Madjala’s story: From traditional cooking to clean energy advocacy
During Mali’s first edition of Clean Cooking Days event series, Madjala Traoré engaged with the ways in which improved cookstoves can preserve traditional cooking while promoting cleaner, safer, and more sustainable practices.
Cooking is at the heart of Malian social and cultural tradition, bringing together generations, families, and communities. Yet in a country where over two-thirds of energy needs are still met by wood, this tradition also comes at a cost: deforestation, household air pollution, and health risks, especially for women and children.
Against this backdrop, Mali’s first Clean Cooking Days initiative in Bamako marked a new beginning. The event brought together women, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to reimagine how Mali cooks. Among them was Madjala Traoré, representing the Coordination of Women’s Associations and NGOs of Mali (CAFO).
At the heart of the event was the culinary contest, A cookstove for everyone, where six women, including Madjala, prepared beloved traditional dishes using GWA+ certified improved cookstoves. GWA+ is a locally developed cookstove label supported by SNV and the Malian Alliance for Clean Cooking (M-ACC) to ensure that every stove meets high standards of energy efficiency, cost savings, and safety.
The contest was not about perfect flavours, but about changing mindsets on how to cook the same cherished recipes faster, cleaner, and with less smoke.
Initially, I wasn’t sure the clean cookstove would would work well with our traditional dishes. But it truly allows faster cooking while protecting us from smoke.
Madjala Traoré, participant in the Clean Cooking Culinary Contest
Madjala Traoré, participant in the Clean Cooking Culinary Contest
Changing perceptions, one dish at a time
Organised by Mali Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (M-ACC) with support from SNV, the two-day event aimed to promote clean cooking solutions, reduce wood dependence, and empower communities to embrace healthier, climate-resilient practices.
Cooking is seen as a domestic task. But it is becoming increasingly clear that it’s also a matter of public health, economic opportunity, and climate action.
Ousmane Samassékou, President of the Mali Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (M-ACC).
Alongside the contest, the Clean Cooking Days featured thematic panels on clean energy policies, fuel access, and gender-inclusive energy transitions. More than twenty clean cooking entrepreneurs exhibited their products, sharing practical innovations and lessons from the field. Public education sessions under the theme Women and clean cooking invited participants to reflect on the health and environmental impacts of traditional biomass cooking and the benefits of adopting cleaner alternatives.
Since 2019, 22 improved cookstove models have been certified under the GWA+ label, with online sales registrations steadily increasing. This progress has been supported by awareness campaigns, social media outreach, television advertising, and the leadership of women’s cooperatives across Mali.
Shared commitment, growing momentum
The first edition of Clean Cooking Days attracted strong engagement from government institutions and private actors promoting GWA+ certified cookstoves and fuels. Panel discussions highlighted the role of the GWA+ quality label in driving clean cooking adoption nationwide and the need to strengthen public-private partnerships to sustain progress.
What began as a cooking competition became a moment of learning and exchange. For participants like Madjala, they engaged anew with their relationship with cooking—from preparing food to contributing to cleaner, safer cooking practices within their communities.
I’ve been using the improved cookstove, saving on cooking time while keeping my kitchen clean.
Madjala Traoré
With the partnership of SNV and M-ACC, clean cooking in Mali is gaining visibility and credibility. A growing network of new advocates is now leading the change, promoting GWA+ stoves in their communities, and showing that clean cooking is not just about energy. It is about dignity, health, and opportunity.