Highlands of Kenya as well as to local maasai community groups in a remote area of Laikipia. Both communities are very keen to make and use Cooking Baskets to help with local environmental conservation and to help improve local lives and livelihoods. As an income-generating (small business) activity for local community or youth groups, the money that may be earned from making and selling the cooking baskets will be a great help, whilst savings made on the reduced need for purchasing kerosene and charcoal can be used to help buy food, clothes and other essential items for the family as well as helping to pay for a child's education, or basic health care, etc.

Please click here to make a donation or to help sponsor the setting-up of a new Cooking Basket initiative for a local Maasai community in Kenya...