On-going training of all kitchen staff involved in the preparation of school meals is part of Simoshi’s obligations, to ensure an optimal performance of the institutional improved cook stoves (IICS).

Unfortunately, not every school delivers the same results, and during our quarterly spot-checks when supervising the IICS conditions, we find these can be very different. Although most schools’ IICS usually need maintenance once a year, when cooks neglect the advice give to take good care of their stoves, those same repairs can happen three times a year.

The typical mistakes that really damage the IICS combustion chamber is using big firewood logs, which end up cracking and breaking the grates and bricks that support such firewood.

Below are two videos that very clearly show the condition of a “before” and “after” situation as our Maintenance Officer performs the IICS repairs during the quarterly school visit. And remember, all there repairs are free of cost to all participating schools under our Project Activity.