I’ve recently had the opportunity to experiment with an alternative rocket stove concept using local clay and an old metal barrel. Local clay of high quality is also widely available for negligible cost. I found that it is quite easy to make a barrel rocket stove suitable for heating larger buildings using these basic ingredients. These will appeal to an entirely different demographic (schools, nunneries, monasteries, community halls, etc) for the primary use of heating only.

As a result in the overwhelming interest in rocket stoves locally, I’ve decided to also run workshops for locals on how to build these barrel stoves, with a view to training up workshop leaders who will be able to go and run additional workshops in their respective regions. The benefits of barrel rocket stoves is immediate with an almost nil cost and can have a profound effect on those regions that are suffering due to severe cold for many months of the year. Children in schools in particular will benefit greatly from warmer classrooms.

I am hoping to raise additional funding to be able to pay some of these trainers to be able to travel region by region running workshops and building barrel rocket stoves in schools, nunneries and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. I estimate that approx $5,000A per year would fund a full-time trainer to do this.

If you’re interested to know more about this project, send me an email for further information.