Enabling Others to Do Great Work: Supporting Chimneys for Africa
Chimneys for Africa required real-time data validation to prove the efficacy of their culturally consonant chimney design—a critical step toward saving lives and achieving widespread global health impact.
In Australia, we rarely think twice about the air in our kitchens—modern exhaust systems handle the residue of cooking. This reality stands in stark contrast to the experience of millions worldwide. For communities where indoor wood-fire cooking is a vital cultural tradition, the air is deadly. This practice leads to 3.2 million preventable deaths annually, predominantly among women and children. The kitchen becomes a hazard, pumping out a toxic concoction of contaminants that cause irreparable respiratory and nervous system damage.
At Air-Met Scientific, we believe in supporting projects that enable others to do great work. Since 1984, we have provided equipment for safety and environmental integrity, but our latest project goes beyond compliance—it's about improving people’s quality of life. This impactful story began right here in Melbourne and saw our DustCanary take flight to East Africa to support Chimneys for Africa, an organisation delivering a simple yet profound solution. We were privileged to provide our technical expertise and technology to validate their life-changing mission.
Featured Video: In Conversation with David Baulis
Hear the story of the mission directly from the source. In this video, Andrew Marom from Air-Met Scientific catches up with David Baulis from Chimneys for Africa to learn more about the critical research trip, the project's ambitious mission, and the future of their culturally consonant design.
The Barrier: Why Previous Solutions Failed
The problem isn't a lack of engineering; it's a lack of cultural sensitivity. Cooking over indoor fires is a deeply held cultural tradition, but the smoke is deadly.
Previous ventilation designs for under-resourced communities have consistently been rejected because they required residents to fundamentally change practices and traditions. This approach was not only irrelevant but fundamentally flawed, as the solutions could never take root and become widespread, thereby limiting the impact to only a tiny number of people. It was an engineering solution that ignored the human element.
The Chimneys for Africa Difference: Consonance Over Conformity
This is why Chimneys for Africa was founded. Driven by engineer David Baulis and anthropologist Natasha Baulis, they approached the problem by listening first and foremost.
They developed a solution defined by cultural consonance—life-saving ventilation that respects traditional ways of living. Their simple, yet revolutionary, chimney design integrates rather than replaces traditional cooking practices, delivering on their mission to achieve better health for women and children through culturally consonant design.
The Data Requirement: Validation in the Field
The Need for Real-World Certainty
Chimneys for Africa embarked on a 6-week research and development trip to East Africa. While they were confident the design worked, they required concrete, measurable data to validate the chimney's effectiveness in the most crucial environment: the end-users' homes.
“A lab test can tell us how the chimney performs under ideal conditions. But only by installing the chimney in the homes of our intended end-users and watching how they utilise the chimney in practice can we gain a proper understanding of the influence of fuel choice, home design and cooking habits on the overall efficacy and suitability of these units. This detailed, real-world insight is what will ultimately help to achieve wider acceptance, widespread uptake, and long-term adoption of the Chimneys for Africa design.”
Their primary data requirements were stringent:
- Accurate measurements of smoke exposure and ventilation before and after installation.
- Personal exposure data, specifically capturing the air quality for the individual person cooking.
The Solution: The DustCanary Trend 420 Monitor
Upon being introduced to David and the mission, Air-Met Scientific was delighted to learn that we were perfectly placed to provide the specialised technical expertise and equipment to support them. We recommended the DustCanary Trend 420 Personal Real-Time Dust Monitor and a selection of Air Quality Monitoring Equipment to the team at Chimneys for Africa for their project requirements.
Our solutions met both of their crucial requirements by providing:
- Real-Time Data: Measuring airborne particulates instantaneously, providing immediate feedback on the chimney's performance
- Personal Exposure: Unobtrusively attaching to the clothing of the person cooking, ensuring the data reflected the exact air quality they were breathing
“We’re particularly excited to be using the DustCanary to test the real-time impact of the chimney on the air that women will be breathing—how their posture (e.g. leaning in to stir) and their methods (e.g. moving the pot on and off the heat) will influence the efficacy of our design.”
The Impact: Making a Difference
The real-time data collected by the DustCanary provided the essential validation required to measure the true, life-saving impact of the chimney design in the field. Crucially, this quantifiable data is being used to inform and engage stakeholders, leading to greater funding and support so the project can achieve wider adoption, reaching more homes and communities across Africa.
“Every time we get an instrument or a piece of equipment into someone’s hands, we enable them to do great work. This is our purpose. To make a difference.”
Air-Met Scientific is proud to support initiatives such as Chimneys for Africa which are making a profound difference to global health and the environment. If you would like to follow this life-changing project, please visit their website, or connect with David on LinkedIn.
Find Your Air Monitoring Solution
For more information on our Air Monitoring Solutions and the DustCanary Personal Dust Monitor, please reach out to your local Air-Met Scientific office.
Featured Video: In Conversation with David Baulis
Hear the story of the mission directly from the source. In this video, Andrew Marom from Air-Met Scientific catches up with David Baulis from Chimneys for Africa to learn more about the critical research trip, the project's ambitious mission, and the future of their culturally consonant design.
The Barrier: Why Previous Solutions Failed
The problem isn't a lack of engineering; it's a lack of cultural sensitivity. Cooking over indoor fires is a deeply held cultural tradition, but the smoke is deadly.
Previous ventilation designs for under-resourced communities have consistently been rejected because they required residents to fundamentally change practices and traditions. This approach was not only irrelevant but fundamentally flawed, as the solutions could never take root and become widespread, thereby limiting the impact to only a tiny number of people. It was an engineering solution that ignored the human element.