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Last edited: 2 June 2025
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 Sun and Ice has opened an integrated cooking workshop in Senegal
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Events[]
Featured international events[]
- 3-7 November 2025 (Fortaleza, Brazil): Solar World Congress 2025 - The Solar World Congress (SWC) is the official congress of the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), held every two years since 1970. It is the world’s largest event for scientific and technological dissemination in the field of solar energy conversion technologies, along with other renewable energy sources. The congress gathers professors, researchers, students, public managers, company representatives, and other professionals in this field. SWC 2025 will take place at a crucial time for global discussions on the advancement of renewable energy, as COP30 will take place in Belem, Brazil only a few days after SWC 2025 closes. (Early bird registration by 7 August 2025) More information...
- NEW: 10-21 November 2025 (Belém, Brazil):The Conference of the Parties (COP30) - The largest global United Nations event for discussions and negotiations on climate change. COP is held annually, with the presidency rotating among the five UN-recognized regions. In 2025, Brazil will have the honor of hosting the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30). The chosen city will provide the world with a unique platform to discuss climate solutions, firmly rooted in the heart of the Amazon. The event will gather world leaders, ministers and representatives of international organizations to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis through fair and sustainable energy transitions, as well as forest and biodiversity conservation. Solar Cookers International's, Executive Director, Caitlyn Hughes, Science Director, Dr. Alan Bigelow, and Strategic Partnerships Manager, Keith Wingeard, will be representing the solar cooking community. The SCI team will showcase the success of new programs in Mali and the Central African Republic, along with progress from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. See the schedule of SCI's participation and presentations...
- See also: Global Calendar of Events and past events in Senegal
News[]
Fatim Diaw, KoZon's representative in Senegal explains how to use a hay basket.
- October 2016: Pilot project in Diouloulou, South Senegal - In Casamance, the southernmost region of Senegal, a solar cooking pilot project has been launched with assistance from Solar Cooking KoZon. CooKit and hay basket demonstrations were conducted and received with such enthusiasm that a local core group has begun production of the solar panel cookers and hay baskets for marketing in Diouloulou and neighboring villages.
Sun and Ice has opened an integrated cooking workshop in Senegal.
- March 2016: Senegal receives an integrated cooking facility with help from Sun and Ice - Stephan Zech reports that Sun and Ice has sponsored a facility in Senegal that is promoting solar cooking, heat retention cooking, and fuel-efficient stove use. More information...
- January 2016: Senegal Turning 14,000 Villages Into Ecovillages - Valhalla
- August 2014: UNHCR recruiting Senior Energy Officer for Senegal - Read more...
Cooking the first solar cooked meal in Sessene, Senegal.
- November 2013: Cucinare con il Sole is a volunteer organization founded in 2006 by Ottorino Saccon, a teacher and craftsman based in Santa Lucia di Piave TV, Italy. They produce parabolic solar cookers in Italy and have been introducing solar cooking to villages throughout central Africa, making 3-4 trips to Africa each year. They have worked with over 30 groups in workshops typically having 10-20 participants. At Sessene, 15 km from the city of Thies in Senegal, villagers assembled their first solar cooker. Soon after, in the shade of a baobab mother, they shared a meal of cooked rice and vegetables.
Wilma Goppel of the KoZon Foundation interviews local women in Senegal to tailor a solar cooking program to their needs.
- March 2013: First KoZon-SPS solar cooking project in Senegal - Wilma Goppel, project coordinator for the KoZon Foundation, began demonstrating solar cooking technology in December to the women in Ndondol and staff of Caritas using the CooKit solar panel cooker. The local women were excited that now the first KoZon solar cooking project in Senegal is underway. The contracts between the Foundation for Rural Senegal (SPS), the Foundation KoZon, and Caritas Senegal have been finalized. (KoZon was not previously active in Senegal.) At the request of the Foundation for Rural Senegal (SPS) and Caritas Thies in Senegal, Wilma first traveled to Senegal in late November. She wanted to first gauge interest in the use of solar cooking in the rural municipality Ndondol and learn about local cooking habits and fuel consumption. Read more: First KoZon-SPS solar cooking project in Senegal - (English version)
SolarCooker Eco3 new cookpot support.
