SHARE
THE ANGOLAN SUN
Your school can partner in a unique project helping families
harness the power of the Angolan sun to aid in improving health,
and economic well being while protecting the environment!
SHAREcircle has created a project to involve your students in
an international project with tangible life changing results.
For a single mother in Angola basic survival can at times seem
uncertain and very overwhelming. One of the few things she can
be certain of is that the bright Angolan sun will shine again
for another day. Each day the simple task of gathering wood to
cook a meal is filled with anxiety and fear of loosing life or
a limb to one of the millions of land mines embedded throughout
the country.
Next time you turn the knob on your stove and the burner immediately
glows red-hot take time to be thankful that you are in America
and not in Angola. In Angola women must spend several hours gathering
wood each day and live in fear that her children could become
orphans if she steps on a land mine. As deforestation increases,
and the number of trees decreases, she must often time go farther
and farther distances from her village to more remote areas leaving
her venerable to attack or rape, all for a enough wood to cook
a meager meal for herself and her children. When she gets home
she spends another couple of hours stooped over a fire inhaling
smoke (the smoke she inhales each day is the equivalent of smoking
three packs of cigarettes) as she stirs the food she is making
for her families evening meal. This process takes anywhere from
3 to 7 hours out of her day while denuding the environment that
most of her community depends on for their livelihoods.
Now there is an alternative. The power of the sun can be used
to cook the majority of her food and we are inviting your school
to SHARE THE ANGOLAN SUN with her by adopting her family and giving
them a SUN OVEN. A SUN OVEN can cook 70% of her meals without
having to gather any wood. In an average week she will have an
additional 35 hours to devote to more productive activities without
the health risks
School groups are assisting SHAREcircle in establishing a SUN
OVEN assembly plant in Angola. By assembling the ovens in Angola
badly need jobs will be created and the ovens will be considerably
less expensive. For only $174 your class can SHARE THE ANGOLAN
SUN, aid in improving the health, and economic wellbeing of women
who are raising children by themselves. Return
to Top
The Angolan single mother family you adopt will receive:
• A GLOBAL SUN OVEN
• Training on how to use the oven to bake, boil or steam
the foods that she is used to preparing and how to pasteurize
water
• Two cooking pots
• A Water Pasteurization Indicator
• For each family that is adopted a tree will be planted
in Angola
To assit you in educating your class in why they should SHARE
THE ANGOLAN SUN the following materials are available:
• A CD explaining the project and the impact it is having
on the women who partipate.
• A fact sheet about Angola and the struggles this Southern
African nation is going through to recover after 27 years of war.
• Details about the environmental and social benefits of
the SHARE THE ANGOLAN SUN project
• A list of the most frequently asked questions
• A certificate of achievement
• A photo of the family you have adopted and some background
information about them. (Please allow up to 6 months for the photo
to be sent.)
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Frequently Asked Questions about the SHARE THE ANGOLAN
SUN project
Why is this project promoting solar cooking in Angola?
There are a number of far reaching social, environmental and economic
benefits to introducing SUN OVENS in Angola. Solar cooking is
an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional cooking
methods. Since using a SUN OVEN does not rely on firewood and
charcoal, it helps to alleviate dependence on Angola’s already
sparse forests and thus reduce deforestation rates. Widespread
SUN OVEN use will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases generated
through traditional cooking and also reduce deforestation which,
often results in soil erosion, heat islands and desertification.
The social benefits of solar cooking are numerous and varied.
Solar cooked food contains greater nutritional value than food
cooked through other methods, and SUN OVENS provide another means
by which to pasteurize water which can reduce infant/child morbidity
and mortality. As the number of meals cooked over an open flame
is reduced, the incidence of burns from open flame accidents may
be reduced as well. Additionally, solar cooking can reduce the
incidence of respiratory and ocular diseases associated with long-term
expose to indoor air pollution.
Solar cooking also provides many economic benefits. Solar cooking
frees up time for the cook to pursue other activities that may
be economically beneficial. The REFLECT THE LIGHT project will
be assembling the ovens in Angola providing badly needed jobs
and bring additional money into the Angolan economy.
What can be cooked in a SUN OVEN?
Any food that needs to be baked, boiled or steamed. Common Angolan
foods like
can be cooked using the power of the sun.
How hot will the oven get?
Cooking temperatures of 183°C (360° F) can to 204°C
(400° F) can be maintained.
Can you sterilize water in a SUN OVEN?
Yes. Water can be brought to a boil. A little-known fact, however,
is that to make water safe to drink, it only has to be pasteurized,
not sterilized. Pasteurization takes place at 65° C (150°
F) in only 20 minutes. This treatment kills all human disease
pathogens, but doesn't waste the energy needed to bring the water
to a boil. One reason that people are told to boil their water
is that thermometers are not readily available in many places
and the boiling action serves as the temperature indicator. The
family you adopt will receive a Water Pasteurization Indicator
(WAPI). The WAPI is a durable reusable plastic tube that contains
soy wax, which melts when the water reaches pasteurization temperatures.
How much does a SUN OVEN cost?
The price of the GLOBAL SUN OVEN shipping to Angola and training
is $152. In the U.S. GLOBAL SUN OVEN our sold by the manufacture
for $229.00 + $21.85 shipping and handling. By purchasing in large
quantities and assembling the ovens in Angola the ovens will be
able to be sold for 40% less than the price in the U.S.
Will food prepared in a SUN OVEN taste the same?
The food tastes much better! Solar cooking allows many of the
natural flavors of food, which get smoked out in conventional
open fire cooking, to remain. The slow, even rise in temperatures
in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN gives the complex carbohydrates time to break
down into simple sugars allowing the subtle natural flavor to
emerge. Sun baked foods stay moist, the natural internal juices
do not bake out, resulting in a superior, moist taste and much
less shrinkage.
Does food need to be stirred?
No. Stirring to prevent scorching is not required when cooking
in a GLOBAL SUN OVEN due to the fact that there are no hot spots.
The temperature of the food and the pot it is cooked in rises
equally. It is almost impossible to burn food in a GLOBAL SUN
OVEN.
In Angola the main meal of the day is often eaten after sundown.
Can a SUN OVEN be used?
GLOBAL SUN OVENS are well insulated. When left in the oven, food
that is cooked in the afternoon sun will stay warm for several
hours.
With the SUN OVEN getting so hot, what is the risk of getting
burned when using it?
The only parts that get hot are the oven chamber, the cooking
pan and the glass door. Proper care must be taken to use hot pads
when opening the door and removing food. The entire exterior of
the oven, including the reflectors, remains safe to touch.
How long will a SUN OVEN last?
The estimated life of a GLOBAL SUN OVEN is 20 + years. With proper
care it should last a lifetime.
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