Rwandan Youth Master Advanced Welding Skills, Boost Eco-Friendly Stove Production

Kigali, Rwanda – October, 2025: Forty young people, encompassing both male and female participants, successfully completed specialized training in welding, metal sheet cutting, riveting, and fastening in Kigali, Rwanda. The training, which ran from October 13th to 17th, 2025, specifically focused on the production of improved cookstoves using modern techniques.

The initiative, which is part of the program “Eni for Clean Cooking”, was promoted by the subsidiary ENE Rwanda and organized by the Salesians of Don Bosco through the Planning and Development Office (PDO) and Don Bosco Gatenga TSS, in collaboration with Joule, Eni’s school of entrepreneurship, and Elis NGO. Participants included students from Don Bosco Gatenga TSS and staff from the company SUN ALLIANCE.

Empowering Women in Technical Fields

A core focus of the event was the empowerment of women involved in eco-friendly stove production and environmental protection. These women shared how their self-reliance and determination have opened doors to careers once considered male-dominated.

Niyomwungeri Josiane, one of the participants, spoke about the role of self-belief, noting that the Rwandan government has long empowered women and girls to believe in themselves. She asserted that confidence is key, whether working physically or mentally. “When you love what you do and set your mind to it, nothing can stop you,” Josiane explained. She used examples such as women studying electricity or riding motorcycles, concluding that a female motorcyclist can transport both women and men without issue, performing just as well as men.

Advanced Skills and Market Opportunities

The training aimed to enhance the participants’ skills through the use of advanced machinery, thereby broadening their market opportunities. Participant Kayitesi Godren detailed the technical knowledge acquired, explaining that they learned about how welding consists of three main parts: marking, cutting, and draining. They observed how to mark metal materials, proceed with cutting, and finally drain or weld the pieces together using different tools such as welding machines.

Josiane explained that the expanded knowledge will allow them to improve their work professionally. She expressed confidence that upon completing the training, they will be qualified to work on various projects or even create their own jobs easily, whether in East Africa or beyond. Kayitesi Godren is confident that the newly gained skills will be helpful in the workplace.

Economic and Environmental Benefits

The participants anticipate that the new approach to production will improve the quality of their products and make the process faster compared to previous methods. Furthermore, they expect customers to appreciate the resulting difference.

The modern cookstoves have significant environmental benefits. Josiane highlighted that the improved cookstoves they produce reduce air pollution and save users time, giving them more free time to focus on other beneficial activities. Another participant added that these new improved cookstoves will decrease fuel consumption, help reduce carbon dioxide emissions and protect the environment., . Economically, the new methods are expected to help reduce production expenses in the market.

Kayitesi Godren concluded by expressing sincere appreciation and gratitude to the organizers for their support.

The program “Eni for Clean Cooking”

In 2018 Eni launched the program “Eni for Clean Cooking”, which promotes access to Clean Cooking to 10 million people across sub-Saharan Africa by 2027, aiming at reaching 20 million people in 2030. . Compared to traditional methods such as three-stone fire, these improved cooking systems ensure reduced use of non-renewable biomass, significantly decreasing the carbon footprint linked to cooking activities and enhancing the quality of life of the families involved. Indeed, using more efficient cooking systems  provides health benefits, boosts productivity, promotes gender equality, safeguards forests and biodiversity, and cuts GHG emissions.