Changes: Dinah Chienjo

Revision as of 04:09, 1 April 2014

Last edited: 11 February 2014

After 6½ years as Sunny Solutions project officer, Dinah Chienjo left Solar Cookers International (SCI) at the end of June 2009. Dinah is now the director of Friends of the Old.

Dinah was selected from a strong pool of candidates to fill the position when it was first announced in 2002. Prior to joining SCI, she was a high school teacher for a number of years. She had also been active in a number of community organizations focusing on counseling, HIV/AIDS issues, and women’s rights.

At SCI, Dinah headed up a team of over 20 women who conducted solar cooker demonstrations, taught solar cooking skills, and sold solar cookers through micro-businesses. She was highly involved in project assessments, and was an advocate for solar cooking at numerous events, on radio programs, and was even featured as an SCI representative in a documentary about Africa conservation projects. Her work took her to various parts of Kenya, Ghana, and even the United States, where she participated in the 15th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and demonstrated the practicality of using solar cookers to international diplomats, United Nations visitors, and a CNN reporter.

Upon learning that she had been hired for the position, Dinah recalled being “excited, but also afraid, barely knowing the challenges that lay ahead. My task as project officer was to work with a local community-based organization called NYACODA, and together we were to introduce a new cooking technology in Nyakach.” She continued, “Years down the line, I have no regrets, I am proud to have been involved as facilitator and a beneficiary of the changes I am witnessing in my community.”

News and recent developments

FOTO group photo, 2-10-14 — Latest recipients of safe water packages

February 2014: FOTO distributes 100 packages in January - Under the direction of Dinah Chienjo, 2014 has begun on a high note for Friends of the Old (FOTO), following a funding boost thanks to partners Solar Cookers International. Starting January 2014, distribution of safe water packages increased to 100 recipients every month, up from 50 previously. One hundred household received safe water packages in January. The solar Cookit will enable them to cook food and pasteurize water using renewable solar energy. Safe water pots will help recipients store drinking water, keeping it safe from contamination. Lastly, the upesi jiko and fireless cooker will minimize the use of firewood, saving costs and helping in environmental conservation. Read more...
August 2008: With support from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the long anticipated “training of trainers” water testing and solar pasteurization workshop was held in June at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, Kenya. Participants included 20 top staff members each from the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MPHS). Solar Cookers International (SCI) staff members Margaret Owino, Faustine Odaba, Elijah Achola, Dinah Chienjo, Simon Ogutu, John Amayo and Karyn Ellis were instrumental in the success of this workshop, as was John Rimberia from Embu. Microbiologist and SCI Board President Dr. Bob Metcalf led the workshop. Topics included a review of bacterial properties and growth, pasteurization principles, use of the bacterium Escherichia coli as a contamination indicator, properties of the Colilert® and Petrifilm™ tests for E. coli, and solar pasteurization using the CooKit solar cooker and SCI’s wax-based, reusable Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI).
July 2007: The power of solar...cooking? Taking a closer look at cooking with the sun - ABC12.com
July 2007: Video of Dinah Chienjo demonstrating solar cooking in New York - ABC12.com

Audio and video

2008

Tusk Trust Documentary - 13 Solar Energy

Tusk Trust documentary of introducing the CooKit in Kenya in 2008.
2007

Tusk Trust Documentary - 07 Making Water Safe to Drink

Contact

P.O. Box 51190-00200 C/Sq
Nairobi
Kenya

Mobile: +254 721-233-994

Email: d_chienjo2001@yahoo.com

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 [[Image:ChienjoDinah_2005.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Dinah Chienjo 2006]]
 After 6½ years as [[Sunny Solutions]] project officer, '''Dinah Chienjo''' left [[Solar Cookers International]] (SCI) at the end of June 2009. Dinah is now the director of [[Friends of the Old]].
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 [[File:FOTO_group_photo,_2-10-14.jpg|thumb|400px|Latest recipients of safe water packages]]
 *'''February 2014: FOTO distributes 100 packages in January''' - Under the direction of [[Dinah Chienjo]], 2014 has begun on a high note for [[Friends of the Old]] (FOTO), following a funding boost thanks to partners [[Solar Cookers International]]. Starting January 2014, distribution of safe water packages increased to 100 recipients every month, up from 50 previously. One hundred household received safe water packages in January. The solar [[Cookit]] will enable them to cook food and pasteurize water using renewable solar energy. Safe water pots will help recipients store drinking water, keeping it safe from contamination. Lastly, the upesi jiko and fireless cooker will minimize the use of firewood, saving costs and helping in environmental conservation. [http://friendsoftheold.blogspot.com/2014/02/foto-distributes100-packages-in-january.html Read more...]
-*'''August 2008:''' With support from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the long anticipated “training of trainers” water testing and solar pasteurization workshop was held in June at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, [[Kenya]]. Participants included 20 top staff members each from the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MPHS). Solar Cookers International (SCI) staff members [[Margaret Owino]], [[Faustine Odaba]], [[Elijah Achola]], Dinah Chienjo, [[Simon Ogutu]], [[John Amayo]] and [[Karyn Ellis]] were instrumental in the success of this workshop, as was [[John Rimberia]] from Embu. Microbiologist and SCI Board President Dr. [[Bob Metcalf]] led the workshop. Topics included a review of bacterial properties and growth, pasteurization principles, use of the bacterium Escherichia coli as a contamination indicator, properties of the Colilert® and Petrifilm™ tests for E. coli, and solar pasteurization using the CooKit solar cooker and SCI’s wax-based, reusable [[Water Pasteurization Indicator]] (WAPI).
+*'''August 2008:''' With support from the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, the long anticipated “training of trainers” water testing and solar pasteurization workshop was held in June at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu, [[Kenya]]. Participants included 20 top staff members each from the Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MPHS). Solar Cookers International (SCI) staff members Margaret Owino, [[Faustine Odaba]], Elijah Achola, Dinah Chienjo, [[Simon Ogutu]], [[John Amayo]] and [[Karyn Ellis]] were instrumental in the success of this workshop, as was [[John Rimberia]] from Embu. Microbiologist and SCI Board President Dr. [[Bob Metcalf]] led the workshop. Topics included a review of bacterial properties and growth, pasteurization principles, use of the bacterium Escherichia coli as a contamination indicator, properties of the Colilert® and Petrifilm™ tests for E. coli, and solar pasteurization using the CooKit solar cooker and SCI’s wax-based, reusable [[Water Pasteurization Indicator]] (WAPI).
 *'''July 2007:''' [http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=consumer_affairs&id=5461677 The power of solar...cooking? Taking a closer look at cooking with the sun] - ''ABC12.com''
 *'''July 2007:''' [http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=consumer_affairs&id=5461677 Video of Dinah Chienjo demonstrating solar cooking in New York] - ''ABC12.com''