Kenyan woman's stove that's redefining climate action, health

The event, hosted in partnership with the British High Commission and Conservation International, celebrated African leadership and innovation in tackling climate and environmental challenges at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Muthaiga, Nairobi, on July 24, 2025. [David Gichuru]

Charlot Magayi lost her mother at just two years old, and by age 10 her father had also passed away. Orphaned young and lacking a support system, she navigated life alone. At 16, she became a mother, and the struggle intensified. She dropped out of school to support herself and her daughter.

“My first job was selling charcoal in the Mukuru slums,” she recalls. “Charcoal was cheap but incredibly hazardous; the smoke caused respiratory infections constantly.”