|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
IN LIVES AND ENVIRONMENTS
The Problem In underdeveloped countries of the world, hundreds of millions of women, children and men continue to survive by preparing daily food in the most primitive and destructive ways, unable to find alternatives for living. Numerous regions and countries have suffered deforestation because of the demands of growing population dependent on wood for fuel. In many areas, animal dung and other poisonous debris are used for cooking fuel furthering disease and disabilities. In Honduras and elsewhere, women and children spend their days traveling farther from home to find firewood. Then, spend more days in the process of inefficient burning of wood to create charcoal for baking bread and other life-sustaining essentials. In addition to the struggle to gather fossil fuels, women and children are increasingly placed at risk as they travel farther from home and into potentially treacherous land. The down cycle of consumption has left numerous regions totally barren, thus furthering the collapse of life-sustaining trees and plant life. Not only are lungs destroyed, but the earth is also debilitated as oxygen-generating plant life is eradicated. In some places in Africa cultivation for farming is no longer possible in the treeless soil. Deforestation encourages erosion and many other ecological problems.
The Difference Solar energy is the cleanest and most efficient form of fuel for cooking, baking and water purification, wherever the sun's rays can be captured and the energy harnessed. The sun oven is such a device. Once purchased, manufactured and delivered through Rotary and local humanitarian organizations, these units form the nucleus of new enterprise - an exciting innovation in terribly depressed communities. With trained local staff, micro-bakeries are producing the village's needs. The Villager Sun Ovens supplied by the project bake hundreds of small loaves of bread in a day using only the sun's energy to work. Traditional baking can only produce 35 loaves a day consuming huge supplies of wood burned to charcoal in order to bake. With the solar ovens, clean air replaces the acrid smog of charcoal and dung. Women and children remain safe in the village. The whole planet breathes a little easier.
|
||||||||||||||||
