Pin the Tail On the Donkey

I just read of a recent march on Washington protesting "dirty" oil and coal, and automotive fuel emissions and the like. I'm quite certain that most of the people there are totally clueless about the fact that about 100% of rural Malawians cook their meals on highly toxic open three stone fires, leading to lower respiratory disease being the greatest killer in the entire world, much more that either AIDS or malaria. This terribly inefficient method of cooking consumes large volumes of wood from a rapidly depleting forest. The mountains we see as we drive north along the highway from our home in Zomba are stripped bare about two thirds of the way up.

In the cities about 80% of the people cook on charcoal fires. Although charcoal burns more efficiently than does wood, it takes four pounds of wood to make one pound of charcoal. On any given day we are able to observe the billowing smoke from several charcoal producing fires high up on the mountains above us. These are much smokier than wood fires, and greatly endanger the health of the producers who make about 50 cents a day for their grueling work.

There's a certain naivete in trying to fix a situation that runs with over 95% efficiency, when there are many places on this planet which are still over 95% broken, such as most rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Asia and Latin America. If these presumably well meaning folks wish to help solve the REAL energy crisis they need only look as far as this sorely broken continent we have come to love and call our home.

Several projects we are engaged in or developing, such as very fuel efficient brick ovens, solar cookers, solar lighting, and bio-fuel briquette making, as well as sanitation workshops for women and well repairs,work toward that end.  Whether you are the kind of person who would be part of such a protest or one of its detractors makes little difference to our impoverished neighbors here in Malawi. What would make a great difference is your considering contributing to either our work or another small boots-on-the-ground group working toward making a better life for the terribly overburdened women whose every waking hour is about survival for themselves and their children, as they spend their days fetching water, cutting and gathering wood, cooking, or walking their sick children many miles to an understaffed and under-stocked rural clinic.

If you choose to partner with us in this work, you can either give securely on line at www.surefoundationministry.com or mail a check to Sure Foundation Ministry PO Box 30332 Winston-Salem, NC, 27130-30332. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and all gifts are fully tax deductible, and any size donation is greatly appreciated.