My name is Iya Samuel, and in the villages of Nyeu, Asisi, and Mijale within Jihwa Parish, Adjumani District, I have dedicated myself to a simple but powerful mission: protecting our environment by transforming the way we cook. As a Climate Action Champion with Friends of Zoka, I have seen firsthand how our reliance on traditional three-stone cookstoves, which consume excessive firewood and fill our kitchens with smoke, harms both our health and our forests.
My journey took on new purpose when I joined the Strengthening Environmental Accountability and Climate Action in West Nile and Karamoja (SEA-WNK) project funded by the Embassy of Denmark, Kingdom of Netherlands, Embassy of Ireland, and Sweden. This project trained me and ignited my passion, providing me with the platform to share my skills in constructing Lorena energy-saving stoves. I build these stoves using locally sourced, accessible materials like clay, sand, and grass. Because they are designed to retain heat, they require significantly less fuel than traditional methods, which means fewer trees are cut down, and families spend less time gathering wood.
My work has become a daily commitment. I travel from village to village, and in 2025 alone, I constructed 29 stoves; I have already built four more since the start of 2026. Beyond just building, I train community members having reached an estimated 50 households so far on how to mix the materials, shape the chambers, and maintain their stoves to ensure they last for at least two years.
Seeing the impact of this work brings me great joy. When I hear from beneficiaries like Grace Kojoki in Mijale village, who told me, "I used to go to the forest every two weeks to gather wood; now, I don't go in those two weeks," I know we are making progress. It saves them time and effort and protects their health.
Beyond the stove construction, I use existing spaces such as churches, community gatherings, markets and organized dialogues to sensitize the community on the benefits of environmental protection.
The SEA-WNK project has taught me that we can address massive environmental challenges through local, innovative actions. I often tell my neighbors, "Protecting the environment is everyone’s responsibility. When you build one stove, you save many trees." Every stove I construct is a reminder to the people of Jihwa Parish that true climate action begins right at home in our own kitchens. I am proud to be part of a movement that is helping our green cover recover, one fire at a time.
The "Strengthening Environmental Accountability and Climate Action in West Nile and Karamoja" project is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) through Danida. The project is implemented in the districts of Zombo, Madi Okollo, Obongi, Adjumani, Amudat and Nakapiripirit by a consortium of four national organizations: RICE West Nile (lead implementer), Friends of Zoka, Sustainable Plan and Action for Community Empowerment (SPACE) and Africa Center for Energy and Mineral Policy (ACEMP).
