Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Development Association

The Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Development Association have introduced solar cookers in four villages in Ethiopia.
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*March 2012: PISDA organised a ten-day Solar Cooking introduction for ZOA Refugee Care Subsequently, UNHCR requested that Solar Cooking be introduced in the Assossa refugee camp (South West Ethiopia). Solar Cooking Foundation the Netherlands (SCN) colleague Fikirte Regassa Beyene coordinated the entire event. PISDA now is busy to supply the necessary Solar Cookers for the pilot project (800 in 2012 and 1000-5000 in 2013)
*October 2011  HOAREC/N organised a four-day working conference in Debre Zeit for all participating organisations which are involved in the plans in the development of the Renewable Energy Technology (RET) and Energy Efficient (EE) Project for Rural Households that is co-financed by the EU. PISDA had an important role and the production and promotion centre was visited. The 20 RET / EE centres are allocated among the districts of Tigray and Amhara in North Ethiopia, and Oromiya in South Ethiopia. Solar Cooking is part of production, marketing and distribution in all centres.
*April 2011: This spring PISDA became an official partner of HOAREC/N  and subsequently cooperation with SCN could be completed. Subsidies allocated by the EU will assist PISDA in further expanding ISSC in the Oromyio district.
*December 2010: Until now 3700 CooKits, 1930 haybaskets, 2140 Mirt stoves and 1540 Rocket stoves (Tikikil) were distributed.
*October 2010: This year 400 solar cooking households have joined the NGO PISDA project in Ethiopia that has now been running for 4 years, mainly in and around Debre Zeit, in the same district where the 2009 group (600 households) lives. It is noteworthy that less impoverished women show interest in the more expensive solar box. To be able to acquire this they discuss together the possibility of a ‘loan revolving fund’.They share knowledge as well and recognize the savings made on the purchase of wood, charcoal or kerosene. These women exercise a positive influence on the poorer women who like to follow their example.Men’s acceptance of cooking with the CooKit or hay basket remains an area of special interest. It is a gratifying subject of discussion at women’s meetings. They proudly recount how diplomatic they are andonly tell their husband how the meal was cooked after he has complimented them on it. A wood-saving cooking appliance remains an essential part of integrated cooking since cooking methods need not be adjusted.March 2009: A delegation of NGO's from the Horn of Africa countries visited the Promotion and Productioncentre in Debre Zeit. It was part of the workshop "Integrated Sustainable Cooking" organised by HoA-REC/N, a department of the University of Addis Ababa and Janny Poley, first secretary of The Netherlands Embassy (Addis Ababa).
*April 2008: The Production and promotion centre in Debre Zeit was built in a short time and started with the production of CooKits, hay baskets and fuel-saving stoves by women and for women. In workshops for trainers women discuss different ways of saving and earning money by using integrated solar cooking [ISSC]. This knowledge centre will also be an example for other regions in Ethiopia: workshops are held for other organisations that wish to start solar cooking projects.
*November 2007: Solar Cooking Netherlands (SCN) has teamed up with Partnership for Integrated Sustainable Development Association (PISDA), a local non-governmental organization, to introduce solar cooking in four rural villages around Debre Zeit. PISDA has worked with female heads of households on a number of projects, such as tree planting, fuel-efficient wood stoves, and savings and credit associations. SCN’s Clara Thomas, along with PISDA’s Ato Guillilat, left early mornings on a two-wheeled horse wagon to visit the four rural villages. They first introduced solar cookers to village elders, and then spent a week training a group of solar cooking instructors. A year-long initial program was agreed upon to ensure continued follow up in the form of monthly collective solar cooking meetings to share experiences and advice. The project will likely expand next year. A local solar fabricator in Addis Ababa — Bereket Solar — will produce CooKit solar cookers by hand for the project. Towards the end of 2007 he will transfer his experience and knowledge to the women in rural areas so that they can make their own CooKits. Injera, a pancake-like bread, is a local staple that cannot be cooked with simple solar cookers. (It requires a 60-centimeter diameter pan and baking temperature of at least 220°C.) A research program is underway to find a solar method for baking injera. The present cooking culture does not permit introducing collective solar injera baking through a large bakery or otherwise. In the meantime, injera will continue to be baked three times per week on a fuel-efficient wood stove.
==See also==
*Solar Cooking The Netherlands - KoZon
Category:Ethiopia