Meet Doreen Asimenye Ndovi — National Planning Officer, iRise Carbon
The person who makes the field operations run. In her own words.
This week at iRise Carbon, Monday introduced SDG 7 — Affordable and Clean Energy — and what 2 million clean cookstove deployments actually means for communities across Malawi. Wednesday explained the verification standard behind every one of those stoves: the household records, the GPS data, the geotagged photographs, the iVerify platform that captures it all at the point of distribution.
Today we introduce the person whose planning makes that field delivery possible.
Meet Doreen Asimenye Ndovi — National Planning Officer at iRise Carbon, based in Blantyre, Malawi.
“Integrity means showing up and putting in effort that truly represents who I am and the standards I hold myself to. At iRise, I've experienced a lot of trust — where my work is expected to reflect real outcomes. That trust motivates me to consistently deliver quality work.”
— Doreen Asimenye Ndovi, National Planning Officer, iRise Carbon
What Doreen actually does
In Doreen's own words: she coordinates and plans field operations for the clean cooking programme, making sure teams are aligned, prepared, and have what they need to deliver their work effectively.
That description is deceptively simple. Behind it is the work of synchronising district-level teams across Malawi, managing resources and logistics, anticipating bottlenecks before they become disruptions, and building the operational systems that allow iRise Carbon's verification standards to be met at scale.
Successfully coordinating district-level activities where teams are aligned, resources are in place, and targets are met without major disruptions — that shows that the systems behind the work are functioning well.
What drew her to this work
Doreen did not arrive at iRise Carbon through a policy paper or a career plan. She arrived through observation.
What drew me in was seeing firsthand how energy challenges affect everyday life in communities — especially how reliance on traditional cooking methods impacts health, time, and household income — and realising that climate solutions like clean cooking can directly improve people's lives in a meaningful and immediate way.
That connection between a climate mechanism and a kitchen is exactly what iRise Carbon's cookstove programme is built on. Doreen understood it before she joined.
What she sees in the field
Doreen's work takes her into the communities where the programme operates. What she encounters there is not abstract.
You see the realities of daily life — long hours spent collecting firewood, kitchens filled with smoke, and the challenges households face managing limited resources. But you also hear appreciation, curiosity, and honest feedback from communities about what works and what doesn't. Those conversations are very real and help shape how we improve the programme.
That feedback loop — from community to programme design — is one of the less visible but most important parts of how iRise Carbon operates. The best verification system in the world only works if the communities it serves trust it and engage with it.
What communities have taught iRise Carbon
We asked Doreen what communities have taught iRise Carbon — rather than the other way around. Her answer was direct.
Communities have taught us the importance of listening and adapting. What may seem like a good solution on paper doesn't always work in practice. Their feedback helps us design better approaches that fit their actual needs, habits, and daily realities.
This is not a minor point. It is a description of how genuine community consent functions — and why it matters. Doreen's view on consent is equally clear.
Genuine consent means communities fully understand what the project involves, have the opportunity to ask questions, and make a voluntary decision without pressure. In the industry, it often goes wrong when information is not clearly explained or when communities feel they have no real choice.
“It's powerful to see that climate solutions can also improve everyday life in very practical ways.”
— Doreen Asimenye Ndovi
The hardest part — and why it is worth it
The hardest part of my job is building systems that bring together different teams with varied expertise and making sure everything runs in sync. It can be challenging because a lot depends on coordination and timing — but it's worth it because when everything comes together, you see real impact on the ground and know you played a part in making it happen.
To anyone considering iRise Carbon
Look beyond the surface and really immerse yourself in understanding the organisation — its culture, its work, and how you can contribute to the bigger picture.
Doreen is one of a growing team of professionals across iRise Carbon's Clean Cooking, Reforestation, Finance and Operations divisions — each bringing deep expertise and genuine commitment to the work of building a carbon programme that communities and buyers can trust.
Follow iRise Carbon on LinkedIn for the next article in the Meet the Team series — every Friday for 15 weeks.
www.irisecarbon.com · Measured. Transparent. Community-driven.
iRise Carbon
Published 17 April 2026
Week 3 · All Three Articles
Explore the full week's content
SDG 7: Toward 2 Million Cookstoves — Malawi's Clean Energy Transformation
Read
WednesdayThe Cookstove Revolution — 2 Million Stoves. Every One Verified.
ReadFridayYou're hereMeet Doreen Asimenye Ndovi — National Planning Officer, iRise Carbon
