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Study on the benefits of Solar Ovens in the Bolivia Amazon

Based on the Programme Implemented by Christian Aid and partners in Bolivia “Women With Energy”

Report written by The Bolivian Climate Change Platform 2019 Translation by Emma Donlan

Photo Soluciones Practicas Bolivia

1. INTRODUCTION

Christian Aid together with local partners: CIPCA Beni, Soluciones Prácticas, Inti Illimani and the

Bolivian Platform Against Climate Change have been working with indigenous organizations and

communities located in the Bolivian Amazon to implement territorial management plans. Local

economic development programs have been designed for eco-community tourism and eco-

agriculture, attracting multiple stakeholders, to build the resilience of the most vulnerable

communities. The Christian Aid programme in Bolivia focuses on: renewable energies, young

entrepreneurs, agroforestry systems and support through incubators funds for small businesses with

the objective of generating sustainable alternative development models, as opposed to the predatory

agroindustry, which threatens livelihoods.

In recent years, these communities in the Bolivian Amazon have suffered severe natural disasters,

especially from floods, droughts and fires that have affected the livelihoods of indigenous families;

and it seems that women have been the most affected.

Faced with this situation, Christian Aid together with local partners have implemented different

development projects, including the solar oven project which has had excellent results in terms of

local ownership, use of solar energy, reduction in the use of firewood, generating more free time for

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women and other benefits. This document presents the base line of this project, enabling us to more

systematically measure the impact of the lives of women, their environment, their resilience and their

livelihoods.

The Baseline of the Project "Women with energy: solar ovens in the Amazon" has been jointly

developed, above all with the objective of determining the current status of progress in the

implementation of solar ovens and implications for relationships within families and within the

communities already using the solar ovens and also looking at other families that do not yet have the

solar ovens but which would only benefit from the project, to evaluate their current situation and to

make comparisons in relation to the impacts generated by the project.

The Baseline study has been developed with a sample of the beneficiary families living in the

Municipalities of San Ignacio de Mojos, San Andres, San Javier, Baures and Rurrenabaque located in

the department of Beni, and San Buenaventura and Apolo in the Department of La Paz, using survey

instruments, focus groups, interviews with leaders and authorities, and interviews with technicians

who are implementing the project. Subsequently, the information has been systematized and

organized into the study variables:

• use of the solar ovens;

• use and cost of fossil fuel and firewood;

• role of women;

• welfare of the family;

• gender roles;

• and acceptance / appropriation of the solar ovens by the public

2. BACKGROUND

The Amazon hosts the greatest diversity of ecosystems, species and genetic resources of the earth.

Very diverse forest and aquatic ecosystems across the entire watershed, from dense forests, open

forests, submerged forests, cloud forests, savannas, lakes and rivers with very different

characteristics. It is estimated that the region has up to 30% of the flora and fauna species in the

world. "Nearly 3,000 species of plants used for various purposes have been classified, many of them

with the potential to provide medicines, pesticides, dyes, aromas, fibres, oils, wood and food, among

others" (BRACK, 1995).

The region is also the depository of important hydro-energetic, hydrocarbon and mineral resources.

Although forests generally rest on nutrient-poor lands, therefore, they are not suitable for agricultural

uses, areas with good soils where agricultural activities can be developed have been located, provided

that the appropriate technologies and inputs are used (BRACK, 1995).

The Bolivian Amazon covers an area of 475,278 km2, equivalent to 43.3% of the entire national

surface area, involving five departments: Pando, Beni, La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. It is

constituted by a mosaic of extensive humid tropical forests, flooded savannahs, semi-humid transition

forests characterized by high biodiversity found in the Chaco region to the sub-Andean forest. A total

of 88 municipalities are part of the Bolivian Amazon and 15% of the Bolivian population lives in this

region (RAISG: 2009)

About the municipalities where the Christian Aid solar oven project is implemented, they are the most

vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. They are exposed to the inclemency of floods during the

rainy season and to drought and forest fires the dry season. These natural disasters destroy the

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wealth of flora and fauna of the forests. The Amazon area of Bolivia also has the largest number of

Indigenous Peoples, no less than 16 indigenous peoples of the 36 groups recognized in the Political

Constitution of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.

