In Mbui Nzau, Kenya, deforestation and costly fuel threaten families’ livelihoods. Many households rely on firewood and charcoal, straining forests and household budgets.
When Fadhili Trust, Tearfund’s local partner, began training young people to build efficient rocket stoves, 25-year-old Joshua saw an opportunity not only to earn income but also to restore creation.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, Joshua personally constructed 24 energy-efficient stoves for households in his community and surrounding villages. Each stove cost 3,500 Kenyan shillings, providing him with 84,000 KSh in earnings throughout the year.
“I learned that protecting the environment also protects our families,” Joshua shared with program staff. Each household that received a stove now uses less wood and charcoal, creating a ripple effect of positive change across the community.
With this income, Joshua took meaningful steps toward long-term sustainability. He purchased Azolla, a fast-growing aquatic fern used as a low-cost livestock feed supplement, established a kitchen garden for improved nutrition, and contributed savings toward a future water tank to ensure year-round access to clean water for domestic use. His efforts improved his own household and served as an example of how young people can lead in creation care.
Joshua is now saving toward expanding his work and plans to train other youth. “I want to do even more,” he said, pointing to the hills. “We must care for what God gave us.”
Beyond income, rocket stoves reduce smoke in homes, require less fuel, and protect the surrounding environment. Women spend less time gathering firewood, children breathe cleaner air, and forests are preserved for future generations.
Through creation focused livelihood programs like this, Tearfund supported partners such as Fadhili Trust help people develop skills, care for God’s world, and build resilient futures one stove, one home, one life at a time.
