In December, I had the opportunity to travel to Darfur and meet the most important members of our project – the women who use the stoves to cook food for their families. These women are our raison-d’être, and the purpose of my trip was to learn from them and make sure we are responding to their needs.
I worked with our partners, Oxfam America, and Sustainable Action Group (SAG) to design a baseline survey investigating the challenges women face obtaining cooking fuel and feeding their families. The survey revealed that the overwhelming majority of women in ZamZam camp purchase firewood by selling a portion of their food rations. However, approximately 20% of women still collect firewood outside the camps – despite the grave risk to their safety. After completing the survey, each participant received a Berkeley-Darfur Stove; after six months we will revisit these families to learn the impact the stove has had on their lives. Because the stove uses less than half the amount of wood as the traditional three-stone fire, we anticipate that treks outside the camps and food rations sold to obtain fuel will be dramatically reduced.
Oxfam, SAG and I also worked together to design a training curriculum to show new stove users tips on using the stoves safely and efficiently. We trained 60 women from ZamZam camp, who are now “stove trainers” responsible for instructing new stove users in their community. The training includes an interactive cooking demonstration and discussion about the stove’s benefits.
A highlight of the trip was when the women in ZamZam gave a new Arabic name to the stove. They chose the name Kanun Khamsa Dagaig, or “5-Minute Stove”- a reflection of how much they value the stove’s ability to reduce cooking time.
The women were awed when I told them that the stove was especially designed for them and that our scientists in Berkeley mimic their way of cooking – making dishes similar to their traditional aseeda and mullaah – in order to predict the benefits the stove will have in their lives. They expressed their heartfelt thanks to DSP, our collaborators, and our generous supporters. We hope you will continue to follow our progress and support our work serving the women of Darfur.
