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Energy
conservation champion |
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Solar cooker keeps women away from dangers
by Aklilu Kassaye, World Vision Ethiopia
Almost every part of the mountainous areas surrounding the Adama
district, Ethiopia and its plain surface is turning barren. For this
reason, the women in the district have to walk for hours to fetch
firewood for their households’ energy consumption.
In addition, the women and girls face other dangers such as rape,
abduction, and snake bites whenever they travel deep into the woods
to collect firewood.
In order to address this problem of fuel wood scarcity and to
provide safety for the women, World Vision Ethiopia provided solar
energy cookers to selected community members in May 2006. Among
these community members is Fitale Urge, a woman in her 40s and a
mother of nine children.
She says, “I am thankful to God that I did not experience any of the
terrible things such as rape, abduction, snake bites, etc which I
heard happened to some others. I was always afraid that I would face
such problems some day. But now I am totally relieved of such
fears.”
Fitale is also free from the side effects of using fuel wood. “My
respiratory organs and eyes do not hurt from smoke anymore. I had to
get my eyes treated for over four months at Adama Hospital where I
spent a lot of money,” she says.
The solar cooker has also brought joy to her children as well.
“Every time I went around fetching fuel wood, I had to leave my
children home alone. There was often no one to look after them and
give them food,” recalls Fitale.
“The solar cooker has dramatically changed my life for the better. I
no longer have to bear with the inconveniences of fetching and using
fuel wood. It is very easy to use the solar cooker: The only thing I
need to do is to turn it up when the sun gets hotter and cook the
food I like to eat,” she adds happily.
With the solar cooker, Fitale is now able to cook all kinds of food
for her children; including baking of bread, beans-roasting, and
certainly a nice brew of coffee and tea. |
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