Charcoal sellers complain about the effect of fuel-efficient stoves

I post this on behalf of Tuver, the communications manager of the Gorilla Organization, and blogger for the stoves project.

Hi, this is Tuver,

Madame Helena, a charcoal seller in the little TMK market in Goma, came to complain last Friday about the fall in customers, now that many people in her area are using fuel-efficient stoves distributed from the display room of AIDE-Kivu located in Katindo. She accuses AIDE-Kivu of providing good fuel-efficient stoves to residents of Goma, who are now using less charcoal since they have improved their lifestyle by using these stoves, and in this way reducing the consumption of charcoal and wood coming from the Virunga National Park and its surroundings. This seller told Madame Habamungu Maisirika Docile, who is in charge of promoting and selling the fuel-efficient stoves for AIDE-Kivu, that they are not meeting the demand at the store, as many women are trying out the special “Kenya Jiko” and “Bembeleza” stoves produced through the Gorilla Organization – AIDE-Kivu partnership.

However, she was pleased to see that the stock of these stoves had noticeably reduced at the display room, and told herself to get ready to corner the market during the drop in supply, because these families will not realise how to get themselves this technology that reduces the harmful effects on the natural habitat of our close cousins the gorillas. It is therefore time to act so that AIDE-Kivu are not lacking the materials to produce these modern stoves. Act now!

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3 Comments

  1. Posted April 27, 2009 at 3:48 am | Permalink

    You know you’re a success when the complaints and death threats start coming in. ;-)

    I think this lady would be better served starting up her own briquette business. Why is she complaining? Why not just switch to selling what the customers want to buy? She’s not making any sense.

    s.

  2. Virginia
    Posted April 27, 2009 at 2:34 pm | Permalink

    Very well proposed Sheryl!!!!

  3. Posted April 30, 2009 at 6:58 am | Permalink

    Its surprising that a Kenyan Jiko is saving forests in Virunga while Kenyas own forests are being decimated

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