Photo Christian Aid

However, the Amazon has become a global concern since the 1980s, due to the accelerated

deforestation caused by the colonization and regional integration programs promoted with

aggressiveness by the governments from the 1980s onwards. The main component of these programs

was the construction of several roads to link different communities and towns in the Amazon. Other

critical elements have included the implementation of fiscal and credit incentives for agricultural

production, the construction of large hydroelectric dams, mining projects, and the state supported

immigration from the poorest highlands regions of the country. As a result, the region has

experienced the rapid expansion of livestock activity along the roadways, which has resulted in

becoming the main cause of deforestation in the region.

The conservation of forests is especially important for the mitigation of climate change, since forests

contain 80% of all carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation. In turn, tropical forests contain about 25%

of the carbon in the Earth's biosphere. Additionally, Amazonian forests have a high capacity to

capture carbon (or in more simplistic terms: produce oxygen). In recent decades, Amazonian forests

have helped to slow down the pace of climate change thanks to their ability to produce oxygen or

capture carbon. In normal years Amazonian forests capture and store 18,000 million tons of carbon,

twice as much carbon as the combined emissions of all fossil fuels burned in the world (BRIENEN et

al., 2011).

Between the end of 2013 and the first half of 2014, a large part of the Bolivian Amazon (Beni, North

of La Paz and areas of Pando, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba) suffered severe flooding. The constant

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rains during that period caused the extensive Amazonian rivers to overflow and destroy the assets of

many people. The water rose at unprecedented levels affecting urban, peri-urban and indigenous and

peasant communities (their productive and economic systems, and their livelihoods, as well as other

sectors). The aftermath of the phenomenon lasted throughout 2014 and the subsequent years.

Faced with this situation, Christian Aids’ partners that form part of the consortium that is currently

implementing the "Solar Ovens" project, identified that one of the main problems during and after

the floods was the difficulty to prepare food, given the fact that the no dry fuel was available and

everywhere was covered in mud. Faced with this situation together with the communities the

partners proposed to implement a pilot project using solar ovens, to respond to the need to provide a

mechanism for preparing food for the most vulnerable forest families during floods. The project

generated great interest among families beyond the reach of the initial pilot, leading to its extension

and scale up from 2016 to 2019, because, as this document presents, the solar ovens are now being

used in multiple ways and have generated new leaderships, especially among the women who are

using them, with greater participation in local and municipal decision-making processes.

3. JUSTIFICATION

Photo Christian Aid

The communities with which Christian Aid and partners have been working are extremely vulnerable

to the exacerbated effects of climate change, such as floods and forest fires, due to prolonged and

intense rainy and dry seasons in recent decades. The impacts of these phenomena affect women

more, as they are often the only ones left to manage family resources when their partners migrate for

paid work, and women have less alternative livelihoods when crops are lost.

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In the last three years Christian Aid and local partners have been implementing pilot projects on

innovative solar technology in communities that have experienced extreme floods and forest fires.

The use of Solar technology is not common in the Amazon, and there are few or any records of similar

projects that have been implemented in the past. Despite the initial concerns about weather

conditions and the challenges of adapting traditional ways of cooking (with fossil fuels) and firewood,

families who have adopted the solar ovens testify that the project has had excellent results to date in

terms of appropriation, female empowerment and leadership, and reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

However, this is not supported by a study or formal diagnosis carried out in a more organized and

rigorous way. The information we count on to date has been provided by Christin Aid partners and

based on reports, testimonies and the experience of working directly with the beneficiary families.

