Impacts From Best Practices Applied in a Solar Cooking Initiative at Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
Abstract
Best practices applied to a multi-year solar cooking initiative at Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya are demonstrating beneficial impacts. This initiative’s best to practices have included collaborating with a trusted local implementing organization, local manufacturing of solar cookers using locally available material, testing solar cookers according to methods developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), selecting participants according to a needs assessment, involving women solar cooking champions that speak local languages during training and follow-up activities, and acquiring evidence-based results. Through this initiative, locally constructed solar ovens empower refugees to lead healthier, safer lives. During the 2025 cycle, participant families reported saving USD $162.91 a year on average due to reduced usage of polluting cooking fuels because they were solar cooking about one third of their meals. Their reduced use of polluting fuels per year per cooker correlates to an estimated average reduction of at least 1,500 kg CO 2 emissions from the cooking-related combustion process alone.
Keywords
Best practices, solar cooking, solar cookers, adoption and impact, emission reduction