Behavioural change campaign to promote improved cooking launched at Kakuma refugee camp

SNV has recently kicked off a campaign to promote the benefits of clean cookstoves to the refugee, host communities and eateries based in and around  Kakuma refugee camp.

Kakuma is home to over 250,000 people. The host and refugee communities rely primarily on inefficient cooking practices such as open fires and basic firewood and charcoal stoves, leading to high fuel expenses, safety risks, environmental degradation, and health issues. Through the EnDev Market Based Energy Access (MBEA) II project, which works to support stove companies to develop distribution channels in the camps, various improved stoves are now available in the local markets.

For people in Kakuma to become aware of, purchase and consistently use these improved cookstoves for household and commercial purposes, SNV  has developed a behaviour change campaign with the support of behavioural change experts from consulting firm 17Triggers. The campaign aims to connect the practical benefits of improved cookstoves to people’s aspirations and desires, while providing linkages to local stove vendors. In depth formative research and testing with households, eateries, community leaders and humanitarian agencies informed the campaign in which 3 key benefits guide the messaging: ‘Less fuel’, ‘Less smoke’ and ‘Less time’.

The campaign, kicked off in June 2021, uses a mix of offline and online tools, activities, and channels to reach the audiences, working closely together with stove companies. For instance, local stove vendors use branded campaign messaging and are trained on informing customers on the benefits of the improved stoves they sell. Moreover, market demonstrations are organized on a weekly basis in which community members can cook their favourite dish for their families using an improved stove. Other activities include a poster and radio campaign, door-to-door flyer handouts inviting people to reach out to a ‘human chatbot’ on Whatsapp which will provide information about available stoves and nearby stove vendors, and a ‘stove library’ which enables eateries to try out an improved stove for a week.

Brian Oyenge, CEO of Usafi Green Energy and MBEA II project stove company partner, stated “The Behavioural Change Campaign makes great positive impact on our market network in Kakuma. Through the campaign our market base of clean cookstoves has already significantly increased based on the recent sales numbers”.

The campaign is expected to run at least until December 2021. For more information, please contact Karlijn Groen, SNV Kenya.