In 2018, the technology finally came to Dunga in a move that promised to be a two-for-one solution to the dual menaces of the water hyacinth and dependence on firewood. The community received two donated biogas digesters — machines that would transform a mix of water hyacinth and cow dung into biogas for cooking, as well as material for other household tasks such as incubating chicks and purifying water.
Kenya’s Biogas International company installed the stoves in partnership with the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability. That’s because half of Kenyan households prepare their meals inside their homes and, with a dependence on wood, charcoal and even paraffin, that makes for smoky conditions, but breathing problems like Keita’s aren’t the only risk.