Up to mid-2018, 245 solar ovens have been implemented in 18 communities in 6 municipalities of the

Amazon, and 76 solar ovens are now being implemented in 8 new communities; resulting in a total of

317 solar ovens implemented in 26 communities, two indigenous territories in 7 Municipalities.

However, as we said already, although very important results and impacts have been achieved in

improving the quality of life of families and above all in the empowerment of women; currently, there

are no studies and data that can provide more evidence to substantiate advocacy to inform and

influence public policy. Therefore, at this stage of the project, it is intended to gather data and robust

evidence to show the successful experiences in the implementation of solar ovens and the

contribution to climate resilience, as a basis to present alternative models to the current energy

matrix to promote greater gender equity. The aim is to make scientific data and evidence visible, so

that the indigenous and farming families living in the Amazon can communicate the impacts of the

project in increasing their resilience and to influence local, national and international spaces,

countering the powerful interests and negative impacts related to the extractive model and the

effects of climate change. In addition to having supporting documentation that show the contribution

of the solar ovens in reducing pollution. Armed with this data, we hope that communities living in the

Amazon can influence public policies to scale up the use of solar ovens in other areas. Likewise, this

information can be used for greater coverage in in media and social networks to influence public

opinion and increase recognition of the work and contribution of families in the reduction of

greenhouse gases (GHG) and global warming.

The baseline with the indicators proposed in the project will increase visibility of the current situation

of the indigenous families of the Amazon on the one hand and the progress made by the project in

the previous phase. In addition, it will serve to improve future interventions, influence public policies

and generate a favourable public opinion about the alternatives that indigenous communities and

indigenous women are implementing to mitigate and to build their resilience to the negative effects

of climate change.

4. CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BENEFICIARY POPULATION

Over the last two decades, the families involved with this project secure land titles to important areas

of the forest because of their long struggles for land rights. They have been implementing numerous

agricultural activities, gathering, hunting, fishing and integral management of their territory as

strategies to defend control and manage the natural resources in their territories. Although their

livelihoods are under constant threat due to the model of extractive development and the expansion

of the agricultural frontier, deforestation for the extraction of wood, mining activities, hydrocarbon

activity, hydroelectric and road building projects; and with everything that they entail.

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The communities in the project area are indigenous people living on communal lands or small holder

farmers. They have an average of 5 members per family. Their communities are mostly located on the

banks of rivers, or others near the highway. Most of the communities do not have good road access,

especially during the rainy season. The families are engaged in cultivating agroforestry crops,

harvesting forest products, hunting and fishing, and handicrafts. These activities are their main source

of livelihoods, they are a source of pride and cultural identity despite their difficulties and threats that

must face because of climate change.

Photo Christian Aid

The use and access to alternative energy is very incipient and very scarce. Most families rely on

firewood as their main fuel for cooking. Prolonged rainy seasons and increased flooding decrease the

availability of dry firewood, which means that families struggle to cook and boil water to make it safe

to drink. This leads to malnutrition and disease and weakens the ability of people to cope with crises,

such as floods and extreme weather patterns. The dependence on firewood as the main fuel for

cooking leads to deforestation. It is estimated that each family uses up to 3 kg of firewood every day.

Deforestation means that women must walk farther and farther from their community to look for

fuel. It is estimated that women spend approximately 1 hour a day collecting firewood and up to 4

hours a day cooking on wood. The smoke from burning wood, especially when it is wet, is often toxic

and increases the likelihood of respiratory diseases.

Indigenous women are relegated in their reproductive role. Many do not know their rights, because

they do not have access to education nor do they participate in decision-making at community level.

For this reason, indigenous women are triply discriminated against because they are women, because

they are indigenous and because they are poor. This situation is changing little by little, but they still

require clear and specific public policies that accompany their struggle and leadership in daily life.

