12/05/2026
Advancing Inclusive and Sustainable eCooking Initiatives: the JustGESI team on a Learning Visit to TaTEDO SESO/SESCOM
TaTEDO – Sustainable Energy Services Organization (TaTEDO SESO), in collaboration with Sustainable Energy Services Company Limited (SESCOM), successfully hosted international participants from the JustGESI programme for a high-impact learning visit at its premises in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 22, 2026. Participants from institutions across the UK, Malawi, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Kenya are working on Work Package 1 of the Mainstreaming Gender Equality and Social Inclusion for a Just Energy Transition in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania project (JustGESI), which focuses on understanding GESI barriers to eCooking access in partner countries and designing seed funding initiatives to harness the skills of women and marginalised groups to drive a Just Energy Transition.
TaTEDO-SESO serves as a local institutional partner for the JustGESI project. The visit focused on TaTEDO-SESO/SESCOM's ongoing efforts in supporting eCooking in the country and strategies to transition households from cooking with biomass fuels to electric cooking. The visit provided a unique opportunity for participants to experience firsthand Tanzania’s practical progress in accelerating access to modern, clean cooking solutions, particularly electric cooking (eCooking), through inclusive, market-based approaches.
From Policy to Practice: A Living Model of eCooking in Action.
The visit was officially opened with welcome remarks from the CEO of TaTEDO SESO and the Board Chairperson of SESCOM, who emphasized the organization’s commitment to ensuring that clean energy transitions are inclusive, equitable, and grounded in real market solutions.
Participants were introduced to SESCOM as the implementation social enterprise that translates national policies, strategies, research, and development initiatives into tangible services, products, and measurable impact for households and institutions across Tanzania.
Showcasing a Scalable Business Model for eCooking
A comprehensive presentation delivered by the SESCOM Manager, Ms Katarina Aloyce, highlighted the organization’s journey in building a viable eCooking market in Tanzania. The session covered:
Development of a market-based eCooking business model
Distribution through women-led sales networks and community groups
Deployment of over 23,000 electric cooking appliances since 2019
Innovative financing approaches, including VICOBA/SACCOS models and on-bill financing pilots with TANESCO
Addressing socio-cultural barriers through behaviour change, demonstrations, and localized product design
The presentation also candidly addressed key challenges, including affordability, grid reliability, and supply chain constraints, while emphasizing critical lessons for scaling eCooking across Africa.
Hands-On Learning: Bringing eCooking to Life
The participants observed live demonstrations of SESCOM eCooking appliances, particularly electric pressure cookers (EPCs), and learned about how SESCOM handles the distribution of these technologies. The highlight of the visit was an interactive, hands-on demonstration session in which participants engaged directly with electric cooking technologies. Participants observed and actively participated in:
Cooking a variety of local Tanzanian dishes using Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs)
Preparing meals using air fryers, showcasing healthier and energy-efficient cooking methods
Understanding time and cost savings compared to traditional cooking fuels
Exploring after-sales services, including maintenance, spare parts, and technician support networks
Cooking a variety of local Tanzanian dishes using Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs)
Preparing meals using air fryers, showcasing healthier and energy-efficient cooking methods
Understanding time and cost savings compared to traditional cooking fuels
Exploring after-sales services, including maintenance, spare parts, and technician support networks
A Milestone in Tanzania’s Clean Cooking Journey
The successful hosting of the JUSTGESI international participants marks another important milestone in Tanzania’s leadership in clean cooking innovation.
The engagement with JustGESI project partners highlighted TaTEDO-SESO/SESCOM’s leadership in eCooking efforts and reinforced the importance of inclusive energy transitions. TaTEDO-SESO/SESCOM’s eight-year experience in eCooking aligns with JustGESI's goals of advancing gender-equitable and socially inclusive energy access. The visit supported knowledge exchange and partnership development, paving the way for scalable, sustainable solutions. Future work will focus on integrating social and gender equity into eCooking through the implementation of the flagship project for mainstreaming GESI in the eCooking interventions.
By combining policy leadership, business innovation, and practical implementation, TaTEDO SESO and SESCOM continue to demonstrate that a just and inclusive energy transition is not only verbally possible but also already underway.
