Solar technology in the communities where we work is not a foreign concept. In fact, this past week, Public Health Brigades had the incredible opportunity to partner with Developing World Solar, an NGO from Hawaii that has specifically designed projects in the effort of combating the common environmental issues specific to rural areas in developing countries. Specializing in water pasteurizers and water purification, Developing World Solar utilized similar concepts to design a solar stove, eliminating the need for wood and the hazard of smoke produced by traditional stoves. Still in the pilot phase, our programs are testing the functionality of a solar stove against cultural traditions, difficult weather patterns, and general acceptance of this unique and advanced technology.
In the installation and initial cooking days, the stove was very well received by the community members. John Grandinetti, the founder of Grand Solar and Developing World Solar, fielded questions from community members regarding its over 200 degree Celsius temperature capacity, simple cooking method, and low maintenance care. Able to heat up in an hour and hold high temperatures for hours, a community member stated that “this solar stove would be the only stove of this cooking capacity in the whole municipality of Francisco Morazan.” To prove the stove’s abilities, community members saw 4 pounds of meat and vegetables, rice, and fried tortillas cooked within 2 hours.
The stove was donated to a school in Los Pajarillos, a target community of Global Brigades which has already received a full water project (Water Brigades) and various home infrastructure improvements (Public Health Brigades). The stove will be used to serve food to the school children, and community leader Rigoberto says he will be holding a workshop soon to train the mothers of the children how to cook on the new solar technology.
Global Brigades will be providing updates regarding the functionality of the stove, and in the future we hope to implement a stove in each of the communities where we work. A special thank you to John Grandinetti and his family (Jody, Jocelyn and Tina) for the donation to Global Brigades, and we look forward to a continued partnership in the future!
Lauryn S. Linsell
Director of Public Health
