 |
|
Last edited: 16 August 2024
|
Colletaanyango Odhiambo, Secretary and Nimrodah Mercy, Deputy CEO use the sun to cook.
Farmers with a Vision is a local community organization based in Bumala Township, Kenya. Lilian Nyapola, a member of Farmers with a Vision, said her 32-member organization has worked in schools, churches and homes to train community members on solar cooking technologies, and that men have backed the women who have switched to new cooking technology, not least because food can be cooked faster and rarely burns, and children aren’t injured in fires.
As of 2017, they estimate that in Busia County, in western Kenya, as many as 1,500 households have turned to solar cooking. This has happened since the campaign began in 2013, according to county Ministry of Energy figures.[1] Other families have adopted more efficient charcoal or firewood stoves.
Didacus Odhiambo, the organization's Chief Executive Officer, said the clean energy effort has faced significant challenges, including as many as 60 percent of buyers defaulting on loans for equipment –a problem the organization is still trying to sort out. Many households struggle to find the upfront money to buy the more efficient cooking technology.[1]
News[]
Demonstrating the solar box cooker, Photo Credit: Didacus Odhaimbo
- June 2024: Didacus Odhaimbo, CEO of Farmers with a Vision, demonstrates a solar box cooker to the Mango Road Self Help Group. The group successfully boiled eggs and beef, and began making plans to celebrate the power of the sun by preparing a meal for 80 people in the next few days.
- March 2024: Producing more Funnel solar cookers: - Didacus Pius Odhiambo has provided photos of assembling several more Funnel solar cookers for Farmers with a Vision.
- July 2023: Didacus Pius Odhiambo has provided photos of assembling several Funnel solar cookers, and finished heat-retention baskets ready for sale.
Didacus Pius Odhiambo (right) with Frankey Henno at Farmers With A Vision finishing construction of the Funnel solar cookers
Farmers with a Vision also assembles attractive, efficient heat-retention cookers
- March 2023: Farmers with a Vision, along with stakeholders led by REAP Kenya, demonstrate Integrated Solar Cooking methods to recognize International Women's Day in Butula, Kenya.
An Integrated Cooking workshop to recognize International Women's Day organized by Farmers with a Vision
- December 2022: Visit to Farmers with a Vision by Joshua Katagwa of Mayunge, Uganda and Maimuna Nangobi of Jinja Renewable Consult, Uganda. They were shown how the solar box cooker and the evacuated tube solar cooker are operated, and assembled.
Using the solar box oven is explained
Visiting the FWAV facility
The operation of the evacuated tube solar cooker is demonstrated
.png "Farmers with a Vision is visited, 12-30-22 (2).png (1.28 MB)")
.png "Farmers with a Vision is visited, 12-30-22 (3).png (1.24 MB)")
/gallery>
- September 2022: Solar box oven with roof: Farmers with a Vision has developed a version of their sturdy wooden box oven with a swing-away roof that provides protection for the oven when it is not in use, allowing the solar oven to remain outdoors.
Box oven is exposed to the sky
Lowering the roof over the solar cooker
The protective roof in place- Gallery photo credit: Farmers with a Vision
- April 2022: Farmers with a Vision has been nominated to display at the 9th Africities Summit held in Kisumu, 17-21 May 2022.
- October 2021: Solar oven production - Didacus Pius Odhiambo reports that Farmers with a Vision are currently producing insulated wooden solar box ovens for sale at their facility in Kenya. They use a double-box approach, which allows for adding insulation between the cooking chamber walls. The photos below, provided by Framers with a Vision, show how the ovens are assembled.
The wooden boxes for the double-wall construction are first assembled individually
Once assembled, the boxes receive some finishing
The shredded fabric insulation is added between the cooking chamber boxes
The finished oven receives final fitting of the reflective surface inside
/gallery>
- December 2020: Samuel of Asulma Centre, in conjunction with Didacus Pius Odhiambo of Farmers with a Vision, train Grace Mubi and Sarah Ndunyo, of Shambani Millers Self Help Group, and a group of villagers from Kitui, Kenya, about the techniques of Integrated Solar Cooking.
Villagers learn about solar panel cookers
Heat retention cooking is explained to workshop participants
Several types of solar cookers are demonstrated
- April 2020:
-
Farmers with a Vision work constructing heat-retention cookers that allow food to continue cooking after first being heated on a conventional or solar stove
- April 2017: Kenya learns to cook with solar power - even when the sun doesn't shine - Reuters ("In Busia County, in western Kenya, as many as 1,500 households have turned to solar cooking, mostly over the last four years, according to county Ministry of Energy figures. Other families have adopted more efficient charcoal or firewood stoves. The changes in large part have been driven by Farmers with a Vision (FWA), a local community organization based in Bumala Township.")
Solar drying the ginger crop - Photo credit: Farmers With A Vision
- February 2017: Solar drying of ginger - Farmers With A vision reports they used a solar box cooker to accelerate the drying of the local ginger crop. Only three days were needed instead of the usual seven days. They appreciate the drying crop is kept safe from insects, dust, and other contamination, while retaining more of the plants nutrients.
Articles in the media[]
- May 2017: Kenya learns to cook with solar power – even when the sun doesn’t shine - Reuters
Audio and video[]
- August 2024: Making an improved combustion stove with bricks and mortor
External links[]
Contact[]
Farmers With A Vision
P.O. Box 16
Bumala- 50404
Kenya
Tel. +254 0721-818018, +254 0733-215 382