Introducing Solar Cooking in Haiti for AAE

by Joan
(Haiti (depends on the day))

We are a group of volunteer sailors who banded together after the January Earthquake in Haiti. Last year, several boats took several tons of supplies into two main areas far away from the "beaten path". Now additional boats are going Sailors without Borders with items for http://www.aaehaiti.org My part includes communications from the USA, and also turns into solar cookers. We are sending 2 larger/4 smaller cooker kits --taken from a project in Mexico--to test to see if the orphanage leaders will use the technology. The next step..a REAL solar cooker. Can you offer us suggestions on the most portable and successful cookers-we will send photos of the test ones in April/May.

_________________________________________

Greetings Joan,

Thank you for visiting our site and for sharing your account of the charitable work your group has been performing in Haiti, very commendable.

We will be very interested in hearing reports of how the homemade solar cookers you take perform in the refugee camps.

--------

With regards to the best commercial solar cookers for use in Haiti, I would recommend the Hot Pot Panel Cooker which is a bit more compact than most and is made of durable materials, which, if taken care of can last a lifetime.
Hot Pot Solar Cooker
The Hot Pot is also one of the more reasonably affordable solar cookers. We can help you get pricing information for these cookers if you are interested.

Sun Ovens are a very nice and durable solar cooker as well, and they already have a site that manufactures Global Sun Ovens in Haiti to help reduce the cost of the cookers for the people.
You may wish to contact Sun Ovens International and ask them how they might help you as well.
Info at Sun Ovens

With regards to homemade style solar cookers, one of the best for functionality and durability is the All Season Solar Cooker.(ASSC)
You would be able to make them in larger quantities due to the lower cost of materials and then would be able to have people in the camps replicate and build them for others after learning how to do so themselves.
The main materials needed would be corrugated plastic( quite durable and break resistant) and a reflective materials such as aluminum foil or an adhesive backed reflective material.
Here on the site you can see how an All Season Solar Cooker is built.
It would then need to have an oven roasting bag along with any dark pot/pan and they would be ready to go.
In my opinion, the ASSC is one of the better designs out there for homemade solar cookers.

Comments for Introducing Solar Cooking in Haiti for AAE

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 22, 2011
Rating

Re Haiti for Haitians
by: Orietta

Hi, and thanks for the opportunity.
I represent Association Amis des Enfants as President of AAE Australia Inc. and have been supporting AAE in Haiti for more than a decade.

From DownUnder we have been promoting the use of solar cookers for many years, perhaps the time is now.

I believe Haitians abandon solar cooking at first difficulty and return to traditional wood-burning, although our community is very sensitive to the issue of wood-saving/reforestation. This would indicate the need for education and for straightforward usage.

Let's explore the possibility to empower people. They have responded exceedingly well with composting and other issues.

Best regards and thanks again

Orietta L'Abbate CEO www.aaehaiti.org

Apr 22, 2011
Rating

Solar Cooking in Haiti-nfp Solar Cooking Agency
by: Joan

What a lovely note. I will have www.aaehaiti.org contact you. It sounds like you understand the difficulties..as well as the needs to purify water. These people are truly deserving of all we can do.They are attempting to pull themselves up by "boot straps". The solar cooking with the Windshield cooker opened their eyes, they now would like to pursue a more permanent approach. Well..when you have to cook for 300 children..permanent probably means more robust.They would also like to assist in the export of this technology to the entire island, 100,000 people.
Solar is perfect for this group, we were able to establish solar panels/batteries/inverter to operate the local AAE school, assist in building one building, and help complete the second school building higher in the mountains there. The people are lovely, and determined to make solar technology work for their community. Pictures of the cooking demonstration will follow as soon as the Captain of SV Tranquility arrives in a broadband/internet location, probably next week.

Mar 24, 2011
Rating

Right on point
by: Jim La Joie

If you give a man a fish... well, you know the rest.

Nathan's comments are spot on. The ASSC is an excellent tool for providing not only disaster relief but economic opportunity in damaged areas. So simple that it can be built using a bare minimum of tools - it requires very little, if any, investment to get started.
And instead of being burdened with the ongoing cost of providing more and more cookers, you have completed your good deeds and have created economic opportunity to the Haitians.
The ASSC is a very effective cooker that has the unique advantage of being able to efficiently capture the sun from dawn until dusk. When you compare its cost with the cost of other cookers - none of which have this dawn to dusk feature - you can see why it makes a great choice for those wishing to help out.
The completed cooker weighs about 1.5 pounds. And folds to 1.25 inches. You can carry hundreds in your sailboat and lash hundreds more to the deck. Burros can carry hundreds into the back country. You can reach a lot of people because the ASSC is simple, lightweight, compact when folded and, most importantly, very very effective.
Happy to help you with your efforts.
Contact me through the web site.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Share your Solar Cooking Experiences, Event or Photos!.

Share this page:

What’s this?

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Reddit WhatsApp

Enjoy this page? Please share it with others. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

Click on the HTML link code below.
Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.