Following the success of the Live Well clean cooking programme in Rwanda, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, DelAgua is accelerating engagement with several African countries, marking a major step forward in increasing access to clean cooking for rural communities that lack fuel efficient and cleaner cooking.
Access to clean cooking in Africa remains a significant challenge, with over 900 million people still reliant on traditional cooking methods, contributing to mass deforestation, significant carbon emissions and long-term health risks. The key role of Improved Cook Stoves is recognised in countries’ Mission 300 compact commitments.
Over the past 12 years, DelAgua has become an expert in delivering large scale carbon funded cookstove projects, enabling rapid market entry, last mile distributions to remote villages, community-based education and development of monitoring systems to accurately track stove usage. Live Well has so far provided over 2 million stoves with a 100% subsidy, impacting more than 9 million people. DelAgua works exclusively with rural communities, to address the energy access gap which disproportionately affects rural households that cannot afford high performing, durable cookstoves.
From the start, the Live Well programme is always implemented in close partnership with governments, ensuring alignment with national climate strategies and contribution to multiple SDGs including Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), and Climate Action (SDG 13). These trusted relationships have facilitated DelAgua’s LoAs with all host governments, delivering equitable outcomes for government partners and accelerating investment.
Our Group team has held several strategic meetings with senior government officials from Uganda, Burundi, Mozambique and Benin so far, with plans to engage more countries in the coming months.
DelAgua’s Head of Government Relations, Monica Keza, recently travelled to Uganda, and met with Dr Brian Isabirye, Commissioner, Renewable Energy Department, Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development, Mr. Meddy Semambo, Assistant Commissioner for Climate Change, Ministry of Water & Environment, Mr. Bob Mukiza, CEO of Uganda Investment Authority and members of the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development’s Clean Cooking Unit.
She said, “This regional growth reflects our commitment to ensuring that no rural household is left behind. We are scaling a proven model that delivers real impact for communities: cleaner cooking, better health, and meaningful climate action. Governments understand the benefits of such projects and have expressed readiness to support the programme’s launch in their countries.”
The CORSIA market is providing a critical mechanism for DelAgua to develop additional financing opportunities, enabling expansion to other countries. This means the project can grow sustainably by attracting results-based funding that will directly support the deployment of stoves. DelAgua’s work has positioned it as a leader in the carbon market, demonstrating how climate finance can be effectively channelled into tangible community and environmental impact.
DelAgua will continue to maintain internationally recognized carbon standards, ensuring integrity and transparency, while also delivering multiple secondary benefits such as job creation, capacity building and empowering women and girls. DelAgua welcomes engagement from partners seeking to combine climate responsibility with sustainable investment in communities most in need.
Watch how communities and families are impacted by the Live Well programme.
