That stove may not look much to you if you're used to gas and electricity. But for poor people in Africa, this type of stove is really great. They use much less wood - always in short supply - and all the smoke goes up the chimney. The stove is made from mud and so costs nothing. Before, women had to cook on open fires without chimneys which meant that their health (and their young kids' health) suffered because of the smoky air in the hut. The smoke just went out through a hole in the roof. This stove is a wonderful example of what is called appropriate technology.