In Rwanda to spread awareness of clean cooking

A year on, Joule is back in Rwanda to further support local business owners. Following the training course to develop key skills for efficient and competitive business management – as well as to enhance understanding of health, safety and environmental issues – a new programme was arranged in October 2025 to improve technical and business capabilities for the promotion of clean cooking methods.

The initiative (led by Joule in partnership with its subsidiary ENE Rwanda, Elis and the Salesians Don Bosco of Kigali) aims to support the growth of local improved cookstove manufacturers, foster skilled jobs, and advance the sustainable development of the participating communities.

Thirty employees and ten students of the Salesians Don Bosco of Kigali participated in the week-long course. The full-immersion training aimed to deliver practical skills for making improved cookstoves that are safe, efficient and sustainable for the local market.

Thanks to specialised trainers, the project successfully blended theoretical and practical training, forging a link between education and employment.

In 2018, Eni initiated the Clean Cooking program to improve access to more efficient cooking systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to traditional methods like the three-stone hearth, these improved stoves ensure a reduction in wood and charcoal use, significantly cutting the carbon footprint linked to cooking activities and enhancing the living standards of the families concerned. Using improved stoves offers health benefits, boosts productivity, promotes gender equality, safeguards forests, and cuts greenhouse gas emissions.