Bboxx, a data-driven super platform and champion of economic empowerment in Africa, is deploying funds from a $17 million subsidy – funded by the World Bank – to support the implementation of a major clean cooking initiative across Rwanda and has signed a contract with the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) to access a share of this grant.
Bboxx’s clean cooking brand, Bboxx Cook, will utilise an initial portion of the subsidy to support the ambition of providing up to 500,000 Rwandan households with cleaner cooking solutions, with the option to access a budget allocation extension upon completion of the first tranche of the project.
This represents a key part of the wider subsidy programme, designed to catalyse an improvement in lives by reducing the percentage of households that use firewood for cooking from 80% in 2017 to 42% by 2024 — and completely phasing out the use of charcoal in urban areas.
Globally, one third of the global population – 2.4 billion people – still do not have access to clean cooking.
Traditional cooking methods such as wood and charcoal create cancer-causing by-products and carbon monoxide in the smoke, leading to long-term health effects and sapping resources from healthcare systems — and women are the ones who suffer most. 2.5 million deaths occur prematurely each year due to household air pollution, mostly from cooking smoke.
By moving away from traditional cooking fuels, women are improving the health of their families. They’re also saving time: in many societies, women and girls bear the primary responsibility for cooking and gathering fuel, often spending hours each day on these tasks. Clean cooking solutions – such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG) – free precious time each week, creating greater opportunities for education and productive economic activities.
This is why both Bboxx and World Bank continue to hold clean cooking as a key corporate priority. World Bank aims to support access for up to 100 million people by 2026 through mobilising political commitment, scaling up investments, and promoting innovations.
Wood and charcoal also contribute significantly to carbon emissions and deforestation – charcoal and wood respectively have a 50% and 74% larger carbon footprint than LPG[3], and as much as 30% of global deforestation is used for charcoal production. Clean cooking solutions reduce these impacts, helping mitigate some of the biggest sources of emission, pollution, and deforestation in the developing world.
Mansoor Hamayun, CEO and Co-Founder of Bboxx, said that, “Every minute we wait, lives are lost and potential is smothered by toxic smoke from traditional cooking methods. This isn’t just about providing cleaner cooking solutions; it’s about unlocking Rwanda’s potential and transforming people’s lives.”
“With this landmark partnership, Bboxx, alongside the World Bank, the BRD and EDCL, is here to ignite the revolution for clean cooking in Rwanda. We’re turning the tide on the environmental devastation caused by traditional cooking methods and setting a new standard for clean, healthy living. We won’t stop until every household in Rwanda, and beyond, can cook clean.”
Bboxx Cook is well-placed to answer the urgent need in clean cooking, offering a combination of technologies (software and hardware) that make clean cooking with LPG affordable through micro-finance, including an in-house efficient stove that improves the energy efficiency from the stove to the pot.