Orphaned at a tender age of 10 and a teenage mother by 16, Charlot’s story could have been one of countless others lost in the hardships of slum life. Dropping out of school and selling charcoal to make ends meet, she faced the dire consequences of using traditional stoves firsthand. Respiratory infections were frequent visitors to her home, and a severe burn injury to her young daughter was a wake-up call.

The turning point came when Charlot resumed her education after a two-year break. Gaining awareness about the dangers of charcoal and solid fuels, she became determined to mitigate the health hazards they posed. Her ambition went beyond her own well-being; she envisioned a healthier environment for her community and the empowerment of women like herself.

Founding Mukuru Clean Stoves, Charlot channeled her passion into creating a social enterprise that produces clean, affordable, and environmentally friendly cookstoves. These stoves were not just products; they were tools of change, engineered to protect mothers and their children from the perilous smoke that once filled their homes.

The impact of Charlot’s work is far-reaching. Training young mothers in stove production, she crafted a dual-edged strategy—fighting household air pollution and fostering economic independence among women in the slums. The enterprise took a bold leap forward by establishing the first woman-owned metal recycling factory in the area, paving the way for sustainable production and economic growth within the community.

With the support of the TPPF grant, Charlot’s initiatives have transformed over 700 households, surpassing her initial goal by a significant margin. But her aspirations did not stop at local boundaries. The international community took notice, leading to her recognition as the second-place winner of the UNDP’s ‘SDGs and Her’ awards and an invitation to the prestigious SOCAP conference in San Francisco.

So far they have sold over 250,000 clean cookstoves in Kenya, enabling families to make savings of over $20 Million in fuel costs while impacting the lives of over 1,200,000 people who now benefit from cleaner air within their homes while avoiding over 500,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The Pollination Project saw the promise in Charlot’s mission, extending crucial seed funding that helped sow the seeds of this blossoming enterprise. Her journey and the success of Mukuru Clean Stoves stand as a powerful reminder that sustainable development and women’s empowerment go hand-in-hand, leading to healthier families, stronger communities, and a cleaner planet.

Project Website:https://mukurustoves.org/