"Every morning, I watched my mother cooking using firewood or dung for fuel, in a kitchen filled with toxic smoke. I didn't know then what I know now - that this smoke contains particles smaller than a human hair that enter our lungs and bloodstream. When we learned breathing this toxic air led to respiratory diseases, and even death, we knew we had to act."
The reality in rural Pakistan mirrors a global crisis. Our solution? Eco Stove - a solar-powered cooking system that aligns with the World Health Organization's guidelines for indoor air quality. Why did we chose solar power ?
It’s a shocking fact that globally, more than half the trees are cut down for firewood and charcoal. Hence with every Eco-stove we also save our forests in Pakistan, protect health of women and children who are affected most - and also save precious hours they spent previously gathering firewood.
A Game Changer for Climate and Health
By eliminating the need for firewood, Eco Stove directly combats deforestation and carbon emissions. Forests remain intact, biodiversity is preserved, and families breathe cleaner air. Beyond the environmental benefits, the transition to solar powered cooking marks a significant step in improving public health. Reduced exposure to harmful smoke means fewer respiratory diseases, healthier children, and safer homes. This shift underscores the profound impact of small innovations in tackling large scale crises.
For rural women, Eco Stove is more than just a cooking tool it’s a gateway to economic and social empowerment. With the time saved from firewood collection, women can engage in income generating activities, spend more time with their families, or simply rest.
Cleaner kitchens create healthier households, and faster cooking processes make daily life more efficient.
The burden of firewood collection often falls on children, particularly girls, forcing them to miss school. With access to clean cooking technology, families no longer have to choose between education and household responsibilities. Children can focus on their studies in smoke free environments, improving both their health and academic performance. Clean cooking is not just a convenience it’s an investment in the future of the next generation.
Scaling Up for a Sustainable Future
As a finalist in the Generation Hope Goals contest, Eco Stove is poised for greater impact. Winning would accelerate production, expand outreach, and refine the technology to make it even more affordable but beyond scaling, the initiative seeks to integrate educational programs, ensuring long term awareness of clean cooking’s health and environmental benefits.
The ultimate vision is ambitious yet essential: a future where every rural household in Pakistan has access to safe, sustainable cooking solutions.
As young climate activists, we also call out to leaders to include clean cooking targets in their nationally determined contributions and supporting concepts like solar based cooking stoves so all rural households can use clean cooking options like Eco-stove leading to healthier lives for families and children.
Generation Hope Goals is a collaborative initiative by Save the Children (SC), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific (UNFCCC RCC AP), Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, ChildFund, and Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform (YECAP).
Generation Hope Goals is aimed at engaging young minds and leaders in developing their existing innovative climate action solutions linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under review at the 12th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD).
