Better Cooking, Better Teaching: Thomas Baparay’s Journey with Improved Cookstoves
Bangladeshi Teacher Thomas Baparay defies gender norms by cooking for his young pupils on the improved cookstove Bondhu Chula, impacting both his kitchen and community.
Over 30 million households in Bangladesh still cook with traditional stoves, often using a simple three-stone fire, where three stones support a cooking pot over an open flame. These stoves are usually fueled by wood, crop residue, or animal dung, leading to significant smoke and harmful emissions. To address this, EnDev is working to drive the adoption of improved cookstoves in rural areas of the country.
In a small village in Kapilmuni Union, Thomas, a teacher at a local primary school, is challenging traditional gender roles by embracing two roles that are traditionally associated with women: cooking and caring for small children.
Thomas finds great joy in personally preparing meals for his pupils. Previously, this task was cumbersome due to the use of a traditional stove, which was time consuming, costly due to the high cost of fuelwood, and detrimental to his health due to the excessive smoke it produced. Thomas’ work was significantly improved when he purchased the Bondhu Chula, a stove which includes a well-designed air flow system and a chimney to channel out smoke efficiently, ensuring minimal indoor air pollution. Encouraged by stove promoters working with EnDev Bangladesh, he switched to this improved cookstove and integrated it into his daily routine.
The stove’s enhanced efficiency means it consumes less firewood, emits less smoke, and offers an overall better cooking experience. This is not only beneficial for the environment, but also for Thomas. He remarks that he has seen cost savings of over 500 Bangladeshi Taka per week since he started using the stove. “Since I started using Bondhu Chula, I no longer have to deal with smoke or those tough black stains on the bottom of my pots. It used to take so much time and effort to clean them, but now cooking is hassle-free!” Thomas shared.
I no longer have to deal with smoke or those tough black stains on the bottom of my pots. It used to take so much time and effort to clean them, but now cooking is hassle-free!
Thomas Baparay
For Thomas, the Bondhu Chula is more than just a stove; it is a tool of empowerment. It has allowed Thomas to cook faster and more efficiently, enabling him to dedicate more time to his pupils. The cleaner cooking process also reduces the time and effort spent on cleaning utensils, further freeing up his schedule to concentrate on other important tasks like preparing lesson plans.
Thomas has since procured a second Bondhu Chula stove which has been installed on the school premises. As an early adopter, he sings its praises and now acts as multiplier – strongly advocating that more men in his community adopt the use of the stove. He believes that highlighting the stove’s hidden benefits will lead to increased adoption in his community.
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