MakaaZingira

Producing sustainable FSC certified eco-charcoal
2009 SEED Award Winner Clean Energy Kenya

MakaaZingira Enterprise has, since 2009, trained rural farmers to produce sustainable charcoal from fast-growing shrubs. Charcoal is the primary fuel source for people in East Africa, providing over 82 % of all cooking and heating supplies. The MakaaZingira eco-charcoal briquettes are made from fast growing indigenous shrubs which are sustainably harvested, carbonised, mixed with waste cassava and coconut fibre and then compressed. 

Eco-Inclusive Impacts

The MakaaZingira promotes environmentally sustainable eco-charcoal briquettes and allows the users to access more efficient and affordable fuel source.
  • Advocating for gender equality and youth involvement through community training and outreach programmes; all community leadership positions are shared on a 50-50 basis between women and men whilst ensuring youth representation.
  • Offering farmers fast growing indigenous shrubs as an alternative to lump wood charcoal which contributes to the conservation of nature and slow-growing indigenous hardwood species.
  • Providing a long-term solution to the habitat loss.

  • Creating employment for more than 40 farmers with another 180 expected to join by 2011.
  • Providing products to two large supermarket chains totaling some 36 outlets. 

 

Partners

This enterprise is supported through its partnerships with various stakeholders, ranging from national and international organisations, investors, research institutes, suppliers, governmental bodies, NGOs, other social and environmental enterprises and more.

Wild Living Resources (WLR) is responsible for ethical and sustainable production; technical assistance; supervision; management guidance and assists with market access.

MakaaZingira community members that undertake the ethical and sustainable production of MakaaZingiraeco-charcoal briquettes.

Kenya Organic Agricultural Network (KOAN) provides technical training for Community Based Organisations/Small and Medium Enterprises in sustainable land use, production, value addition, and marketing.

SEED Library

In the SEED Library you can read case studies and briefs and explore recent news and blog posts related to the enterprise.
Read more

Collaborate with MakaaZingira

Use this form to contact the enterprise directly. The submission of this form notifies SEED of your contact request.
I consent to having SEED collect my details and protect my submitted data in line with privacy policy
Rob Barnett

Meet more enterprises in the sector

ADAPT+


Clean Energy Kampala, Uganda

Awamu Biomass Energy Ltd.

2013 SEED Low Carbon Award Winner
Clean Energy Kampala, Uganda

Rokim Group Limited


Clean Energy Nairobi, Kenya

Man and Man Enterprise

2011 SEED Award Winner
Clean Energy Kumasi, Ghana

Asrat and Helawi Engineering Partnership

2014 SEED Africa Award Winner
Clean Energy Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Masupa Enterprises

2017 SAG-SEED Award Winner
Clean Energy Kagoma-Maganjo, Uganda