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4.1 MUNICIPALITIES IN WHICH THE PROJECT IS IMPLEMENTED

Next, the characteristics of the municipalities where the project is implemented are described in a

very summarized way and with general data:

Photo Christian Aid

Municipality of Rurrenabaque

The Municipality of Rurrenabaque is part of the Mariscal José Ballivián Province of the Department of

Beni; It is located at the extreme west of the department of Beni, in the last foothills of the Andes

mountain range and in the beginning of the eastern plains. The Municipality of Rurrenabaque is

located 355 km from the city of Trinidad and 450 km from the city of La Paz. According to the National

Institute of Statistics (INE) in 2018 this region has 23,540 inhabitants and by the year 2020, this

municipality will have about 25,035 inhabitants.

According to results of the 2013 Agricultural Census, the main product grown in Rurrenabaque, in the

winter 2012 and summer 2012-2013 agricultural seasons, is paddy rice; the sowing of this cereal

reached 1,403.3 hectares. Other products grown in this region are: corn 1,152.2 hectares, banana

(dessert) 892.0 hectares, cacao 250.0 hectares, cassava 200.3 hectares, orange 166.2 hectares and

watermelon 103.5 hectares. The municipality of Rurrenabaque has as its main livestock species to

23,909 heads of poultry, other species with a larger population are: cattle with 20,137 heads, farm

birds 7,129 and pigs of 2,445 head.

Municipality of San Buenaventura

The Municipality of San Buenaventura is located north of the Department of La Paz and belongs to the

Abel Iturralde Province. The Municipality has an area of 3,748.11 km2, which corresponds to 9.37% of

the surface of the Abel Iturralde province (PMOT SBV, 2009). According to the form of historical

spatial organization that the Municipality has had, based on the previous cantonal organization, the

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Municipality of San Buenaventura is currently structured in three districts: San Buenaventura,

Tumupasa and San José de Uchupiamonas. The most extensive district is Tumupasa that covers

40.73% of the total extension of the Municipality, followed by the district of San José de

Uchupiamonas with 25.25% and, finally, is the district of San Buenaventura that covers 24, 02%.

The main productive activities developed by the population of the Municipality of San Buenaventura,

are mainly agricultural 30%, livestock 16%, hunting / fishing 17%, wood harvesting 16%, tourism 7%

and non-timber use 6%. Families also develop some other activities such as trade, beekeeping and

crafts.

Photo Christian Aid

Municipality of Apolo

The Municipality of Apolo, First Section of the Franz Tamayo province of the department of La Paz, is

located to the north of the department, extends from the eastern high foothills of the Andes to the

Amazon region, in an altitudinal gradient between 4,000 m in the border with Peru, up to 220 m

altitude at the mouth of the Tuichi River. Apolo is the second largest municipality in the department

of La Paz, after Ixiamas, with an area of 13,862 km2 which corresponds to 11% of the departmental

area. Its municipal capital is at an altitude of 1,460 m.

Among the main economic activities are: mining, where Apolo has areas where historically

sedimentary gold deposits have been exploited in the basins of Pelechuco, on the banks of rivers in

the Northwest region of the municipality, in the basins of the Moxos rivers , Pelechuco, Tuichi and

Amantala. Towards the South border of the Municipality another mining sector is identified in the

Yuyo River, in an extensive zone upstream and downstream of Pauje Yuyo. Finally, a third gold zone in

the Beni River sector near the communities of Puerto El Carmen and Chushuara. There is also a recent

gold mine in the San Pedro community called Chusicani.

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On the other hand, Apolo is an essentially agricultural Municipality. Practically all the inhabitants of

the rural area of Apolo and many of the urban area have production plots for self-consumption and

economic sustenance, in this latter case coca, coffee and cattle are particularly important. However, it

is particularly special and remarkable that the municipality of Apolo has a diversity of climates and

soils, which has linked to the local culture and ways of life, determines an impressive diversity of

agricultural and livestock products that are the basis of the feeding and sustenance of the population

at municipal and communal level.

