MODELS FOR THE DISSEMINATION OF THE STOVES :

In principle, SEOFS has employed three different models for the dissemination of the stoves: the commercialized, the semi-commercialized and the social approach.

1. The Commercialized approach
This was used in Kiboga district. In this model, SEOFS was contracted by Christian Children Fund to train the jobless youth who are affected by AIDS to become stove entrepreneurs. 100 youths were trained in the technical skills of stove construction and basic entrepreneurial skills. More support was given in form of awareness on radio talk shows and adverts.

The result is that apart from some who dropped out business, the rest are registering substantial incomes from the stove business. This model seems to be the most sustainable since it creates jobs and these stove artisans are driven by business orientation, hence there is little intervention required by the donor to continue the dissemination process.

Nevertheless, this approach has some few constraints. First it requires a person with reasonable marketing skills and creativity to convince the households to acquire the stove. Though some of these skills can be acquired through training, talent is plays a central role. Unfortunately, the best stove artisans are not necessarily the best marketers and vice versa. Accordingly, there is a high possibility for the best marketers selling poor quality stoves and best stove artisans failing to sell the good stoves. Secondly, the people who are in most need of the stove (the poor), who are at the same time the majority, may not benefit since the have no ability to pay for it. Consequently, the stove dissemination process may not be as rapid as the problem of fuelwood scarcity.

2. The semi-commercialized approach
This was used in Wakiso district where SEOFS worked in partnership with GTZ. Because the stove can be made out of locally available materials (mainly clay and grass) that are low-cost or basically costless, poverty is not a hindrance in obtaining the materials. So in this case, the stove is constructed by the team effort of the stove builder and the family. First, the stove builder contacts and sensitizes the household about the stove. Second, the family provides the construction materials and prepares them (sometimes assisted by the stove builder). Thirdly, the artisan constructs the stove with the assistance of the family (sometimes the family proving the meal). Fourth, the family pays a small fee (for labor, rather than for buying the stove). Fifthly, the family does the finishing (as directed by the artisan), use and maintenance.

The strength of this model is that the stove dissemination can be very fast, hence alleviating the fuelwood crisis. Using this approach SEOFS has disseminated over 60,000 stoves in Wakiso district. The weakness is that the sustainability depends on whether the labor fee paid by the stove builder is attractive enough to make them continue the stove dissemination business. If there are more paying business alternatives the stove builder is likely to abandon the dissemination.

3. The social Approach
This has been used in the Northern part of Uganda. SEOFS has been contracted by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to disseminate stoves within the Farmer Field Schools (FFS. In this model, each FFS (composed of 25 – 30 farmers) sends a maximum of 5 representatives to be trained in the skills of stove construction. Having been trained, these go back and train their fellow FFS members or they construct the stoves in the homes of those members.

The apparent challenge of this model is that it has no commercial element (no fee is paid for stove constructor); hence stove cannot be disseminated by business incentive. However this constraint can be offset by the strength the FFS fraternity, which takes the farmer group as a social unity sharing the different aspects related to farming and livelihood. In this case, though the approach may not be commercial, it may be sustainable. Moreover, experience shows that the stove builders from FFS are able to make business when the construct stoves for those outside the FFS.