How clean cooking is changing lives in Ghana
Sparking a shift with Ener-G-Africa (EGA) stoves
In July 2025, Energy-G-Africa’s project and implementation manager, Louise Williamson, returned to the rural village of Jang in northern Ghana – a place where daily cooking rituals are both necessity and tradition. Her visit, part of EGA’s ongoing work through the Africa Energy Parks project, marked the halfway point of clean cookstove trials with 15 households.
In her words, the experience was emotional and transformative – as well as grounded in practical insight “It was incredibly humbling,” Louise reflects. “So many women came up to me, hugged me, even knelt down to thank me. You realise how something as simple as a stove can completely change someone’s day-to-day life. It is something I wish the EGA team and every person who contributed could have seen firsthand, because the appreciation was not for me alone – it was for all of us.”
A stove that fits – and matters
Each family in the trial is testing a different EGA-designed stove, offering real-time insight into which models perform best under real-world conditions: from ease of lighting it, to fuel usage, and how well the design fits with the way women cook culturally.
One standout moment came during a community cooking demonstration. Each woman was asked to bring her preferred stove – and every one of them arrived with the MAFECS, a versatile EGA model equipped with a charcoal insert and eCOpot.
“The women just instinctively got to work,” Louise recalls. “Some were lighting fires, others were prepping ingredients for a traditional Tubani dish. No one needed instructions. It was such a powerful reminder of their tacit knowledge – they absolutely know what they’re doing.”
According to Louise, the MAFECS was especially praised for its clean burn and charcoal efficiency, with the eCOpot helping reduce risk of charcoal “spitting” bits out which can burn you. “They’re using less charcoal, and it is safer,” she explains. “The eCOpot has been a real hit.”
Two newer stoves, the Kudya and the GeoRock, are now entering the trial to explore additional variables like sizing and lower price points.
“It is not about finding a ‘perfect stove’,” Louise explains. “It is about finding what works best for people’s lives – financially, culturally and environmentally.”
Listening to the land – and the people
Fuel choices remain closely tied to seasonal rhythms. During Ghana’s long dry months, women often make their own charcoal – a difficult, time-intensive process involving chainsaws, when available, or hand saws and pangas (machetes), as well as open fires and week-long smouldering burns to turn freshly cut wood into saleable charcoal. The environmental impact is clear: deforestation, biodiversity loss and soil degradation.
“Making charcoal is hard, back-breaking work,” Louise says. “You can see the environmental cost, but people rely on it, and you see how deeply resourceful these communities are. They know exactly how much charcoal they will need to get through the rains, and they plan ahead, they ration, they adapt.”
Cultural beliefs also play a role. In one home, the team found both the MAFECS and a traditional fire in use. When asked why, the woman replied that she did not want to “neglect” the cultural fire. “It speaks volumes,” Louise says. “Cooking is so much more than a task. It is a symbol of care, identity and connection.”
Building with not for communities
A key learning moment occurred at a train-the-trainer workshop in Accra, hosted by an AEP partner work package. “The engineers, all men, didn’t know how to make a fire,” Louise laughs. “It’s not something they do at home. We realised that women must lead training as they are the ones that make fire and cook food, and they will be the ones using the improved cookstoves.”
The team remains committed to listening, adapting and supporting what works best in context.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” Louise says. “But there is a path forward – one that respects tradition, reduces harm and makes everyday life a little easier.”
Follow our journey
As we move closer to selecting the final rollout model in September this year, one thing remains clear: change doesn’t begin in a lab – it starts at home, with trust, culture and the daily act of cooking.
Stay connected for more updates from our work in Ghana and across Africa – follow Ener-G-Africa on LinkedIn.
