Its use is increasing, and in turn, the demand for wood, charcoal, bottled gas, and electricity is decreasing. The introduction of solar cooking has also proven to be time efficient, saving hours spent daily by villagers cutting and gathering firewood. Since 1991, solar cooking technology has been introduced in villages in Costa Rica, Egypt, Ghana, Honduras, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, and Zambia. In 1996, Rotary clubs in U.S.A., Kenya, Japan, and Taiwan began collaborating to fund a project by the Rotary Club of Nairobi East to build efficient, durable and inexpensive solar cookers for world-wide use. Rotary clubs are learning how to produce less expensive solar cookers and are teaching villagers how to produce and use the technology.
Clubs use public awareness and education activities to promote the use of solar cooking technology.
Issues Addressed Poverty Eradication, Technology Transfer, Capacity Building. This system provided an intimate system of checks and balances, as each member monitored the performance of the others in their group. After three and a half years, if the bakery has been managed successfully, title is turned over to the seven managers. Lessons Learned Rotarians have found that while the introduction of solar cooking technology is most welcome, ensuring the sustainability of both the ovens and the programmes proved difficult because of cultural differences and the lack of business skills. Believing that local ownership of a project could be the key to its success, Rotary clubs developed a formula for continuation.