On the ground in Kasungu — where community trust is built one cookstove at a time

Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba is iRise Carbon's District Clean Cooking Officer, based in Kasungu and operating across some of the most active distribution areas in the programme. His work sits at the intersection of community engagement, field operations, and the kind of on-the-ground verification that makes every carbon credit iRise Carbon issues traceable to a real household, a real stove, and a real person.

In his own words, his role involves "community engagement from which I and my team endeavour to bring out the best service to communities through well-planned activities — to make sure beneficiaries understand and use their Efficient Clean Cookstoves effectively." That sentence sounds straightforward. The reality behind it — leading a distributed team across multiple Traditional Authorities, managing the iVerify data workflow, and earning trust in communities that have never heard of a carbon credit — is anything but.

A village stove and a question that changed everything

Nelihno's path into the carbon and clean energy space did not begin in a boardroom or a conference. It began in his village, where he saw people building simple cookstoves under a community project. He asked questions. One conversation led him to the concept of carbon credits — and from there, to research, to discovery, and eventually to a career built around the idea that science and clean technology could genuinely improve the lives of the communities around him.

“I discovered that it's not just clean cooking — it's also afforestation, it's part of the wider carbon space. I felt compelled to be part of the community and to be able to contribute and make impact.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

“Integrity describes honesty, accountability and trustworthiness — demonstrated through the execution of daily activities down to that last beneficiary in improving their lives.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

What integrity looks like in the field

For Nelihno, integrity is not an abstract value — it is a daily practice. It means showing up, being transparent with communities, and ensuring that every interaction the programme has with a beneficiary reflects the trust that has been placed in iRise Carbon. "The core value of the business exists down to that last beneficiary," he says. That accountability stretches from the data collected in iVerify through to the conversations held in villages across Kasungu District.

He is equally clear about where the industry gets it wrong. The biggest failure in community engagement, in his view, is a lack of transparency — organisations that do not involve communities fully, that make people feel they are not genuinely benefiting. iRise Carbon's approach is different:

“We spend more time on sensitisation, transparency, and demonstration — creating a clear, trusting environment where there is a free zone for everyone, without duress.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

What a win looks like: 7,647 verified stoves and growing

Asked what success looks like in concrete terms, Nelihno does not hesitate. His team recently completed verification of 7,647 cookstoves from an initial report of 8,443 — a rigorous process that checks every household record in iVerify before a single credit can be issued. Alongside that, in the last month they distributed more than 5,300 cookstoves across new Traditional Authorities: Chilowamambe, Kaomba, Mwase, Chulu, Njombwa, and beyond.

Behind those numbers is the team of Cookstove Distribution Assistants he has built and trained. "It's resilient, hardworking, and far more dedicated to achieving the company goal," he says. "They are well taught on all aspects of distribution, with the aid of iVerify." The pride in that sentence is unmistakable.

Seven kilometres for a cookstove

“I remember one old lady heard about our distribution and walked over 7 kilometres to come and get a cookstove. We went to her village and distributed over 400 stoves there.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

The story Nelihno tells most readily is not about data or targets. It is about a distribution day in a village called Mphonongo in Chilowambatambe. Word had spread about the cookstove programme, and an elderly woman — hearing that distributions were happening — walked more than seven kilometres to be there. When Nelihno's team met her, they told her they would come to her. They did — and ended up distributing over 400 cookstoves in her village.

That is what community demand looks like when it is genuine. That is what transparent engagement produces. And that is why the data collected on that distribution day — every GPS coordinate, every photograph, every household record — matters as much as the stove itself.

What iRise Carbon owes the future

When Nelihno talks about the one thing the world most needs to understand about iRise Carbon's work, his answer is not technical. It is moral.

“We owe the future generation a better world through the vast knowledge we have attained in the 21st century. Living recklessly poisons everyone. iRise is here advancing change in the issues of the environment — through technology, uplifting social lives, creating opportunity and financial freedoms.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

For those considering joining or partnering with iRise Carbon, Nelihno's message is direct:

“You are joining a winning team of brilliant minds — seasoned, experienced, and young-generation — which is a recipe for success. It is a place where your talents, skills, and hidden crafts are unearthed, bringing an endless pool of knowledge and new ideas to advance the conservation of our climate.”

— Nelihno Emmanuel Zimba, District Clean Cooking Officer, iRise Carbon

Nelihno is one of a growing team of field professionals across iRise Carbon's Clean Cooking, Reforestation, Finance and Operations divisions — each bringing commitment, rigour, and genuine care 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 · Carbon with Integrity