Municipality of San Ignacio de Moxos

San Ignacio de Moxos is the capital of the Moxos province of the Beni department. According to data

from the 2012 Census, 11,168 men and 9,946 women were registered in San Ignacio de Moxos. Of

the total population of Moxeña, 52.4% live in rural areas and 47.6% live in urban areas. In the

municipality there are 1,333 Units of Agricultural Production (UPA), with an average area of 668.8

hectares for each UPA, according to the 2013 Agricultural Census. The area used for agricultural

activity covers 1,800.5 hectares in summer, highlighting banana production with 42,115 quintals,

cassava 11,539.3 and rice with husk 9,990.7 quintals. The municipality is characterized by the

breeding of cattle with 290,285 heads, followed by 25,976 poultry.

Municipality of San Andrés

The municipality is part of the Marbán province, which according to the 2012 Census, the municipality

of San Andrés registered 12,503 inhabitants. According to data from the 2013 agricultural census, the

municipality is the main producer of paddy rice in the department of Beni, with an area of 8,520.7

cultivated hectares, followed by the production of soybeans with 2,214.0 hectares, followed by corn,

beans, plantains and other products. In much of its territory it is covered by wetlands. The raising of

cattle, leads the livestock production with 161,991 heads, followed by the breeding of 42,328 poultry,

as the most numerous species.

Municipality of Baures

Baures is part of the Iténez province. According to the Population Census of 2012 it has a population

of 5,965 inhabitants. It has a hot and humid climate with an average annual temperature of 30 ° C.

and a rainfall of 1,000 mm. It has flat topography composed of islands of wild cacao and pampas,

presenting jungle areas, shallows, curichis and gallery forests.

The population bases its economy on agricultural production. The collection of wild cacao is also one

of the main activities. Among the main products are corn, yucca, banana, cocoa, lemon, custard

apple, tamarind and avocado. The yucca is transformed into flour (chivé) for its commercialization in

nearby communities. Livestock production is favoured by the large expanses of natural prairies

characteristic of the province.

In this document, as a matter of temporality, we manage families who have been benefited with solar

cooking since 2015 in mid-2018 as "old families"; that already have use and management of solar

ovens in some cases of 3 years, others of 2 years and 1 year. While the families that are being

benefited recently with the solar oven, we are calling them "new families", which are going to initiate

the use and management of solar cooking.

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Table No1: Families and Communities that have been involved in the project

Families

Communities

Indigenous

Territories Municipalities

With solar

ovens

This that will

have solar

ovens

Area where CIPCA Beni

works 131 38 12 2 4

Area where Soluciones

Prácticas works 114 34 14

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Total 245 72 26 2 7

Source: own elaboration based on information from partner institutions.

As we can see in Table No1, 317 solar ovens are being implemented in 26 communities, 2 indigenous

sub-centers of 7 Municipalities in the Bolivian Amazon.

Indigenous Territories

The project is also being implemented in the indigenous territories of Tacana, Pilón Lajas, Multiethnic

Indigenous Territory I (TIM-I) and Mojeño Ignaciano Indigenous Territory (TIMI). That after the

approval and promulgation in 2009 of a New Political Constitution of the State as a result of the

realization of the Constituent Assembly (2006-2007); where among the central aspects that

structurally reconfigure the character of the new Bolivian statehood, related to the very sustenance

of the character of plurinationality, has to do with the recognition of the pre-existence of indigenous

and original peoples and nations. This point implies not only the formal recognition of cultural

diversity but a challenge of great societal complexity, as a political and government model. Whose

concretion will be the constitution of the indigenous autonomies; in which the TIM-I territory has

advanced a lot.

