emPowering Africa

When the wood runs out

Mozambique University has launched a local program to encourage renewable energy self sufficiency that may become a model across the continent.

The Faísca Cultural Association Mobile Unit will take science and technology demonstrations to rural schools and villages. One of the main aims is to develop solar power in rural areas of Mozambique as there is a dire need to save trees to prevent further environmental degradation, and to lessen the labour of the women who traditionally go to fetch firewood.

Each Unit consists of a small Nissan open-backed car with ten suitcases which contain demonstrations. Some items such as the model windmill can be packed into suitcases but others, such as the big solar cookers are put on the roof rack.

“The people are very poor and could not possibly afford to buy a normal manufactured solar cooker” say’s Keith Warren the project director. ”

“There are no stores that sell them because there is no market for them. So it is necessary to make them and this is one of the things we are working at”

Each mobile unit has solar cookers for demonstrations and testing.

“They are roughly in the shape of parabolic bowls, like satellite antennas but deeper. They are made of truncated cones of hardboard coated with aluminium cooking foil”

The effects are certainly dramatic. In full tropical sunlight, each solar cooker receives one kilowatt of sunlight, enough to cook two plates of rice in twenty minutes, which is about the time that traditional wood fire stoves take.

In many countries, successful courses have been held to show people how to make their own solar cookers but in Mozambique it has been more difficult to promote.

“People are not good at doing practical things and generally have no tools except knives. Aluminium foil and glue are too expensive for them, and such things (or hardboard or wood or even cardboard) are available only in towns.”

Also some women criticise the cookers for being too slow without considering the amount of time it takes walking significant distances to collect firewood.

“We think that the rural people here will continue using three stones supporting the cooking pot and sticks of firewood underneath unless we can show them something fast and dramatic to change their minds.”

“We are developing cheap and effective energy alternatives and are hoping that some organisation will support this work to help us expand it.”