Maria Kameta
Mudzi Cooking Project
Malawi
Winner
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Maria’s Mudzi Cooking Project, a clean cooking solution, aims to counter deforestation and improve community health. Since winning the prize in September 2022, Maria has developed, produced and trained local women in the community to make and sell green energy fuel briquettes. These are made from waste paper, sawdust, agricultural waste, groundnut shells, rice husks, and maise stalks. As well as saving women hours a week in firewood collection, Maria is improving health by developing and constructing new double burner stoves in 500 households in the community. Maria has trained 100 school students to build stoves and become local climate change ambassadors.
Maria Kameta is an environmental activist accelerating access to clean cooking in Malawi. She works to provide education, awareness and opportunities for women and young people in Chisinga. Since winning The Seed Prize in September 2022, she’s turned an idea into an impactful project. She supports women’s access to affordable and clean energy through fuel briquettes and constructing energy efficient cooking stoves.
Through our capacity building program, Maria has almost completed CoalitionWILD’s 6-month EXCELerator program. The Iris Project is working on our newly designed Creative Communications Program with Maria. Together, we are developing her brand, building and training her to manage her website, and building an online presence on social media. In March, Maria will apply to The Iris Project for repeat funding to continue growing her project.
