Obfuscation is Easy

In my outdoor kitchen, I started with the typical 3-brick stove used by most Malawians and then I remembered the six special insulation bricks in my storeroom waiting to be assembled and tested. A friend from Scotland, Darius Namdaran, had done research on cheap fuel-efficient stoves for Africa, and these bricks held significant potential. As Patrick (the watchman) helped me assemble it, he was shaking his head – indicating his doubt that such a stove could work. However he managed to start the fire surprisingly quickly and soon we were both watching in amazement as the flames produced an intense heat straight up to the pot while the sides of the stove remained cool. It worked! Patrick fed the fire with a few pieces of wood through the small side-opening and we were delighted to see the water boiling in just 15 minutes – 10 minutes less than the open stove! Patrick, a brick-maker, is keen to start producing the special bricks after harvest, and start a small business selling the special stoves.

Lots of news about Conservation Agriculture and the feeding programme too.