Solar Cookers

WHY SOLAR COOKERS

One-Third of the world's population ( 2.4 billion ) must burn wood or dried dung to cook their food and over 1 million children die yearly because of un-boiled drinking water. The average villager either spends over an hour each day gathering cooking wood or pays up to 15% of their salary for cooking fuel. The wood cut for cooking purposes contributes to the 16 million hectares of forest destroyed annually. This creates widespread deforestation, health problems due to smoke inhalation, and the loss of valuable time spent gathering wood, particularly by the women in developing countries.

BENEFITS OF THE PROJECT

Solar cookers are smoke-free and thus eliminate the dangerous health hazards of cooking with wood. Solar cooking reduces the risks and burdens that many women experience while collecting wood, and also frees their time for other activities. With good sunlight, solar cookers can be used to cook food or pasteurize water during emergencies when other fuels and power sources may not be available. The money saved by using solar cookers can be used for food, education, health care, etc.

PROJECT IN ACTION

Impact is working with the villagers in order for them to make their own solar cookers. The villagers weave the parabolic baskets, and we then provide them with Mylar. Mylar is a foil based reflective material that is being sourced and distributed to the villagers so that they can line the inside of their baskets. Once the the solar cookers are finished, the villagers can use them for cooking, pasturizing, preserving, and sanitizing.