Tsotso Namibia

From FAO Country Compass

Namibia

Biomass-efficient stoves

About 93 percent of Namibian households depend on wood for cooking purposes. A biomass-efficient stove reduces wood consumption by about 60 percent and charcoal consumption by 80 percent. This means an average household saves about 730 kg of wood yearly.

The Tsotso stove

The fuel-efficient Tsotso (meaning "twigs" in Shona) stove:

• is insulated and thus uses less wood than the traditional open fire because the flames go directly to the pot, while with the traditional open fire most of the heat is lost;

• is safe to use in the homestead and near children;

• is easily manufactured, using a few basic, technical skills;

• is portable;

• cooks faster than the traditional open fire, which means that the meal is prepared and served more quickly; and

• can be placed in a sheltered place to prepare a meal when it is raining.

For more information, please contact:
Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN),
PO Box 20232, Windhoek,
Namibia. Fax: +264 61 230172;
e-mail: drfn@drfn.org.na ; or
Victor Mufita and Menete Hashipala, Regional Awareness Programme in Northern Namibia,
PO Box 2918, Oshakati,
Namibia. Fax: +264 65 231032;
e-mail: rap@drfn.org.na or rapdrfn@mweb.com.na