Under the motto “the sun shines for all,” the French-Argentine Solar Inti project has been running in Northwestern Argentina since 2008 to teach various families and communities to use ecological cookers. The organization provides training so that users can build their own ovens and use solar energy to cook foods.
This initiative has a direct impact on the Northern communities in Argentina, more precisely in the Andes Mountains of the Puna region, as many of them cook foods and heat their houses with firewood and gas. The lack of these resources and the high costs of living on this type of non-renewable energy is detrimental to the life quality of the communities. Moreover, the extraction of firewood to be used as fuel has damaged the natural environment, due to the fact that over the past 30 years a rapid desertification process has occurred in the area and many native species became extinct (tola, cangia, and churqui trees).
This situation also occurs in many developing countries, where millions of people either rely on the traditional biomass to cook foods and heat places, lack electricity or cannot afford modern energy services, even if they are available in the area. Therefore, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy.
What are the advantages of solar cookers?
Advantages to health: Using solar cookers can prevent eye and lung diseases caused by smoke, as well as back problems due to transportation of firewood. They prevent diarrhea, thanks to the water pasteurization process. Nutritional properties of foods are preserved, as well as their original flavors and aromas.
Advantages to the environment: Forest destruction and soil erosion are minimized. Greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) are reduced.
Advantages to the economy: Fuel costs (firewood, coal, gas, kerosene) are reduced. Building of solar cookers create jobs within the local communities.
Freedom: women and children do not have to spend 15 hours a week looking for firewood. Instead, that time is spent on education, training, their families and their recreation.
At Ammanik, we intended to honor the International Year of Sustainable Energy by organizing a trip to Northwestern Argentina in order to host a workshop on building and using solar cookers. The aim of the workshop is to raise awareness on renewable energies and show people that this energy is beneficial to the environment and it also improves their life quality economically and socially.
If you need more information on the Solar Inti project, you can visit www.solarinti.blogspot.com.ar
Those interested in going to Argentina’s Northwest and taking part in the workshop on building and using solar cookers may visit the following link https://ammanik.com.ar/taller-de-construccion-y-uso-de-cocinas-solares-en-salta/ or send an email to info@ammanik.com.ar.