Eco-bags: tackling the dangers of open-fire cooking in Africa

When in March 2013, my twelve year-old daughter Gabi died suddenly of a rare trauma-related condition called Non Epileptic Attack Disorder, drowning in the bath one Saturday morning- my life purpose, my priorities, my reason to exist, changed forever in that instant. It is something only another bereaved parent can truly understand, and I have met many of those in recent years for mutual support and understanding.

That’s one of the reasons I founded Hope Walking, to guide others through the many griefs and losses we can experience in life, using the many helpful techniques I have learned over the past decade to recover my mental health and create my ‘new normal’.

Widowed two years before Gabi died and with my son having graduated and living happily in London, I found myself prioritising life very differently and looking at how I can best serve others in her memory. I couldn’t save her life, but there are other mums across the world who will see their children die before their eyes if people like me don’t step up and out to educate and share their resources.

My trip to Africa

Emboldened by a two-month sabbatical from my own communications consultancy to explore Australia solo in 2016, an adventure I had promised we would have together, and inspired by my son’s student volunteering in Tanzania and Kenya, I am heading to the Southern African mountain kingdom of Lesotho in January this year.

Just before she died, Gabi had changed her career goal from Tudor historian to children’s doctor, so she could help children like her. I am now heading to one of the poorest countries on earth, entering via one of the world’s most unequal countries to save lives in honour of her dream.

My guide will be Dr Ken Dunn, who founded the charity Africa’s Gift and shared-wealth company Eternal Flame Worldwide.

I changed my entire life and founded Hope Walking this year to offer modern-day pilgrimages and women’s reflective walking holidays, partnering with the brilliant team at Walking Women. I am beyond excited that Ken is going to introduce me to local women guides to see how we can together create sustainable walking experiences our Walking Women guests will love.

All female, all local, all of the highest ethical and sustainable standards. Before making my passion for walking my business, I ran a social purpose communications consultancy supporting small business start-ups for fifteen years, so I am particularly excited to see what skills I can offer for community development. I love Ken’s ethos that we are working in partnership with local people- not doing things to them.

Saving lives and cutting carbon emissions

Enterprises are springing up because thanks to a cooking innovation called eco cook bag which we will be demonstrating in each community we visit, women are no longer time-poor. Examples are start-ups producing washable sanitary pads for girls starting school and craft production. We will work alongside these dynamic women entrepreneurs and be welcomed into their communities. We are not seeking trauma, but we may well see and experience things that will disturb us, so each evening we will have a ‘download’ talk in the lodges.”

After discovering the stunning walks in the area, the purpose I am most excited about is showing women how to save their lives by using that revolutionary life and planet-saving environmentally friendly cloth slow cooker.

Endorsed by celebrity chefs including our own Jamie Oliver, I will be spending my Christmas holiday learning to cook with one so I can demonstrate its simple life-saving brilliance to every community I come into contact with. Ken explains:

This fantastic development, recognized as one of the top 50 world-changing innovations, is changing and saving lives in Africa, by reducing the amount of time spent stirring the pot and collecting fuel, as well as cutting the amount of water and wood required by 80%. The eco cook bag works as a slow cooker; once food has been brought to the boil, the pot is removed from the heat source and placed into the insulated bag to finish cooking. The King of Lesotho holds the role of Ambassador of Nutrition across the African Union, so he is a huge fan of the way Eternal Flame’s bag keeps all the nutrients in the food, rather than escaping with the steam as water levels are topped up.

The dangers of open fire cooking – and the lives they cost

Over 3 billion of the earth’s population, 50% of humanity, still cook on an open fire.

4 million people across the planet die annually from indoor air pollution causes because of inhaling burning fossil fuels.

Half those deaths are children under the age of 5 years.

Six people every minute, one every ten seconds.

Such open-fire cooking can also cause terrible burns and even blindness. In just one refugee camp in Darfur, over 200 women a month were being raped while walking up to 10 kilometres a day to find firewood.

These women are experiencing over 200 times smoke inhalation recommended safety levels. And eco cook bags allow girls to go back into schools instead of pot-stirring.

I certainly never dreamt as I grew up in my nice middle class family, that by my forties I would have lost my husband, our family business, home and my daughter, but in finding something I can do for those who have far less than us, I know I will gain an essential sense of global perspective. As Charles Dickens said, ‘no one is useless who lightens the burdens of another.’ Happy Christmas everyone.

To find out more about walking with Faye in Africa, contact Faye and see her other UK-based adventures for 2023.

For just £35 you could sponsor an eco cook bag which I can place into the hands of a woman or child who dies every 20 seconds of inhaling smoke from the fires they cook on. If you would like to donate or gift one, we can send a lovely gift certificate.

Learn more on the eco cook bags made by and for women in Lesotho’s new shared-wealth company