However, although the legal conditions are given for the realization of self-government and respect

for indigenous territories; in recent years policies based on the extraction of natural resources under

the concept of development, measured only from economic indicators. The Government has

proposed the implementation of megaprojects, as in the case of Sugar Processing Plant of San

Buenaventura which has resulted in several hectares of forest land being cleared, affecting the life

systems of the Tacanas families. Also, the planned construction of the Bala y Chepete hydroelectric

plants, which, if materialized, will displace several communities of the Pilón Lajas Indigenous Reserve

and Territory, due to the flooding of the reservoir dam; likewise, TIMI and TIM-1 are affected by the

construction of the Villa Tunari - San Ignacio de Mojos highway; as well as the colonisation of people

from outside the territory illegally grabbing the lands of the indigenous peoples.

In this context, the indigenous communities are developing actions of territorial defense and

vindication of their collective rights, against the current policies of expansion of an extractive model

of capitalist accumulation by the Bolivian government, making evident the contradictions and

setbacks related to constitutional mandates / principles, such as the "plurinationality of the State"

itself and the discourse of "Living Well" or "decolonization", through the imposition of a state and

governmental vision of development.

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4.2 CHRISTIAN AID AND PARTNERS IMPLEMENTING THE SOLAR OVENS PROJECT

The institutions that participate in the implementation of the project are:

CIPCA Regional Beni

It is an institution dedicated to the promotion of sustainable

rural development of communities in most of the country and

with accumulated experience in its area of expertise of more

than 40 years. Its regional office in San Ignacio de Moxos

(CIPCA Beni), has been working together with Moxeña

communities for almost two decades and has promoted

improvements in the quality of life of the communities

through the implementation of Agroforestry Systems,

including the production of cocoa, livestock, and other

economic activities such as the manufacture of handicrafts

with the support of Christian Aid. The local capacities of interlocution with the indigenous peasant

communities of the Amazon and of advocacy with local and national authorities make CIPCA a key

actor for the implementation of the project.

Soluciones Prácticas / Practical Action is an international

technical cooperation organization that has worked in Latin

America since 1985 and in Bolivia since 1999. Its work

focuses on supporting communities in La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Chuquisaca and

Potosí through the transfer and adoption by the families of technologies for poverty reduction.

Among the actions carried out by this institution are the introduction of photovoltaic systems to

isolated communities and the strengthening of the management of forests and forest resources. The

coverage of this institution includes the municipality of San Buenaventura, where it will be

responsible for the execution of project activities. The experience in processes of technology transfer

and interlocution skills with the communities in their area of work, are key institutional characteristics

of Practical Solutions that will allow the successful implementation of this project.

Inti Illimani

It is a Bolivian association that since 1999 has been promoting the

implementation and use of solar ovens to reduce the use of fuels for

the preparation of food and the efficient use of clean energy from the

sun for the reduction of environmental pollutants. His work in

previous years has been concentrated in the highlands of Bolivia in the

departments of Oruro, La Paz, Potosí, Cochabamba, but also in a

lowland municipality in Santa Cruz. The expertise of Inti Illimani is

central in the process of transfer and technological appropriation.

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The Bolivian Platform Against Climate Change

It is a network of work with 9 years of operation,

specializing in the subject of Climate Change in the areas

of awareness of civil society and advocacy on policies of

response to this phenomenon of high relevance for all

efforts to promote development and improvements in

the quality of life and climate justice of the vulnerable

population. In addition to the thematic expertise, the

PBFCC provides coordination, systematization and

communication skills to achieve the results of this

project. That works under the legal protection of UNITAS. In 1976, the National Union of Institutions

for the Work of Social Action, UNITAS, was founded to become a mechanism for the defense of

human rights, the recovery of democracy, and support for popular organizations. Its commitment to

social - economic justice and the financial administrative and coordination capacities developed in its

almost 40 years of existence are important capacities to enable the implementation of the project's

actions and its objectives.

