This year, a large influx of refugees, particularly women and children, has fled the conflict in Darfur, Sudan, to Chad. The areas surrounding the refugee camps have little forest, which regularly leads to tensions with the local population over wood gathering.
A stable and safe way of cooking is essential in these camps. Solar cookers offer a direct solution for this: they reduce dependence on firewood and improve living conditions.
Site visit by our colleague Victor Costenoble in October 2025. During the visit, a Kitchen Performance Test (KPT) was conducted to assess the savings on wood fuel. Results indicate a 50% reduction in wood fuel consumption.
Why not 100%?
Solar cookers cannot be used continuously (when the sun is too low at night, during cloud cover or rain, etc.). Therefore, not all meals can be prepared in this way. Households still use wood as residual fuel.
In August 2025, 6,000 new Haines Solar Cookers will have arrived for the Iridimi and Touloum camps. This will enable another 6,000 families to cook in a clean and safe manner.
“At first, I didn’t believe you could cook with the sun.” – Moura Haggar
The story of Moura Haggar.
My name is Moura Haggar and I live in the Iridimi refugee camp. In the beginning, it was difficult to imagine that cooking with the sun was really possible. But that doubt soon gave way to wonder and conviction.
This experience means a lot to us here, and will be just as important for the people in Darfur when we eventually return. During a demonstration, I prepared a large quantity of meat in the solar cooker and shared it with my neighbors in the camp. Their reaction was incredibly positive; they were very impressed by both the taste and the quality.
It is important that we continue to share these experiences, both with others in the camp and with the people who have remained in Darfur. By spreading knowledge and practical applications, we can work together on more sustainable solutions for the future.
The meat I tasted, prepared with the solar cooker, was of excellent quality. I am very grateful to the donors of FairClimateFund for their attention to the needs of women, and also to ADES for their commitment to making this change possible.
