Ghana

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News and Recent Developments

• April 2007: Dozens of delegates from many parts of Togo and Ghana attended a conference last December in Lome themed “climate change: a socio-political challenge.” The conference was organized by Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (JVE) and showcased solar cooking and solar water pasteurization. Demonstrations and construction workshops were available to conference attendees. Beneficiaries of a JVE solar project shared testimonials of how solar cooking has changed lives in the Vo region. Also attending the conference were Togo’s Deputy Director of the Ministry of Environment, the Chief Cabinet to the Minister of Youth, and representatives of the media. Contact: Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement

• November 2006: Filmmaking in West Africa (covers the new film Thirsty Planet)

• Fall 2006: SHE is in contact with the Agricultural and Rural Development Association (ARA-Ghana). The ARA-Ghana has experimented with the HotPot and considers its quality and design to be very marketable. It is not planning a promotion program.

The History of Solar Cooking in Ghana

A number of Ghanaians have similarly indicated interest in solar cooking, with requests for information from universities and non-governmental organizations. As far back as the early 1990s, a faculty member at the University of Kumasi, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Dr. A.K.Dzizi, was providing cooking demonstrations and instructions. A leading women's group, the 31st December Women's Movement, has taken a specific interest in the technology, as reported at the Varese conference. The movement was encouraging women to take up farming ventures, and in addition to add value to their products for the export market. Hence, both solar cooking and solar drying were considered as important possibilities. Much of Ghana's electricity generation is hydroelectric, and has proven to be problematic in times of drought. Wood and charcoal are in increasingly short supply, and gas is too expensive for most people. Hence solar cooking and drying would appear to be an important potential. In 1999, the group was actively seeking funding for this promotion. No further information is available.

Recently, in 2002, a Ghanian effort was the highlight of the solar cooking year when a project headed by Dr. Mercy Bannerman was one of the top winners at the World Bank's Development Marketplace, an opportunity held annually to showcase exemplary activities in less developed nations. Dr. Bannerman, a medical doctor, won the award for her project entitled " Simple Solar for Health + Wealth". The program used the panel cooker, the CooKit, and a WAPI (water pasteurization indicator) to ward off the dangers of guinea worm, e-coli, and other waterbome hazards in drinking water. She had been initially taught about the use of the sun for these purposes at a Girl Guides program in Ireland, and later through Rotary connections, learned more about solar cooking and water pasteurization. The award, $100,000 was to be used for training of additional persons to spread the technology more widely in Ghana. The project has now moved beyond household use to the creation of small scale enterprises for making CooKits and selling them. Dr. Bannerman has also been awarded funds for similar purposes through Rotary International's programs. Her award was a milestone for solar cooking promoters everywhere, with its recognition of the potential of the technology as an important component in development.

Climate, Culture, and Special Considerations

See also

• Discussion of West-central Africa's suitability for solar cooking
  
• Solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables

Possible funders for solar cooking projects in Ghana

• Sinapi Aba Trust
• Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN)

Resources

Possible funders for solar cooking projects in Ghana

• Sinapi Aba Trust (SAT)
• Christian Rural Aid Network (CRAN)

Reports

• 2004: A PDF file with slides concerning a 2004 solar cooking project in Ghana by Rudolf Wurzer.

Contacts

The entities listed below are either based in Ghana, or have established solar cooking projects there:

SCI Associates

• Lernen - Helfen - Leben e.V.

Main article: Solar Cookers International Association

NGOs

• EG-Solar
• Lernen - Helfen - Leben e.V.
• Rotary Club of Fresno

Manufacturers and vendors

• EG-Solar
• SunOK

See also

• SolarCooker Eco3
• Thirsty Planet

See Also

• Click here for the complete list of Solar Cooking Wiki articles related to Ghana