Energy poverty cycle in Malawi: Trees vanish, women suffer

Energy poverty cycle in Malawi: Trees vanish, women suffer

Patricia Mussa of Kambalame Village in Machinga District walks out of her smoky grass-thatched kitchen while sneezing and scratching her itchy, watery eyes. “I am forced to smoke from the open fireplace every time I am cooking meals for my family,” says the mother of five in Traditional Authority (T/A) Chamba. During meal preparation, spirals of dark smoke ooze from almost every household’s kitchen in the village. This is also a typical sight am…