Climate change: Clean cooking technology transforms women’s lives in Teso
SOROTI, March 19, 2026 — For years, cooking over smoky firewood stoves exposed many women in Teso to choking fumes, persistent coughs and eye irritation, turning a daily domestic task into a health risk. Now, a new wave of clean cooking technology is beginning to change that reality, offering safer kitchens, healthier homes and fresh hope in the fight against climate change.
For Immaculate Acom, the difference has been life-changing.
Whenever she cooked on a traditional firewood stove, smoke filled the kitchen, making her eyes water and leaving her struggling to breathe. But today, her home in Aten village, Odudui parish, Arapai Subcounty in Soroti district has become a model for green energy solutions.
With a biogas digester built by her husband, Acom can now cook and light her home more safely.
“I used to cough every time I cooked. Now, with a biogas digester built by my husband, I can cook and light our home safely,” she said, pointing to the small green dome beside her house. “This is a relief for all the mothers in the community.”
Acom’s story is part of the TORCH Project, a multi-university initiative involving Makerere University, Busitema University, Kabale University and the University of Juba. The project is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting sustainable practices at community level.
Unlike many conventional environmental campaigns, the TORCH Project places direct engagement with local communities at its centre. Role models within villages are identified and trained in modern agricultural practices, clean energy use and environmentally friendly ways of living.
“Our mandate is to go to the community, share knowledge, listen to their challenges, and co-create solutions. It is about learning together,” said Dr Jolly Akullo Oder, the TORCH Project Coordinator at Busitema University.
The project operates within a 10-square-kilometre zone around Busitema University’s Arapai campus, where researchers, students and community members meet regularly to share ideas and implement practical solutions.
Branded as a living laboratory, the initiative seeks to promote green growth, rural carbon credits and the adoption of affordable green technologies.
Dr Patrick Musinguzi, the Principal Investigator from Makerere University, said the project is built on a community-centred approach.
“We are here to sit at the table with the community, discuss the challenges of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, and chart a path forward together, knowing that awareness is the first step to action,” he said.
The project focuses on practical interventions such as biogas digesters, sustainable tree planting and energy-efficient farming methods to reduce carbon emissions at household and community level.
“Change begins at home. When communities understand the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions and know how to respond, the impact spreads far beyond one village or household,” Musinguzi added.
For local farmers such as John Michael Elebu, the university outreach has been both eye-opening and encouraging.
“I’ve never seen academics come to the community and engage with us so openly. I hope they can provide free improved tree seedlings to support our farming and fight climate change,” Elebu said.
Acom has urged men in the community to take an active role in adopting clean energy technologies. Her husband, David Okwi, is among those championing the integration of green technologies into everyday agricultural practices.
“Promoting renewable energy and sustainable farming is not just about protecting the environment,” Okwi said. “It also improves health, saves money and strengthens the resilience of our families.”
The TORCH Project represents a unique model of collaboration between academia and the community, where research and practical application meet. The universities provide expertise, training and access to modern technologies, while community members contribute local knowledge, labour and a willingness to embrace change.
Through this partnership, they are tackling climate change, energy poverty and environmental degradation at the grassroots.
By turning households into living laboratories, the TORCH Project is helping to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, while delivering immediate benefits such as cleaner air, reduced health risks and practical solutions for everyday life.
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