It is hard to believe that Pahuwa, a very poor village, is so deforested that the women have to BUY their firewood. On Saturday, we were there to teach the women how to make and use a basket cooker. They were amazed that they can save an incredible 80% on their firewood consumption when a basket cooker is used in conjunction with their new fuel efficient cookstoves. The cookstove alone saves 2/3 of the fuel typically used, and using the basket cooker saves another 40%. This results in the consumption of only 20% of the firewood a typical household would use.
These cookers are made from a sturdy basket and dry banana leaves for insulation, and for a lid, a "pillow" made from a burlap bag, also stuffed with banana leaves. All of these are readily available local materials.
First, for demonstration, we fired up the changu changu moto cookstove and put on a pot of rice to boil for only 10 minutes. Then we pulled the pot off the stove and put it in the insulated basket cooker.
While I taught the lesson, the pot of rice continued to cook, and after 20 minutes in the cooker, the rice was hot and ready to serve. That is exactly what we did. Everyone got a serving of rice.
Next, I shared some very practical uses for this cooker. I said, "Suppose you get up early to go the fields. Before you go, you can prepare your meal on your cookstove for just a short time, then put it in the basket cooker to finish cooking. Your meal will stay hot for hours, and when you return from the field, your meal will be cooked and ready to serve. You can also prepare a meal in the morning, put it in a basket cooker. You can go about doing your other chores, then when your children come home from school hungry, their food will be hot and ready to eat. " The women all thought this was a great idea and wanted to try it.
At the conclusion of the lesson, I told the women that I was very happy to share these ideas with them because it is always our desire to bless them in practical ways that will save them time, labor, and money.
