A loan helped to buy life saving stoves to sell to customers in the local region.


Global Cycle Solutions Mwanza's story

Global Cycle Solutions' (GCS) mission is to provide access to transformative technologies for households in rural Tanzania. It can achieve this by training aspiring entrepreneurs to offer GCS products to their local communities. With the help of Kiva and Burn, its reach is further than ever before. This Kiva loan transfers the credit to customers who cannot afford a clean cookstove, without a payment plan. By leveraging a Kiva loan, customers, primarily women, enjoy the health and economic benefits of the life saving Jikokoa cookstove.

How is a cookstove transformative? 90% of nearly 50 million Tanzanians rely on biomass (firewood and charcoal), as their primary fuel for cooking. Burn's Jikokoa saves 50% on charcoal costs and release 64% less smoke. A Kiva loan helps a truly transformative product become more affordable.

Extending credit for the stoves has brought immediate success. Where the program is available, GCS increased its distribution from 300 to 600 stoves in the first month! The 600 stoves also generated $3,000 USD for the local GCS agents. 7,000 Tanzanian households have benefited from the Jikokoa since late 2014, and GCS hope to reach many more in the coming future.

The person in the photo is the stock point officer at GCS.


This loan is special because:

It distributes clean cookstoves to help families save money and reduce pollution.



Loan details


Lenders and lending teams




Loan details