At just 30 years old, Anitha Umutoniwase has already achieved what many aspire to in a lifetime: she’s co-founded and now leads Eco Green Solutions Limited, a company dedicated to revolutionizing clean cooking in Rwanda. Born out of a desire to combat environmental degradation and address pressing social issues, Anitha’s journey as a young entrepreneur is as inspiring as it is transformative.
Eco Green Solutions, established in 2018 and officially incorporated in 2020 when the co-founder was just 25 years old, manufactures and distributes improved cookstoves and their corresponding pellets. For many families in rural areas, particularly women and children, the act of gathering firewood for traditional cooking methods exposes them to significant risks, including sexual violence and missed educational opportunities for children. Umutoniwase and her co-founder saw these issues and decided to take action.
“We noticed the struggles faced by women and children who had to spend hours in forests searching for firewood. This exposure led to incidents of rape and caused children to miss school, all for the sake of gathering fuel for cooking. We realized that we could bring a solution to this,” she explains.
The journey to create this solution wasn’t easy. Initially, the company lacked a production facility for the cookstoves and had to rely on collaborations. Anitha and her team partnered with students from the Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) to develop a prototype, which was later certified by the Rwanda Standard Board after six attempts. The challenges didn’t stop there. Sourcing pellets for the stoves required working with external suppliers until Eco Green Solutions was able to scale its operations and acquire its own production line.
Today, the company produces 5,000 improved cookstoves annually, with a vision to increase its production even further. The stoves, designed to be affordable and efficient, have not only reduced reliance on traditional three-stone fire cooking methods but also improved the quality of life for their users. “Having our improved cookstove available with pellets reduces the number of people using traditional cooking methods. The stoves are efficient, affordable, and most importantly, safe,” the revolutioner emphasizes.
As of now, Eco Green Solutions has served 8,300 clients, including refugees and their host communities. Their product has transformed not only how families cook but also how they live. The improved cookstoves and pellets have significantly cut down the time women and children spend searching for firewood, allowing children to attend school regularly and on time. This impact reaches far beyond simple convenience; it transforms lives.
The company’s initial attempts to introduce the cookstoves faced resistance. Many people were hesitant to adopt the new technology, finding it expensive and unfamiliar compared to their traditional methods of cooking. However, through persistent community outreach and marketing strategies, Anitha and her team managed to win over their audience. “It was a big challenge to get our clients to understand the impact of this solution. But through constant outreach, we’ve seen people start to love our product. It’s different now compared to when they first saw it,” Anitha shares.
In a sector dominated by men, Umutoniwase’s role as a young woman leading a renewable energy company stands out. She recalls the skepticism she faced when she first shared her vision with her parents and others around her. “They said this is a tough business, and I couldn’t do it. But I was determined. I knew I had to make it happen.”
Today, Eco Green Solutions employs 66 permanent staff, including young people and refugees, who contribute to the company’s mission of providing sustainable and clean energy solutions. Anitha takes great pride in the inclusivity of her company, providing training opportunities for young women through partnerships with the University of Rwanda and CESA. “Every month, we provide training to young women, helping them learn more about clean cooking technology and the renewable energy sector. It’s rewarding to see them get inspired and even start their own ventures.”
The road to success wasn’t straightforward. It required multiple trips to the Rwanda Standard Board to get their cookstove prototype approved. But for her and her co-founder, their consistency and belief in their mission kept them going. “A lot of people say, ‘Believe in yourself, you can do it,’ and that’s important. But for us, it wasn’t easy. We knew what we wanted, and having a clear plan of where we wanted to be pushed us forward.”
Looking ahead, Anitha sees even greater potential for Eco Green Solutions. The company plans to expand its reach beyond Rwanda’s borders and into other countries, scaling its impact and bringing clean cooking solutions to even more communities. As one of the first women in the renewable energy sector in Rwanda, Anitha is not only breaking barriers but also setting an example for future generations of entrepreneurs.
