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Sewalanka Foundation, in partnership with the border communities of the Sinharaja Rainforest, implemented two fuel-efficient stove projects targeting local small-scale industry and individual families in November 2003 and January 2004 respectively.

Participants take home their new stoves, proceeds go to fund environmental projects.

Sinharaja Rainforest, an UNESCO World Heritage Site and the communities living in the border zone walk a fine line between conservational concerns and survival. These programs aimed to reduce the negative environmental and health impacts caused by the use of traditional stoves. The projects were supported through the Global Environmental Facilitate Small Grant Project, United Nations Development Program and technical support provided by Integrated Development Associate (IDEA).

The community identified that traditional stoves produce too much smoke and heat, uncontrollable flames, and require large amounts of fuel. Therefore, Sewalanka sourced two different types of stoves for the community, to address these problems. The first stove is ready-made and appropriate for domestic use. The second one is a new design that can easily be made by local craftsmen using readily available materials that is ideal for home-based kithul and jaggery producers.

Sewalanka and IDEA then devised a program that trained community members to be resource persons to assist other villagers in installing and using the stoves. The three-day program involved general training on the usefulness and technical components of improved stoves and incorporated cooking/ installation demonstrations.

Industrial-strength kithul production stove installed.

The first course held on 12-14 November 03 was attended by local craftsmen, local kithul producers and selected community representatives from three villages in the Kudawa Kalawana area. Kithul treacle and jaggery is produced by the labour intensive work of boiling down the sap of the kithul palm (caryota urens) tree. Originally only four new stoves were planned to be built, however due to the enthusiasm of the participants ten new stoves where built.

The participants determined that the domestic ready-made stove would cut cooking time in half from 60 to 30 minutes for cooking rice, cereal (dhal), sprats and green leaves. They also noted that when cooking the above items only ½kg fuel was required as opposed to the normal 1½ kgs.

Sewalanka project field coordinators continue to provide assistance to local resource persons. Additional training programs are planned in other border regions of Sinharaja Rainforest.