A Visit To A Company Where Women Lead In Manufacturing

As Kenyans continue to scratch their heads on how to achieve a situation where women get more opportunities in leadership and in the corporate world, one company, in the heart of Kiambu County, in Ruiru, turned the tables around many years ago.

From the outside, Burn Manufacturing looks just like any other company, going on with its daily activities in an effort to “contribute to the economy” but a look inside reveals the real magic behind its success that needs to be shouted atop rooftops.

They say a fish lays 200 eggs a day but nobody knows while a hen lays only one, but the whole village is notified. For years, Burn Manufacturing has operated as a fish in the deep waters, spreading wings and impacting millions but silently, behind the scenes.

With a 60 percent female employment rate at the factory, BURN has managed to challenge traditional gendered perceptions by employing women in roles considered ‘for men only’. While at the same time empowering women in the kitchen through the use of efficient stoves.

By allowing women to make products made to secure and enhance the lives of their fellow women, Burn ensures that the products that land on the market are for the market made by those who have experience in using them; women.

“By manufacturing BURN stoves locally, we have helped create more than 250 jobs within the company in production, sales, aftersales, marketing, finance, and administration,” says Burn in a statement.

Through the value chain, the company has spurred jobs in stove distribution and sales. It works work with distributors in retail, general trade (hardware/general stores), and social distributors who employ sales agents to sell its stoves.

Burn has set up sub-Saharan’s Africa only solar-powered cookstove manufacturing plant that produces a clean-burning jiko every 40 seconds and in line with Kenya’s government Big4 Agenda. We have modernized the jiko sector that has mainly been seen as ‘juakali’.

BURN stoves reduce by half Black Carbon (soot) released in the atmosphere. Reducing Black Carbon emissions can bring about a more rapid climate response than reductions in CO2 and other long-lived greenhouse gases alone.

BURN also plays part in restoring Kenya’s forests, by reducing amount of firewood & charcoal consumed, and also through our corporate social responsibility program we incorporate tree planting activities.