Budalangi World Torch

Mission

Budalangi World Torch is a registered non–political and non-profit organization based in the Budalangi region of Bunyala district in Western Kenya. This is a remote area perennially affected by floods from the River Nzoia displacing the people, and disrupting economic activities and learning in schools.

Our vision is to make the community self-reliant and sensitive to its rights. We aim at becoming an organization of choice in fighting poverty and improving health globally.

Our mission is to raise the standard of living of members of the community through participatory development programmes.

Our program is multifaceted and focuses on:
i) Wealth creation
ii) Technology
iii) Legal aid services especially to the marginalized communities
iv) Health
v) Education
vi) Environment, Agriculture & Sustainable Development

We have strong ambitions and interests in reducing household energy, indoor air pollution and health. Towards this end we have started sensitizing the people on the need to use clean cooking technology. In October this year we organized a demonstration of solar cooking and lighting kits from Solar Cookers International, Kenyan branch. When used, these kits can greatly reduce indoor air pollution and hence reduce respiratory diseases among the people. We have already started planting jatropha curcas plants to provide biodiesel oil that can be used for cooking and powering vehicles. We also plan to introduce sugar beet plants for extraction of methane that can be used in special cooking stoves.

Organization Type Non-Governmental Organization

Contact Information

This information has been removed as it is likely no longer accurate

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

We are currently involved in the supply and distribution of solar cooking and lighting kits. These will help in reducing air pollution and also provide cheap and clean sources of energy to the people. We are introducing other sources of cooking technologies like jatropha oil, methane from sugar beet plants, fireless cookers, water testing kits and solar torches.

At the moment, we target rural areas in the Western province in Kenya. We plan to start with the poor, though the rich people will also be brought on board. We hope to spread to urban areas, especially in slum areas, and with time we should expand our activities to neighboring countries and beyond.

Fuels/Technologies: Biogas
Biomass
Solar
Sectors of Experience: Agriculture
Behavior Change
Education
Energy
Environment
Forestry
Health
Renewable Energy
Rural Development
Small Business

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

Some communities have belief systems that bind them to certain traditions even when preparing their meals. We are particularly sensitive to people’s traditions and we always make preliminary inquiries and surveys about their views on any technology we introduce. We then showcase these technologies and note people’s responses.

Our experience has shown that with proper sensitization, it is possible to remove social/cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves. We agree and are ready to work collaboratively to further the PCIA mission to improve health, livelihoods, and quality of life by reducing exposure to indoor air pollution, primarily among women and children, from household energy use.

We will promote safe cooking and heating technologies in households and be quite sensitive to the needs of youth, women and the general society. The men in families will be approached and sensitized on the need to support their wives in these initiatives.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

We shall develop and expand the market for improved cooking technologies to cover all of Kenya and also move to neighboring Uganda, Tanzania and other countries. We shall endeavor to develop and market affordable quality cooking and lighting kits. We have interest in the development of an improved cooking technologies market. As of now, we are marketing cookit solar kits from Solar Cookers International.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

We are very keen on the type and standard of technology we promote for cooking in the area. For instance, we are satisfied with the solar cooking kits technology from Solar Cookers International. We will always endeavor to develop and promote technologies that are environmentally friendly and meet international standards. These technologies must be approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards. Cooking, heating and ventilation should meet acceptable international standards that promote good health of individuals. This will reduce household respiratory ailments. We have noted with great concern that most people in this region use firewood which produces a lot of smoke, posing health risks since most of the houses are not well ventilated. A few others use charcoal and kerosene which are not safe either. This scenario calls for proper cooking technologies that meet acceptable international standards.


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

We are interested and have some experience in indoor air pollution exposure in rural areas. Here the majority of households do not have separate kitchens and cooking is done in the same room where people sleep. This is also the case with urban slums.

Relevant Publications or Studies

We are in the process of producing a newsletter. This should be available next year, 2010.

Our Contribution to the Partnership

We will be the PCIA torch bearer in the regions we work in. We will be ready to introduce any cooking technologies that you may have. We will also share the local technologies that we have in this region with any interested Partners. This will promote skills and technology transfer. We shall also participate in cooking technology research and share our findings with PCIA. We believe this may lead to putting in place better cooking technologies in society.