Kaze Green Economy

Kaze Green Economy, commonly abbreviated as KAGE, is a Burundian social enterprise focused on alternative cooking fuels and improved stoves. The company manufactures substitutes for firewood and charcoal by processing biodegradable waste, including maize cobs, rice husks, coffee parchment, palm residues, charcoal residues and other agricultural by-products. Its work addresses two closely related problems in Burundi: heavy reliance on wood-based fuels and the accumulation of organic waste in households, dumps and urban areas. Wood, used either directly as firewood or converted into charcoal, has historically supplied the overwhelming majority of Burundi's cooking energy. This dependence places pressure on forests and contributes to indoor air pollution. Kaze Green Economy's fuel products are intended to reduce the need to harvest trees while providing households with a lower-smoke, lower-odor and potentially more affordable cooking option. The enterprise also produces energy-efficient cooking stoves from recycled plastic and metal waste, extending its environmental activity beyond fuel manufacture. The company was founded in Gitega in 2018 by Delphin Kaze, who studied environmental sciences at the Polytechnic University of Gitega. While researching deforestation, Kaze developed the idea of producing charcoal-like fuel from biodegradable waste. Early experiments were unsuccessful, but the addition of corn cobs improved the material's performance. The resulting product was subsequently validated by Burundi's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. KAGE's manufacturing process involves collecting organic residues from households and waste sites, drying them, partially heating them in ovens, crushing them into a carbon-rich powder and combining the powder with other materials to form fuel products. The company makes KABIOF Rukwi, a firewood substitute, and KABIOF Makara, a charcoal substitute. It also markets charcoal-like fuel under the Kabiof name. According to the available reference material, a piece of the charcoal substitute can burn for more than two hours, while the fuel is described as producing no smoke or odor under the company's stated operating conditions. With support from UNDP Burundi, including material and technical assistance, Kaze Green Economy expanded beyond its original Gitega operation. A factory was established in Bujumbura on land granted by the Burundian state, and production there began in October 2020. The site includes areas for storing rice husks, machinery for producing coal substitutes and briquettes, offices, improved-stove production and other operational facilities. The enterprise reported substantial growth during its early expansion period. In 2020 it was described as supplying approximately 8,000 households, employing 42 people and producing between 300 and 500 kilograms of fuel per day. During a May 2021 visit, Delphin Kaze reported that daily output had risen from approximately 350 kilograms to 28 tonnes, consisting of firewood-equivalent and charcoal-equivalent products. These figures are historical company-reported or visit-related figures rather than current independently verified capacity data. By 2022, the business reportedly had more than 40 permanent employees and over 20 day laborers. Kaze Green Economy presents its model as both an environmental and social intervention. Waste collection creates employment, while the use of agricultural residues can help keep streets and disposal areas cleaner. The company has also been recognized for employing women and people with disabilities. At the same time, its expansion has faced practical constraints, including unreliable or insufficient electricity, limited storage, waste-disposal difficulties and the need to separate biodegradable household waste from other materials. Current ownership, management, production capacity and market reach are not established in the available material.

