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Events
News and Recent Developments
- April 2011: Jon Maravelias of the NGO, NaDEET, traveled to five communities in Namibia to evaluate results of previous solar cooking workshops conducted by the organization. The areas are mostly rural and poor. He reports; In general, it seemed that the poorer you were, the more you relied on solar cooking since it meant you did not need to collect firewood for the day. He visited several women who use the solar cooker and fuel-efficient stoves to heat their bath water and to cook all of their meals. The most successful communities were the ones with a traditional power structure. Both the communities of Maltahohe and Bethanien were under the leadership of two elder women. NaDEET also has been active in planting new trees in this mostly barren area. Read more...
- July 2010: Students learn how to cook on solar. The final 20 students from a group of 60 received their certificates last week for successfully completing a training course on the use of alternative energy to help rural communities create conditions for sustainable living in Namibia. The project is possible through NaDEET, an NGO funded from the Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility. More Information...
- June 2010: The Ministry of Mines and Energy is promoting and encouraging communities to make use of solar stoves and cookers to save firewood, electricity and other fuels. Speaking recently in Windhoek, Selma-Penna Utonih, Director of Energy in the Ministry of Mines, commended the Dr. Frans Aupa Indongo Primary School for its efforts working with students and their parents distributing solar cookers. More Information...
Peace Corps volunteer and friends bake bread in Nadeet.
- January 2009: Miriam Kashia reports that 60 recent Peace Corps volunteers were provided with solar cookers manufactured in Namibia. They each took these to their villages for use there. More information.
- May 2007: Namibia: Solar Baking Oven Would Save Wood, Environment and Electricity - New Era
- August 2006: A solar cooker project in Ongwediva won an "Inspiration Lives in Africa" award from Namibia's Standard Bank in April. Ongwediva's Solar Stove Project, now in its eighth year, introduces solar cooking to women to combat deforestation and to provide employment opportunities like solar bakeries and catering. The award, worth 50,000 Namibian dollars, will be used to increase marketing activities.
The History of Solar Cooking in Namibia
A workshop was presented at the Varese, Italy, meeting in 1999 by a solar promoter, Harald Schutt. He described the construction and dissemination of solar stoves in Namibia over a period of 8 years in the 1990s. His initial exposure was provided in a workshop in Germany presented by representatives of the ULOG group (see description in the section on Multi-National Promoters). Following that, Mr. Schutt worked in Namibia, initially in a refugee camp and later in settled communities, teaching Namibians how to build a wooden box cooker and how to use the device. Female carpentry-trainers were taught the techniques of making the overt, and considerable experimentation was done to keep costs low while still producing quality devices.
This solar promoter has distilled lessons he has learned in many years. His view include the following: use a solar stove yourself, use schools as teaching sites, create social clubs around solar cooking, train builders of stoves of high quality; launch publicity campaigns to raise awareness, includingd emonstrations at sports events, supermarkets, clinics, and schools (Varese, p. 215). Nothing is known however about the outcome of this work in Namibia.
Climate, Culture, and Special Considerations
See also
- Discussion of southern Africa's suitability for solar cooking
- Solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables
Documents
Reports
- 1995: Solar Cookers for Use in Nambia - Petri Konttinen
Articles in the media
- July 2010: Solar ovens can slow climate change - New Era
- June 2010: Namibia embraces renewable energy - New Era
- September 2008: Namibia: Nation Switches On to Solar Power - The Namibia
- May 2007: Namibia: Solar Baking Oven Would Save Wood, Environment and Electricity - New Era
Contacts
The entities listed below are either based in Namibia, or have established solar cooking projects there:
SCI Associates
- Main article: Solar Cookers International Association
NGOs
Manufacturers and vendors
Individuals
Government agencies
Educational institutions
See also
References
Possible funders of solar cooking projects in Namibia
- GEF Small Grants Programme
- See also general guidance on raising funds through grants and donations