what is a darfur stove?

Imagine having to knowingly put yourself at grave risk just to feed your family. Imagine the fear of being hours from safety with no hope of protection. Imagine having to rely on food rations to live — and being forced to sell some of them to buy wood just to avoid the risk of rape. No one should have to image this yet it is reality for thousands of women every day in Darfur.

Now imagine there is a solution. And imagine you can be part of it.

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the solution: the berkeley-darfur stove®

The Berkeley Darfur Stove is more efficient than traditional 3-stone fires and clay stoves

The Berkeley Darfur Stove® is four times more efficient than traditional 3-stone fires and two times more efficient than clay stoves. The efficiency and design of the stove has many benefits including:

  • less time outside of the camps collecting fuel wood, reducing the risk of exposure to rape.
  • fully enclosed flames reducing the danger of the dense straw and stick shelters from burning down.
  • reduction of smoke production compared to other stoves, reducing smoke inhalation and lung disease.
  • saving time by cutting down fuel wood treks, allowing women to pursue income generating opportunities.

building a berkeley-darfur stove®


stove technology

It takes a lot of know-how to understand the art of simplicity. The Berkeley-Darfur Stove® is a study in user-centered, simple design. While its appearance is deceptively simple, its design is anything but.

Some of the design features include:

The Berkeley Darfur Stove has a user-centric design optimal for cooking conditions in Darfur
  1. A tapered wind collar that increases fuel-efficiency in the windy Darfur environment and allows for multiple size pots.
  2. Wooden handles so a hot stove can be handled.
  3. Metal tabs that can accommodate a flat plate so bread can be baked on the stove.
  4. Internal ridges that create the most optimum space between stove and pot for maximum fuel efficiency.
  5. Feet for stability with optional rods that can be pounded into the earth for additional stability.
6. Nonaligned air openings between the outer stove and inner fire box to
accommodate the gusty Darfur environment and prevent too much air to flow
7. Small fire box opening to prevent using more fuel wood than necessary.