June 2004

June was an active and rewarding month for Programme Energie Solaire. At least 230 people were directly exposed to solar cooking. June 1 and 2, Gardy, Esnaider, and Marckendy (program volunteer) did some teaching for 60 participants near Anse Rouge (NW part of Haiti). Fish, rice, and eggs were some of the foods prepared at this training seminar organized by Parole et Action. June 15-17 the PES staff held its monthly training seminar in Port-au-Prince at the Free Methodist Bible Institute. The 18 participants prepared rice, eggs, vegetables, meat, and corn meal. The cooking conditions were excellent and many participants seemed very motivated. On June 18 Esnaider and Medeline (program volunteer) did a demonstration of solar cooking in Carrefour for 120 students. The conditions for cooking were only fair, but they managed to cook some eggs and bake up a cake from a cake mix.

Esnaider spent a week in Lambert (near Cap Haitian) June 21-26 to oversee the training of 6 women solar cooking instructors as part of a jointly sponsored solar cooking project (see http://www.sunoven.com/haiti/asp) to train 500 women in the area. During the week, Esnaider led the 6 instructors in putting on 2 seminars for a total of 40 participants. Besides rice and sauces, the participants cooked sweet potatoes and breadfruit. They also baked bread. Each seminar had at least 2 days of good cooking conditions.