Kencoco Limited
Kencoco improves cooking in rural Kenya. In addition to selling clean cook stoves, the enterprise produces charcoal briquettes made from coconut shells and husks. Compared to wood charcoal, the briquettes have a similar price, but higher heat intensity and a longer burning time, saving households money.
The enterprise’s products are sold directly to households and to retailers. Along the value chain, mainly women gain opportunities as suppliers of raw materials and sellers of charcoal briquettes in kiosks and markets.
- Improving health conditions by reducing black smoke from cooking for 8,000 households so far.
- Training women on carbonising agricultural waste to act as suppliers to Kencoco, so far 30 women groups have been trained.
- Limiting deforestation that results from cutting forests for firewood.
- Reducing carbon emissions and black smoke from traditional cookstoves and charcoal.
- Preventing the burning of coconut husks by turning them into a valuable resource.
- Creating a market for coconut husks, which is currently a waste product; so far 25 women groups supply coconut husk to Kencoco.
- Decreasing household spending on cooking by 50 % by providing an energy-intensive and long-burning product.
Partners
Kencoco Limited produces the charcoal briquettes made from coconut husks.
Najmaz Enterprises is the main distribution partner of Kencoco products, allowing Kencoco to focus on production.
Micro Enterprise Support Trust (MESPT) works with Kencoco in the creation of employment and poverty alleviation in the community by providing financial and non-financial services.
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC) supports with business development and knowledge about the market and technologies.
