Solar Cooking in Bwelero

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BWELERO KALIYA YOUTH GROUP - Solar Cooking

Ten o’clock we agreed. Timing is everything with solar cooking as the sun doesn’t wait for us, we all agreed. So, at 11am, with an hour of good solar cooking time already lost and with only four of the group arrived, I decided to press on assured that the others would come soon. (Made a note to myself to in future say a time at least one hour before I actually wanted to start working with the group).

The last time I stood in front of a group of people and talked about solar energy, it was in front of a bunch of architects at an Arup office in Mornington Crescent. Now here I am, a lanky, pale, ginger white man, explaining to a group of eager students how they can use the heat of the sun, a piece of cardboard, some shiny paper, a black pot and a plastic bag to cook just about any food they want to.

After going through some of the theory about heat and light (which involved blindfolding them and getting them to touch pieces of card of different colours) I show them, the “CooKit” I bought from Solar Cookers International (subtle product placement there…..) in Nairobi. “Here’s one I prepared earlier”, I said in my best John Noakes voice as I unfolded what looked like an old cardboard box tied up with string to reveal a gleaming cardboard box covered in silver foil. It really is that simple - just cleverly calculated angles and slots to make sure that the suns rays are directed on the black cooking pot.

Still surrounded by sceptics, I decided to wow them with the “boiled egg without water” trick and, an hour later (we went for hard boiled), hands were tearing off eggshells and the crowd applauded and cheered as bits of hot, fully cooked egg were passed around. “What about Nsima?” chirped Chimemwe.

A break for a more substantial lunch, during which Rev Mwase proudly showed me his 1976 book of radio and electronics he intended to use to teach some of the group, and we were ready for something more adventurous - seasoned potatoes, onions and tomatoes. An hour and a half later, after talking about the different foods which could be cooked (“what about my Nsima!”), we opened the pot and tested the food. The pot wasn’t painted black (we had relied on the soot that covered most of it) and the lid wasn’t particularly tight fitting, so we had lost some of the moisture needed to complete the cooking. Still, it tasted good, even if the spuds were a little crispy. Good enough to start a fight amongst the local kids for the left-overs in the bottom of the pot.

I left them with a cardboard template for the CooKit and instructions for Chimemwe how to cook her Nsima and lots of other food - will be good to see what they’ve been cooking when I get back in November.

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Photos

Eggs - Sunny Side Up
Emmanuel prepares to reveal just HOW cooked the eggs are.

Hard boiled
Emmanuel and Chimemwetuck in.. .

Main Course
Ophanuel shows off his onion slicing skills.

Tuck in
Mirriam and Ophanuel unveil my amazing potato onion and tomato creation. . .and there was very muted applause !

A feast
They soon changed their minds when they tried it. . . .

Fight for the right. . .
The crowd go wild ! The kids loved my creation and fought over the pot for a good 5 minutes.

Heat and Light
The solar "CooKit" in all its glory, being kept company by my little Solio which will prove to be very useful in Senegal......but that's another story.

The Walk Home From The "Office"
The short cut from Njaya Lodge to Bwelero Village takes me up / down a steep scramble (think Striding Edge in the Lake District and you're close) and through Cassava fields. The view back towards Chikale Beach and Nkhata Bay is wonderful.