Stella Sigana, who founded the Kenya firm, will also receive mentorship coaching from the foundation to enable he firm improve its processes as well as make end-products appealing to the market.
Ms Sigana noted the government’s decision to ban charcoal created a new demand for her products as the population sought cheaper and readily available fuels.
An American company has injected capital into a Kenyan briquettes-making start-up to help upscale its operations.
Businessman Tariq Farid, through his Farid and Asma Foundation, also launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise Sh2.5 million to help the three-year-old Kenyan firm, Alternative Waste Technologies, mechanise its operations.
The campaign was launched two weeks ago by Farid’s foundation.
Stella Sigana, who founded the Kenya firm, will also receive mentorship coaching from the foundation to enable he firm improve its processes as well as make end-products appealing to the market.
“20,000 people, mostly women and children, die each year because of indoor air pollution but wood fuel remains popular in Kenya where 70 per cent of Kenya’s population still rely on charcoal as the main source of energy in households, learning institutions, hotels and restaurants,” she said.
Ms Sigana noted the government’s decision to ban charcoal created a new demand for her products as the population sought cheaper and readily available fuels.
Since, 2015, the start-up has been producing fuel briquettes from organic agricultural and charcoal wastes collected from slums. The venture has established outlets within slums where about 80 women make a livelihood selling the briquettes to residents.
Mr Farid who was one of the Judges said venture not only solved the waste problem making slums clean but had been able to commercialise her startup that made products with a ready demand from the populace.
“Having spent most of my childhood in Pakistan, home pollution hits home. Pakistan has a major indoor air pollution problem and I remember how uncomfortable it was for the women in my family to spend hours indoors,” said he said.
Mr Farid said he would invest in the venture as well as continue mentoring her with plans on the way to replicate Sigana’s venture in Pakistan to produce briquettes and help local communities in my home country.
Kenya has been clamping down on charcoal production to save the forests as well reduce incidence of respiratory ailments.
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