Solar Cooker Volunteer Project

  South Africa

• Other Cities in South Africa: 
Pretoria,  Rural Areas

Durations of Program: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks, 5-8 weeks and 9-12 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Start any day of he week

Description: Award winning company. This environmental project educates local communities about the benefits of solar cooking and builds simple but effective solar cookers, from everyday material, with and for community members. Cook a few meals to show that the solar cooker can actually cook a family meal!

The Solar Cooker Volunteer Project was initiated after a successful pilot project with previous volunteers Alex (Australia) and honeymoon couple Brett and Betsy from America. During their stay they built and tested a variety of different solar cookers made from cardboard boxes and aluminum foil. Alex went on to write her thesis on the design of a solar cooker for "Africa for Engineers without Borders" using her experiences as the basis for her work.   

Not only is the cost of electricity escalating yearly but our government owned energy supplier, Eskom, cannot guarantee that they will be able to keep the lights on without additional multiple increases to fund their capitalization progamme. Consumers were hit with country-wide "load-shedding" or forced blackouts during 2008 as a result of demand not being met. Added to that, consumers were subjected to a 27.5% hike in 2008 closely followed by a 31.3 & in mid 2009. Future increases over the period 2010 - 2012 could mean a further increase of more than 240 per cent!

Many households in the community in which we work cannot afford the costs of electricity as the community is characterized by high unemployment rates and single bread-winners supporting extended families on a low income. Even those households that have electricity have resorted back to using wood burning fires, paraffin stoves and coal burners to cook their meals. The cost of a bundle of wood is rising and local trees will not be able to sustain the community at current rates. We have personally witnessed the cutting down of magnificent tress within the community to be used as fuel. Some of these trees that have been cut down were planted by great-grandparents when they first arrived in the community in the 1950's.

Your time as a volunteer on this project will sensitize and educate the local community to the foreign concept and power of solar cooking. South Africa is ranked in the top 10 countries globally when it comes to sun availability for solar initiatives. You will build a simple but effective solar cooker with a trained member from the community and host family using every day items that are available in the community and shops. In addition you will cook a local meal or two with your host family hereby demonstrating that solar cooking is a viable alternative.

Our project goal is to be able to roll out the education, building and supply of solar cookers to the community - thereby reducing their dependence on electricity, saving local trees, reduce the burning of coal and fossil fuels and limiting environmental damage. The overall impact will be to reduce the demand on the electricity grid which is mostly powered by environmentally unfriendly coal-burning power stations in South Africa.

Whether you are an outspoken "greenie", a person interested in or concerned about environmental issues or wanting to contribute to a greater community need YOU can get involved at a grassroot level and make an impact.

Highlights: This is our most popular volunteer project area because volunteers want to meet, live with and share their time with people on the ground in South Africa. You can stay either in the community in one of the local homes or be accommodated in a traditional Ndebele village in their Lodge  the choice is yours! During your stay you will come to terms with much of the hardships and realities of rural life in South Africa. It may take a while coming from an urbanised city to get used to the way of life and realities on the ground, however, the riches you gather are well worth it.

Qualifications: None

Cost in US$: Contact us for more information

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Working with people Practical skills, crafts making, working with your hands

Age Range: 18+ years but younger with parental consent

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to South Africa Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Voluntours's Mission Statement: We are a multi-award winner in the Imvelo Awards for Responsible Tourism for Southern Africa in 2007 and 2008 (Johannesburg). As well as winners in the prestigious Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award 2008 (London). We are a volunteer placement organisation and tour-broker operating within South Africa placing volunteers in South Africa. We intimately manage your volunteer experience from home. We will match your unique skills and interests with carefully selected volunteer projects, and also help organise the rest of your trip. A variety of long and short-term placements are available. Volunteers are housed either within the community or nearby. A project donation is included in the costing to ensure sustainability and transparency.

Year Founded: 2005