The past few days have been all about bringing clean energy to Congolese communities. The Asili team has been brainstorming ways not just to develop a potential new clean energy business line, but to really co-create that business with the community.
As part of that process, they’re starting with cooking – cleaner, easier, and safer ways to get food on the table. First, it was a clean energy cooking demonstration. Then, a gas stove for a lucky family who will continue to test that idea further.
Today, it’s all about solar — harnessing the sun’s energy to supply a family’s culinary needs.
The gas stove from yesterday was popular. But it requires families to purchase gas canisters in town when the gas runs out. But a solar stove? Now that was something people really had their eye on.
“They can’t get enough of it!” said Mama Salome from the Asili team. “They want it in their homes right now!”
It’s no wonder most people like the solar stove that was demonstrated during the cooking show. It came with bells and whistles like a phone charger and radio, and of course its’ power source is available most of the day, and most of the year.
The team knew that people liked it. But just like with the gas stove, they wanted to learn even more about how people used it in their homes…
So for one lucky family, they got to take home the solar stove, that very day!
Picked from a random drawing, that family will be in close touch with the Asili team and report their findings.
“People can’t afford to buy these products right now,” said Valery, Business Operations Manager, “but we hope that we can come up with a model that allows access to them through Asili, perhaps on a payment plan. This was the first step on that journey.”
Photos by Lens on Life photographers, Operation Goma (DRC): Kennedy Ngoa and Michel Basizi
