Upon our arrival a kitchen was already in place. However, it was not possible to use it since there is no electric power supply in Hatcliffe and gas for Tichakunda’s gas cooker is too expensive. Cooking for over 300 children had therefore been done over an open fire in a smoky kitchen shed. Seeing this, the idea to construct a so-called rocketstove at the back entrance to the kitchen took shape. It is operated with fire wood, but works quicker and more economical than cooking over an open fire. Equipped with construction plans found on the internet, we started our search for the required materials together with a local builder and a volunteer. In the end we were able to inaugurate the rocketstove. We decided to build a protection around it against the weather so it can also be used in the wind and rain. The ladies working in the kitchen are enthusiastic because cooking on the rocketstove saves them time and prevents them from spending their days in the smoky kitchen shed. On top of this, 60% of the wood previously burned can now be saved!
The kitchen can be used as well. The old shed is in the past. In order to make work in the kitchen easier, we have provided practical kitchen utensils and asked for an additional outdoor sink to be fitted.
