If any evidence was needed that it is not just the ‘experts’ that provide clean, low-carbon energy solutions then it was provided last night. A small group of volunteer blacksmiths from rural Tanzania – the Kisingani Smith Group (KSG) – won a prize at the world renowned Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy.

	John and Reuben Mtitu collect their award from Wangari Maathai, beside Awards’ host Anna Ford

ClimateCare, a proud supporter of the awards since 2003, was delighted to sponsor the prize, which was presented by Kenyan Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai.

Kisingani Smith Group
Set up in 1996 to pass on blacksmith skills to the rural poor in Tanzania, where 90% of people live on less than $2 per day, KSG realised the terrible affect of deforestation and the contribution that use of charcoal for their furnaces was causing. Having started an ambitious programme of tree planting they turned their attention to the biggest driver of demand, fuel for cooking.

The result was ingenious design for an efficient cooking stove, made by hand from sheet metal and using as fuel the plentiful and free sawdust from the local furniture industry, that was otherwise rotting away, unused.

At a cost of 35,000 TSh (£16) they can save a family equivalent of £4.50 per month on charcoal costs, while making kitchens smoke-free.

KSG have sold 3,500 stoves since 2005. Each Ashden winner receives £20,000 to invest in their work, and KSG will be using theirs (equivalent to over 70% of their annual turnover) to increase their programme, which includes training smithies from across Tanzania to produce the stoves for sale in their local area.

Accepting the reward on behalf of KSG, John and Reuben Mtitu said:
“Our Ashden Award is not just an acknowledgement of KSG, but a support to help us invest and scale up our scheme, and ensure its sustainability. Our plan is to produce 40,000 more stoves by 2012.”

For more information on the Awards and KSG visit Ashden Awards.