Kenya’s Charlot Magayi, who is the founder of Mukuru clean cooking stove was awarded $1.2 million Earthshot Prize by British Prince William.
Mukuru Clean Stoves aims to bring cleaner-burning stoves to women in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
According to studies, more than 950 million people in the sub-Saharan Africa alone rely on heavily polluting wood and charcoal for cooking. This number estimated to grow to 1.67 billion by 2050.
Charlot Magayi, 29, began the project in 2017 at Mukuru kwa Njenga slum, one of the biggest slums in Nairobi, Kenya.
Her main aim was to get rid of the pollutant sources of fuel like firewood and charcoal that is still rampant in many Kenyan homes.
The stove emits 90% less pollution compared to using wood and far much less than charcoal.
The stove itself is also cheap at approximately $10, an amount that is quite affordable to low income families.
According to a report, Charlot Magayi, the founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves, won Ksh150 million in the Earth shot competition.
Magayi was among the five winners unveiled by Prince William on Friday, December 2, at an awards ceremony in Boston in the US.
Prince William created the annual awards to provide funding and support to entrepreneurs in a bid to save the planet.
“I believe that the Earthshot solutions you have seen this evening prove we can overcome our planet’s greatest challenges,” Prince William stated.
“By supporting and scaling them, we can change our future,” he added while addressing guests, including British former footballer David Beckham.
Magayi was among the finalists awarded Ksh150 million (£1 million prize) each at the second annual Earth shot Prize awards ceremony.
Congratulations to our 2022 #EarthshotPrize Winners!! pic.twitter.com/meMAjmArSs
— The Earthshot Prize (@EarthshotPrize) December 3, 2022
Speaking after receiving the recognition, Magayi stated that 200,000 households in Kenya have had access to her product since she launched the business in 2017.
“The Earthshot Prize is going to help us reach one million households,” she stated.
Why She Started Mukuru Clean Stoves
Magayi started Mukuru Clean Stoves in 2017 after her daughter was severely burnt by a charcoal-burning stove.
READ ALSO: Witnessing the End of Democracy in Israel – Official
Her early life in Mukuru Kwa Njenga slum in Nairobi, where she sold charcoal, also inspired her to start the venture supporting clean energy use.
“Rather than burning dangerous solid fuels, Mukuru Clean Stoves use processed biomass made from charcoal, wood and sugarcane,” Earth shot described Mukuru Clean Stoves.
“This burns cleaner, creating 90 per cent less pollution than an open fire and 70 percent less than a traditional cookstove,” the organisation inspired by US President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge in the 1960s added.
However, Magayi indicated she wanted to create an even cleaner stove that burns ethanol. She also hopes to reach one million people in different parts of the country while at the same time empowering the younger generation.
