Solar Cooking

In the Acholi Quarter, all meals are cooked on charcoal stoves inside the home. Although charcoal stoves are inefficient and costly to run, it is the only option for most residents. The World Health Organization estimates that indoor cooking with charcoal has comparable health effects to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes per day. The community is also at risk of water-borne diseases, such as dysentery, due to an unsafe water supply.

In March 2012, Project Have Hope collaborated with Jinja Empowerment, a non-profit in Jinja, Uganda, and hosted a successful two-day workshop on solar cooking techniques. It featured three different types of solar cooking tools: 

  1. A reduced charcoal stove that uses about half the fuel of a typical charcoal stove 
  2. A cooking bag, which allows partially cooked food to continue cooking, saving fuel and keeping food warm
  3. A solar reflector that uses solar power alone to cook food

In July of 2012 Project Have Hope held a second Solar Cooking workshop with 10 women. They received cooking bags and reduced charcoal stoves. These women were thrilled to get the opportunity to cook more safely and efficiently - saving their lungs and their money. The women, who head households of an average of 5 children, will now spend a reduced amount of money on charcoal and have more funds to spend on necessities for their family. The cooking bags allow the women to spend less time cooking and more time pursuing business endeavors, available through generous donations. The new technology is really catching on in the community. The short term benefits of these tools are changing lifestyles in the community, while the long term health benefits will be lifesaving.

Please visit our project page “Provide Solar Cooking Tools to Ugandan Women“ on GlobalGiving to learn more about our work, view photos or make a donation.

How will my donation be used?

$10 provides one CooKit with a panel reflector & water purification indicator.

$20 provides a large Cookin' Bag that completes cooking process.

$75 provides 5 charcoal efficient stoves.

$100 pays the salary of 2 trainers for 2 days.

$250 equips 5 women each with 3 types of solar cooking tools and training.

$500 equips 10 women each with 3 types of solar cooking tools and training.

$1,000 equips 20 women each with 3 types of solar cooking tools and training.