Kaze Green Economy emerged from founder Delphin Kaze's environmental research in Burundi. Born in Gitega around 1997, Kaze studied environmental sciences at the Polytechnic University of Gitega and became interested in the effects of deforestation and the country's dependence on wood-based cooking fuels. Because firewood and charcoal account for most household cooking energy in Burundi, Kaze explored whether organic waste could be converted into a usable fuel. The first trials did not produce satisfactory results. The process improved when corn cobs were incorporated into the material, producing a more effective charcoal substitute. The product was later validated by Burundi's Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Kaze launched the enterprise in Gitega in 2018. The available reference material gives the company's name as both Kaze Green Economy and, in the historical account, Kaze Freen Economy. The business collects biodegradable material from households, dumps and agricultural activities. Maize cobs, rice husks, coffee parchment, palm residues, charcoal residues and other plant materials are dried, partially burned in ovens and crushed into a carbon-rich powder. The powder is then mixed with other inputs and formed into fuel products. KABIOF Rukwi is intended to replace firewood, while KABIOF Makara is intended to replace charcoal. The company also manufactures cooking stoves using recycled plastic and metal waste. Kaze Green Economy's model combines clean-cooking objectives with waste management. Its fuels are promoted as cheaper than conventional alternatives and as producing less smoke and odor. A piece of the charcoal substitute is reported to burn for more than two hours. By substituting waste-derived fuel for wood and charcoal, the enterprise aims to reduce incentives for tree cutting, limit indoor air pollution and improve local waste conditions. Collection and processing activities also create jobs. UNDP Burundi provided material and technical assistance as the enterprise expanded. The Burundian state granted Kaze land for a factory in northern Bujumbura, and production at the Bujumbura site began in October 2020. The facility was described as occupying a large plot with rice-husk storage, connected fuel-processing machinery, offices, improved-stove production and other operational areas. The enterprise reported serving about 8,000 households in 2020. That year it was described as employing 42 people and producing approximately 300 to 500 kilograms per day. During a May 2021 visit by First Lady Angeline Ndayishimiye and UNDP representative Nicole Kouassi, Delphin Kaze stated that output had increased from roughly 350 kilograms per day to 28 tonnes per day, divided between firewood-equivalent and charcoal-equivalent products. The reference material does not independently establish whether those production levels were sustained. The expansion brought operational challenges. Kaze identified limited access to electricity, insufficient storage, waste-disposal problems and the difficulty of separating biodegradable household waste from other refuse. By 2022, the company reportedly employed more than 40 permanent workers and over 20 day laborers. Its social profile was also noted during the 2021 presidential visit, particularly its employment of women and people with disabilities. The available sources document Kaze Green Economy's origins, products and early expansion but do not establish its current ownership, leadership beyond its founder, financial position, website, listed status or present production capacity. Its current operating status should therefore be treated as unconfirmed.

• 2022

  Workforce exceeded 60 reported workers

  [1]Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org

  Kaze Green Economy was reported to have more than 40 permanent employees and over 20 day laborers.

• 2021

  Reported production expansion

  [1]Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org

  During a May visit, founder Delphin Kaze reported growth from approximately 350 kilograms to 28 tonnes of daily output across firewood-equivalent and charcoal-equivalent products.

• 2020

  Bujumbura production facility opened

  [1]Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org

  Production began at the company's Bujumbura factory in October 2020 after state-provided land and support from UNDP Burundi.

• 2020

  Early household and employment scale reported

  [1]Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org

  The company was reported to supply about 8,000 households, employ 42 people and produce 300 to 500 kilograms per day.

• 2018

  Enterprise launched in Gitega

  [1]Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org

  Delphin Kaze launched Kaze Green Economy in Gitega after developing a method for making charcoal-like fuel from biodegradable waste.

A Burundian circular-economy and clean-cooking enterprise offering lower-smoke fuel alternatives made from biodegradable waste while creating waste-collection employment and reducing pressure on forests.

• Firewood substitute

  KABIOF Rukwi

  KABIOF Rukwi is a fuel made from processed biodegradable and agricultural residues and positioned as an alternative to conventional firewood. Its production forms part of Kaze Green Economy's effort to reduce household reliance on wood gathered from forests. The available material does not provide a complete specification of its shape, retail packaging or exact composition.

• Charcoal substitute

  KABIOF Makara

  KABIOF Makara is a charcoal substitute produced from carbonized and processed organic residues. Inputs can include maize cobs, rice husks, coffee parchment, palm residues, charcoal residues and other agricultural waste. It is intended for cooking applications where households would otherwise use wood charcoal.

• Biomass charcoal

  Kabiof Charcoal

  Kabiof Charcoal is the company's waste-derived charcoal-like fuel. The reference material describes it as cheaper than other fuels, without smoke or odor, and capable of burning for more than two hours per piece. These performance and pricing claims are reported in the source material and are not independently verified here.

• Clean-cooking equipment

  Improved cooking stoves

  Kaze Green Economy manufactures energy-efficient cooking stoves using recycled plastic and metal waste. The stoves complement its alternative fuels by targeting more efficient household cooking and reduced indoor pollution. The available material does not identify specific stove models, technical standards or distribution arrangements.

• 2020

  Expanded manufacturing from Gitega to BujumburaStrategy

  Background

  The enterprise sought to increase production of waste-derived fuel and improved stoves after receiving material and technical support from UNDP Burundi.

  Action taken

  Kaze Green Economy established a larger factory in Bujumbura, where production began in October 2020.

  Aftermath

  The company reported increased output and a broader manufacturing site, although the available sources do not independently confirm sustained capacity.

  Source

1. 1Kaze Green Economyen.wikipedia.org