COVID-19: How demand for clean cook stoves is reducing while health risks are increasing
The COVID-19 outbreak in Ghana has greatly limited our activities. In the same regard, demand for the cook stoves has declined drastically as a result of loss of livelihoods faced by people due to lockdowns, restrictions and quarantine measures instituted by government.
This unfortunate development has resulted in many households reeling from the shocks presented by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Households are getting poorer- economically and health wise. Most parents are unable to earn incomes to take care of their children as a result of job losses caused by the ravaging pandemic. Women’s health especially is worse hit as they face double consequences with smoke-related diseases from the use of open fire systems for cooking and the scary novel coronavirus.
Nevertheless, ACEC is still making efforts to reach households to introduce reliefs such as food items and providing credit to needy households. This will afford the households a timely opportunity to acquire and use clean cook stoves purchased on credit. In our current engagements with the target households, all the necessary COVID-19 precautionary measures are ensured. Meetings are now held in smaller groups and social distancing strictly enforced. Also, regular hand-washing is strongly encouraged during all meetings with the provision of sufficient Veronica buckets filled with water and soaps.
ACEC is on a mission. Pandemic or no pandemic, households must survive. Women’s health must be safeguarded. The environment must be protected. Clean energy will be provided to all households and COVID-19 will be defeated.