Education and sustainable cooking in Kairobangi, Kenya
Education is a cornerstone for community development and poverty alleviation. In Kairobangi, with a population of over 100.000 people, many children lack access to education due to economic constraints and a lack of public schools. Asulma’s school aims to bridge this gap by providing affordable and quality education to 350 students, fostering a culture of learning and growth.
Alongside education, the Asulma compound is dedicated to promoting sustainable practices through its integrated solar cooking business. Traditional cooking methods in the area often rely on charcoal and firewood, contributing to deforestation and health issues due to indoor air pollution. By introducing solar cooking (ISC) technology, the compound will offer a cleaner, more sustainable alternative. The solar cooking business will not only provide affordable, eco-friendly cooking solutions but also create job opportunities.
Asulma is currently renting five separate facilities, which is impractical, costly and unsafe for the students. Hence, the aim of this project is to buy a piece of land and construct a new building that houses both the school and the ISC business. This is a pilot project for EWB-SWE to explore large-scale implementation of modular construction in East-Africa. The project will use refurbished shipping containers as load bearing structures. As a result, the construction time at heights can be minimized and safety concerns are avoided. Additionally, the use of materials with a high carbon footprint, like cement and concrete, are strongly reduced. The project is currently in a fundraising stage. The objective is to construct the first floor during the school holidays in November-December 2024 and the top two floors in November-December 2025.
The success of this project will not only improve the standard of living in Kairobangi but also serve as a model for similar initiatives in other underserved areas. The Asulma compound is committed to fostering a sustainable and educated community, proving that with the right support and resources, transformative change is possible.
The project will contribute to fulfilling the UN SDG 3 - Good health and well-being, UN SDG 4 – Quality education, as well as UN SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy, and UN SDG 13 – Climate action
More information about the project
More information will be added within short.
Images from the project
Number of people served: 500
