O fogareiro que recicla carvão é está fazendo a diferença na África:betano galo

Legenda do vídeo, O fogareiro que recicla carvão é está fazendo a diferença na África

The story…

‘Foyeco’ – The Togolese stove

… energy

Need-to-know language…

discarded – thrown away scraps – small pieces of something, usually waste residue – substance which remains after something has been burned toxic – poisonous; harmful to health

fuel-efficient – not using too much fuel while working

Answer this…

Why is the ‘Foyeco’ better for people’s health?

Watch the video online: https://bbc.in/3aybdE1

Transcript

One man's trash is another man's treasure. It's a motto this Togolese inventor lives by - as he heads to the market to collect discarded coal waste.

Edouard Akakpo-Lado has invented a cooking stove that can run on the coal scraps and residue usually thrown out onto the street.

Edouard Akakpo-Lado - 'Foyeco' inventor

It's got a small fan on the side that blows air onto the coal scraps, which activates the fire and keeps it burning. You don't need to buy charcoal, because it uses recycled coal scraps, and you prepare food much faster - because it reduces your cooking time by half.

In Africa, seventy percent of people cook on open fires using charcoal or wood fuel. Edouard's invention could be a real game-changer, especially for restaurant owners.

Amegadze Anastasie - Restaurant owner

I started using 'Foyeco' five years ago. Before, we used charcoal and had to fan the flames by hand. It was really slow. It meant that one of our cooks was always busy keeping the fire going. Now the 'Foyeco' is different and saves us a lot of money.

It's good for business and it's better for health as well. This new stove generates less smoke than traditional models. Breathing these toxic fumes can cause a variety of issues, including emphysema and lung cancer.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) even estimates that they kill twice as many people as malaria globally. Having more fuel-efficient stoves can also help fight climate change. It’s estimated seven per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from burning coal and firewood.

Edouard Akakpo-Lado -'Foyeco' inventor

You are basically cooking for free while protecting the environment. You're saving both time and money.

Unless renewable alternatives become more affordable - firewood and coal are likely to remain the dominant source of energy for many households on the continent. But until then inventors like Edouard show that simple ideas can make a big difference.

Did you get it?

Why is the ‘Foyeco’ better for people’s health?

The ‘Foyeco’ is better for people’s health as it produces less smoke.