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The Cooperative Association Sol Solidari was created as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Empordà, Catalonia, Spain in 2008. The main objective of the association Sol Solidari is to provide solar cookers for rural communities in the developing world. Sol Solidari is formed by people with experience in sanitary cooperation projects on one hand, and with people with experience in environmental projects, working together on joint projects that combine both environmental and sanitary ojectives. Activity is centered on the promotion of the solar cookers in developing countries, as a tool of daily use with great environmental, sanitary, social and economic benefits.
Whenever is possible, the devices are locally manufactured, where formation on its use is carried out with the help of a local counterpart and local government. In the first introductory phase, the cookers are distributed for free for better exposure among the villagers. In the second phase, the solar cookers will be sold, but mostly subsidized by our NGO, roughly 80%. In our projects, progress is monitored by our local counterpart based in the area. The sales agent also monitorizes the use of the solar cookers already distributed from the second phase of the project.
Sol Solidari receives grants from governmental institutions, and also donations from private institutions and citizens for the financing of their projects.
Our area of activity has been until now Africa, currently working in Ethiopia and Mali. We are studying projects for Cameroon and South Africa in partnership with a local based NGO.
Our priority areas are:
- Sahel: Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Nigeria, Cameroon
- Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia
Recent news and developments
- April 2011: Europastry is working with Sol Solidari to reduce poverty and desertification in Africa (English, español)
- March 2011: Big success of the sale of subsidized solar ovens in Lalibela,Ethiopia. The people in this area now have seen the cookers function, and understand the benefits of these solar ovens, that we began to offer to them on a subsidized basis in early 2011. (Read more)
- February 2009: Sol Solidari has finished his 2008 Ethiopian project in the Lalibela region and Abune Yosef Mountains (Bugna woreda). One hundred cookers and ovens have been distributed among seven villages of the area. You can see how the project was done at our web page or download this slideshow (in catalan).
- November 2009: We move to Ethiopia to continue our project (second phase) in Lalibela region. Our aim is to establish a permanent cookers workshop in collaboration with our counterpart Bereket Dessie and where we will distribute subsidized cookers and ovens.
- December 2009: We will go to Mali to carry out the first phase of the Bandiagara region project. In the same way than we did in Ethiopia last year we will introduce some cookers in the villages and, furthermore, in this project we will introduce economical stoves and solar water pumps.
External links
Contact
See Deli Saavedra.