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ReefDoctor Collaborates with ADES to bring Solar Ovens to Ifaty May 07
Nov 16, 2008
Charcoal is the only source of fuel for all cooking needs here in S.W Madagascar and looking for an alternative is important as deforestation is a huge threat to the environment. Deforestation in Madagascar is destroying many endemic habitats, scarring the landscape and leaving the land vulnerable to large scale soil erosion; the majority of this deforestation is for fire wood to make charcoal.
To help with this issue (which ultimately affects the reef through sediment run-off) and also help families save money, ReefDoctor collaborated with ADES, a Swiss organisation looking to increase the use of solar power in Madagascar.
ReefDoctor purchased 3 solar ovens to cook all of ReefDoctors food using solar power. The ovens expand the options for cooking; bread and cakes can now be baked alongside the traditional Malagasy meals of rice, beans and vegetables. The ovens do have a limitation for cooking breakfasts and so ReefDoctor bought two efficient wood burning stoves (no charcoal) to cook breakfasts.
After recipe experimentation and training of ReefDoctor staff, ADES and ReefDoctor showed the ovens to the people in the village, through the Women’s Association, cooking bread, cakes, mokary, and there was a great response to people wanting to eat the food and then use these ovens.
Although it is recognized that the ovens cannot replace charcoal completely as they cannot be used to cook breakfast, ADES say that charcoal usage can be reduced by half. We hope that by reducing our demand for charcoal we are helping the environment in a small way and also leading by example. Old habits are hard to change and charcoal has been used here for cooking for centuries. Through adoption by our Malagasy cook and her family for their food as well as ours and through weekly workshops with the women’s association we aim to inspire confidence in the new technology for other villagers to take up. So far ReefDoctor has helped 17 families with interest free loans to purchase one oven per family. These ovens are being used for the families’ daily meals and also for making cakes which they sell at night in the village.
