Hanny G Investment Company Ltd, a women-led enterprise in Tanzania, has signed the fourth Modern Cooking Facility for Africa (MCFA) project to promote clean cooking solutions in schools and institutions. Established in 2016, the company shifted its focus during the COVID-19 pandemic from producing carbonised charcoal for households and hotels to manufacturing and supplying non-carbonised briquettes to schools and other institutional customers.
Across Tanzania, nearly all of the country’s 22,000 public primary and secondary schools still depend on firewood for cooking. In response, the National Clean Cooking Strategy 2024–2034 calls for institutions to adopt alternative, cleaner fuels, offering new opportunities for businesses like Hanny G Investment to meet the growing demand for sustainable cooking options. The company currently sells natural draft stoves and eco-friendly briquettes to rural and peri-urban schools, colleges, and large organisations.
Through a €1 million investment from MCFA, Hanny G Investment will expand its briquette production facility in Mafinga, Iringa Region. This strategic location, surrounded by forest plantations and sawmills, ensures a steady supply of raw materials for sustainable briquette production. The funding will enable the company to provide up to 4,300 clean cooking services to schools across Tanzania by 2029, improving health and safety for an estimated 7,600 kitchen staff and saving valuable classroom time by reducing the need for students to collect firewood.
The company manufactures its Jiko Poa institutional stoves in Arusha, using a design equipped with chimneys to improve air quality and safety in school kitchens. Supported by the MCFA programme, implemented by Nefco, this initiative marks a significant step toward expanding access to modern energy solutions in Tanzania’s education sector. By empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering sustainable energy innovation, the project is helping build a cleaner, healthier, and more inclusive future for Tanzanian communities.
