Manufacture and maintenance of improved charcoal stoves

The significant energy deficit thus observed leads households to make intensive and abusive use of alternative energy sources, notably firewood and charcoal, which increases the pressure on forests with a negative impact on the climate. It appears that the difficulties of access to energy weigh more heavily on women than on men, with the consequence of substantially reducing the time they should have devoted to educational, social and income-generating activities. In DR Congo, women participate in 90% of agricultural activities and are the main actors in the realization of informal activities for household survival. As their need for wood is reduced, the beneficiaries also make financial savings that give them the opportunity to meet other needs.