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In 1994 Wilfred Pimentel of the Rotary Club of Fresno started a solar cooker project with the Nairobi East Rotary Club in Kenya. Fuel wood shortages in areas heavily populated by rural, disadvantaged poor are a growing and major problem in Africa. Use of the sun's energy to cook food was a natural for Africa where sunshine is prevalent.

The Rotary Club of Fresno Solarcook Project teaches and trains women from families who previously had prepared their meals over a fire to use the simple technology solar cooker. The solar cookers come in many different varieties; sizes and shapes are to be manufactured in Africa. The cooker is a basic, portable affordable way to prepare meals. Interested women are given a workshop by local trainers that include food preparation, cooking, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation. For a small fee, the women are given a solar cooker. Since searching for fuel wood, which is a declining resource, consumes enormous amounts of time, the introduction of solar cookers has been seen as a major change in lifestyle.

Since that time, the Rotary Club of Fresno Solarcook project has spread throughout Kenya, Uganda and Sudan. Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tanzania are still to be addressed. Matching grants from Solar Cooking International and other Rotary clubs in District 5230 have made this project possible. Girl Guides from the countries involved in the project are now helping with the teaching and training. During the 2001 Ghana, Turkey and Mexico will be added to the project. Ghana is especially concerned about Guiena worm infestations in unclean drinking water. Solar cookers can pasteurize unclean water. To date we have completed $260,000 in matching grants for Solar Cooker projects. This money comes from Rotarians from all over the world in addition to our District and Club.

For more information please visit integratedsolarcooking.com or call the Rotary Club of Fresno office.