BRAZIL: A Non-Governmental Organisation dubbed MWANAMKE Initiatives Foundation (MIF) has expressed its commitment to expanding clean cooking solutions as a key driver of improved health, women’s empowerment, and environmental protection.
This renewed focus comes as the organisation reports significant progress under its flagship programme, Upishi Salama, which has already helped 2,000 households transition from traditional cooking practices to cleaner and safer alternatives.
According to MIF, more than 4,000 community members have been reached through awareness campaigns, advocacy work, and capacity-building initiatives aimed at accelerating behavioural change in energy use.
Speaking to the Daily News on the sidelines of the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil, MIF’s Head of Programme, Ms Alice Mushi, said clean cooking must be recognised as an essential pillar of sustainable development.
“Clean, safe, and sustainable cooking is more than a household practice,it is a pathway to better health, economic liberation, and environmental protection,” she said.
Ms Mushi emphasised that clean cooking must be understood as both a climate and gender priority, noting that women bear the greatest burden of indoor air pollution, long hours spent collecting firewood, and the health risks associated with traditional cooking methods.
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“Women have carried the weight of unsafe cooking for generations,” she said. “By transforming cooking practices, we are directly transforming their lives.”
She added that MIF deliberately positions women at the forefront of the transition. Through training, mentorship, and market-awareness programmes, the foundation equips women and youth with skills to engage in the production, distribution, entrepreneurship, and maintenance of clean cooking technologies.
“Our goal is to ensure women are not just beneficiaries, but leaders in this space,” Ms Mushi stressed, noting that the approach has boosted household incomes, strengthened community resilience, and deepened public understanding of climate impacts.
Reflecting on MIF’s participation at COP30, Ms. Mushi underscored the importance of ensuring African voices ,especially women’s voices are heard on the global stage.
“Clean cooking is a climate solution, and Africa needs to be part of that conversation,” she said.
“For us, COP30 is beyond attendance. It is a platform to strengthen strategies, unlock collaborations, and mobilise support for solutions shaped by communities themselves,” she said.