- January 2013: Improvements to the SolarCooker Eco3 - Significant improvements have been made to the SolarCooker Eco3 over the past six months. The cookpot holder will now carry up to 7 kg (15.4 lbs) of weight. The reflector support has been modified to allow it to position the reflector for nearly perpendicular sun positions. The cooker is now able to boil six liters of water with a reflecting surface of only 1.25 square meters. Evaluation of the earlier solar cooking project in Senegal has begun. Early impressions appear to reinforce the need for long-term education and the continued local presence of dedicated trainers. A new pilot project has started in another area of Senegal, near St. Louis in the "Langue de Barbarie." About 250 solar cookers were to be introduced by the end of 2012 (after the rainy season). A second new solar cooking project is underway in Mauritania with the financial support of the United Nations. Read more at Solar Cooking NV Fall 2012 update
History[]
Considerable activity has been present in Senegal on the solar cooking front. Much of that can be credited to the work of Abdoulaye Toure, a former teacher in the nation and now a government official, responsible for work in the renewable energy field. He served as the executive of a national commission and had direct contact with the Senegalese president, who (in 2002) was so enthusiastic about the potential of solar cooking that he seconded Mr. Toure to the Ministry of Education to pursue this work. Prior to taking this position, Mr. Toure worked on solar cooking when he could, outside of his work hours as an elementary principal, constructing and promoting solar ovens. He created a substantial amount of publicity and activities, including television shows, visits to neighboring countries to extend the technology beyond Senegal's border, and numerous demonstrations and training courses all over the country. He was well known as the most ardent developer of solar energy, and was sometimes dubbed in Senegal as "Mr. Sun."
One example of this work can be seen in the village of Diaganiao, a rural community with 6,000 inhabitants. The community hosted several solar cooking projects, including a workshop that produces solar ovens for sale. As always, the problem with box cookers is the high cost to ordinary citizens, which has meant a slow uptake of the technology. Experimentation has been ongoing, with larger devices to meet the needs of larger families, and less expensive devices as well.
In a report to the President of the Republic, Mr. Toure elaborated on his work. He clearly was a dedicated person and a dreamer, now (in 2002) in a position of more influence, making him optimistic for the future of his cause. In his words, "When one dreams alone, it is only a dream. When one dreams with many, it is the beginning of reality." To that end, an organization called Friends of the Sun was instituted in 2002. Senegal also was the first African nation to join the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN), a feat recognized in the Johannesburg Social Development meetings. They have partnered with counterparts in a Chinese network to transfer reforestation technology. Similarly, they partnered with an American network on technical issues.
The activities of the association revolved around two major projects: the African Solar Cooker Project (PCSA) in partnership with French groups, and the GEN network, mentioned above. A large number of individual projects have been established in many parts of the country as well (over 35 communities). One major operation is called the Palette Project, with an educational focus. An American group that has been generous in providing resources to schools finances this activity. Mr. Toure saw this as critical for developing a creative spirit in the communities where they worked. One problem badly needing a creative solution concerns the mangrove swamps that line the Senegalese coast. Mangroves are being cut and burned to smoke fish for commercial sale, thus leading to serious erosion, as well as destruction of fish habitat (a problem not unique to Senegal). He believed that solar energy could play a role in solving this problem, by providing alternative energy for the fish-smoking process. The work of Senegal's Mr. Sun has been known in the solar cooking world for some time, despite communication issues for monolingual English speakers. All who have known him are delighted that he is currently in a position where his vast knowledge and long-lasting dedication to solar cooking can be placed efficiently in the service of that cause in his country and the region.
Also World Vision Mali had promoted distribution of about 105 cookers in Senegal as of 2004.
- Main article: History of solar cooking
Archived articles
Climate and culture[]
In February 2009, Solar Household Energy reported, "The main reason we are very interested in solar box ovens is that for rural families in West Africa the HotPot is too small; box cookers can be made large enough to feed rural families (women usually have to cook for 10 or more people at a time). In Senegal there is a heritage of metal and wood workers which makes it a prime spot for box cooker production."
See also
- The climate of Senegal - Wikipedia
- Senegal Energy Situation - Energypedia
- Discussion of northern Africa's suitability for solar cooking
- Solar cooker dissemination and cultural variables
- Solar cooking for large groups
Resources[]
Possible funding[]
Facebook groups[]
Reports and evaluations[]
- 2014: The Mekhe Solar Cooker: Empowering Women One Community at a Time - A Case Study - SGP The GEF Small Grants Programme
Articles in the media[]
- June 2016: Senegalese inventor is empowering communities through solar power - Design Indaba
- January 2016: Senegal Turning 14,000 Villages Into Ecovillages - Valhalla
- November 2008: SENEGAL: Weighing the benefits of solar stoves - Reuters
External links[]
Audio and video[]
- April 2010:
- May 2008:
Solar cooker construction plans in French[]
- CooKit panel cooker
- See also: Simple solar cooker plans in different languages
- Questions courantes sur les fours solaires
Contacts[]
The entities listed below are either based in Senegal or have initiated solar cooking projects there: