Soneva kicks off stove project in Myanmar

Soneva’s ‘Slow Life Foundation’ has expanded into Myanmar, with the launch of the country’s first ever carbon credit initiative.

In partnership with Orbis Development Partners and Mercy Corps, the project will provide low income families with access to energy-efficient and clean burning stoves.

Replacing the traditional three-stone fires, the modern stoves reduce the amount of firewood consumed by at least 50%. The stoves are being sold at highly subsidised prices through a network of local vendors who receive training in sales and book-keeping.

The Slow Life Foundation was created by Soneva’s founder, Sonu Shivdasani.

“This project will directly address climate change and environmental challenges in the country while having deep and meaningful impacts on the lives of the families in Myanmar,” Sonu said.

“Energy poverty is a scourge of the poor and this project will intervene to break this socially corrosive cycle in rural Myanmar by reducing the income that families need to spend for their basic energy needs by over 50%, releasing valuable disposable income which can be spent on improved nutrition, child education and family health.”

Soneva noted that demand for firewood has led to severe deforestation in Myanmar, while wood imported from other parts of the country is more expensive.

Slow Life Foundation said it now planning to create more projects in Myanmar in the future.