Jane Wankuluna's leadership helps build a strong community
Jane Wankuluna is an entrepreneur and mother of seven children who lives in Ikumbya Village. When Kibo staff member Harriet Kefeza introduced the Healthy and Safe Kitchens program to people in the village they elected Jane as their chairwoman. Having a good leader is key to the success of any development program, and while Jane was reluctant to take the position, she eventually accepted, because it was an opportunity to help her community and to grow personally.
Jane Wankuluna with her new stove.
Jane is a strong leader for the stove-building group in Ikumbya. Stoves have three main advantages over traditional cooking fires:
Stoves are more efficient which means they use less wood and cook food faster. This leaves more time for other activities.
Stoves vent smoke to the outside of the kitchen which prevents health and respiratory problems like pneumonia, cancer, pulmonary disease, and heart disease.
Stoves have an enclosed flame, which is safer for cooks and children.
Jane said having a stove has impacted her community profoundly. The women in the village work together to build stoves for everyone using their own time, labor, and resources. This is a great achievement that helps establish a strong, healthy community.
Jane owns a restaurant near her home, and the new stove has allowed her to run the restaurant more efficiently. She uses her stove to cook for the restaurant when needed and can use her stove to cook for her customers and her family at the same time. She now spends less time collecting firewood, and food is prepared faster, so she is able to dedicate more time to her restaurant and family.
Jane has worked hard over the years to create opportunity for herself and her family. Having a fuel-efficient stove helps her to be even more effective as a business woman and as a mother. Her leadership in her village contributes to a strong, healthy community.