Every morning in Tanzania, millions of women and children step into smoke-filled kitchens. The firewood crackles. Kerosene burns. Meals are made, but so are memories of coughing fits, burning eyes, and invisible harm.
For many, cooking is a health hazard. Hours spent over open fires lead to chronic respiratory issues, eye infections, and even life-threatening diseases. Meanwhile, forests are cleared to meet firewood demand, and households spend up to 80,000 Tshs a month on fuel, just to survive.
And beyond the kitchen? Another danger grows quietly: waste engine oil.
In cities like Mwanza, oil from cars and motorbikes is dumped or burned, contaminating soil, polluting water, and releasing toxic fumes. It’s hazardous. It’s unmanaged. And it’s everywhere.
But what if the problem became the solution?
💡 Introducing WOTe Stove
WOTe Stove is a clean cooking innovation that transforms used engine oil into safe, affordable cooking fuel.
Their stove is designed with heat-resistant plates and air vents, runs on filtered waste oil, and delivers up to 5 hours of cooking per litre. With performance on par with LPG gas and a cost much lower, it’s a game-changer for low- and middle-income households and institutions.
To ensure safety, the team built a waste oil filtration unit capable of removing heavy metals, water, and other contaminants. The result? A clean-burning, low-emission fuel that’s already catching the attention of schools, food vendors, and families eager to switch.
Wote Stove’s journey started with small-scale testing in homes. Families gave feedback. Institutions weighed in. Some cared about aesthetics; others prioritized efficiency. All pointed the team toward a better design.
With support from Ifakara Innovation Hub (IIH) including technical mentorship and a $5,000 startup grant—the team refined their prototype, improved safety, and built a sustainable model for fuel production.
Today, Wote Stove filters and repurposes 30,000 litres of waste oil each month, redirecting what was once a pollutant into clean energy for real kitchens.
🌱 The Ripple Effect
Wote Stove is more than a product. It’s a path forward.
✔️ Up to 80% savings on cooking fuel
✔️ Cleaner air and safer homes
✔️ New income streams for women and youth in oil collection, recycling, and distribution
✔️ Less pressure on forests and natural resources
✔️ A model for circular, locally-built solutions in the fight against climate change
With potential to scale across regions, this innovation could help millions gain access to safer energy, while building a workforce of clean energy champions.
At Ifakara Innovation Hub, we believe in community-led innovation that drives health, dignity, and sustainability. With the generous support of our partners—the Embassy of Switzerland and Fondation Botnar Wote Stove has grown from a bold idea into a tangible solution.
We’re proud to have walked alongside their journey, and even more excited for what lies ahead. Wote Stove represents more than a product. It represents a cleaner future, a healthier community, and a smarter way to power homes and institutions using local ingenuity.
📽️ Watch the impact of Wote Stove: https://youtu.be/Vyuzl9XVnRw
👉 Join us. Help light more stoves, empower more homes, and turn waste into a force for good.
