This archive report was first published on 3 December 2019.
On a typical day in Kisumu's Manyatta slum, Rose Akinyi, 69, can be found working at her home, surrounded by the women of the 'Konyri Kendi' group. They are making briquettes from charcoal dust mixed with cassava porridge, a process that has revolutionized their lives.
It all started last year when a group of women in the slum began using porridge to make briquettes for sale. Their neighbours were initially skeptical, wondering how they could waste valuable food to make briquettes. But Rose Akinyi was undeterred, and her determination has paid off.
Today, three other women have joined her, and they are laughing all the way to the bank. They make the porridge using two kilogrammes of cassava flour in a huge sufuria, which they leave to cool overnight. This mixture is then poured into a machine that compresses it firmly into the final product.
According to Rose Akinyi, the porridge acts as an adhesive and cements the charcoal dust together to make the briquette. Before they discovered this method, they used clay to hold the waste together, but this proved expensive and environmentally unfriendly.
The women of the 'Konyri Kendi' group have found that using cassava porridge is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to make briquettes. They buy four kilos of cassava at Sh200 and grind it at Sh30, which is enough to make a sack of briquettes. They sell these briquettes at Sh1,800, mostly to hotels by order.
One of their customers, Kevin Odhiambo, praises the product, saying it is cheap and easy to use. He uses only four rods or balls of briquettes to cook all his meals, which he finds surprising given the amount of fuel he used to consume.
However, some customers have reported that the briquettes produce dust, which can affect the burning of the briquettes if not shaken away well. Despite this, the women of the 'Konyri Kendi' group remain committed to their innovative method, which has brought them financial stability and reduced waste in the slum.