Christian Aid in Bolivia

In the last two decades, Christian Aid in Bolivia has become a

point of reference for rights-based work in the Bolivian

Amazon. It works with harder-to-reach communities, where

government programs and other NGOs find it too difficult or

"expensive" to work logistically. In past years, when political tensions arose over the conflicting views

of the development of the Amazon, with increasing threats to rights defenders and organizations

accused of "hindering development," many international NGOs have withdrawn their programs in the

region. However, in the chaos of Christian Aid, this has strengthened Bolivia's determination to

support communities to ensure that the rights to land and territory for which more than two decades

have been worked are respected, and that women and men historically excluded from forests have a

significant voice and participation in decision-making processes that affect their territories and are

increasingly threatened by predatory logging companies, extractive industries (mining), agro-industry

(soy, rice) , and large infrastructure projects such as roads and dams. His role in the present project is

coordination, monitoring and follow-up; besides generating alliances and synergies with its allies and

international partners.

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE SOLAR OVEN PROJECT

5.1 General Objective

Bearing in mind that the General Objective of the current Project is to "Contribute to the

strengthening of the resilience of very vulnerable families in the Bolivian Amazon through the

introduction and consolidation of access and use of solar ovens" and its specific objective is:

"Consolidate and strengthen the results of the pilot phase of the project, investing in robust, scientific

and participatory monitoring and evaluation in the field to provide qualitative and quantitative

evidence that solar ovens are a viable local energy and sustainable solution, bringing benefits

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especially for women living in remote Amazonian communities, which can be replicated and

expanded in other areas in the future. "

In this framework, the general objective of the Baseline Study is:

Determine quantitatively and qualitatively the initial situation and progress of the families of the

Amazon

• on the use of solar ovens;

• use of firewood;

• fuel expenses,

• time dedicated to the preparation of food;

• CO2 pollution from the use of firewood;

• Feeding Habits;

• Women’s time away from the kitchen to devote to other activities;

• Indigenous women’s participation and leadership in their organizations.

5.2 Specific Objectives

• Describe the frequency of use of the solar ovens and its appropriation, stratifying the groups

of beneficiaries according to the age of the benefit from the beginning of the project to its

current situation.

• Determine the quantity and quality of reduction in the use of firewood and fossil fuel for the

preparation of food, by the incorporation of solar ovens.

• Identify the role and leadership of women in the promotion and sustainable management of

natural resources in their territories; from their participation in the solar ovens project.

• Describe if the use of solar ovens has improved the well-being and nutrition of families and

especially of women and children.

• Raise recommendations and proposals related to the use of solar energy for the cooking of

food, exploring its viability and sustainability.

6.METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR THE STUDY

The methodology that has been implemented to obtain data for the different variables have been the

following: Survey, focus groups, interview, and bibliographic review.

Survey: jointly with all the partners 2 surveys have been designed: one directed or applied to families

that already have solar cooking and the other families that are benefiting. The form contains closed

and open questions referring to the different variables identified for the baseline study. This work has

been done to a sample of 20% of the total beneficiary population of 317 families, therefore, the

surveys have been applied to 56 families (43 old families and 13 new families), which have been

selected at random.

Focus groups: the work of focus groups has been developed with 3 groups: one in the community of

San Miguel, developed on November 16, 2018, another in San Ignacio de Mojos, carried out on

November 20 and in the community of Nueva Betania on November 22, 41 people participated in

these workshops (36 women and 5 men); We have worked in a very participatory way on women's

leadership, distribution of roles in household tasks, participation of women, food habits of families

and free time for women.

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Photo Christian Aid

Interview: Based on question guide, interviews were conducted with leaders of the organizations,

public authorities of the municipalities involved and technicians of the institutions.

Bibliographic review: During the process of carrying out the baseline, a bibliographic review was

carried out, with the objective that the data be strengthened with the concepts and theories

developed; but also consider, complement and refute existing research.

Table No 2: Planning of tools and methodology to collect information

Results Indicators Variables Information

collection

methodology

R1: The families own and

use their solar kitchens

en their daily life.

By the end of year 2, at least 90% of the

families use the kitchens at least 3 times

per week.

Use of the solar

kitchen per week.

Survey

By the end of year 2, at least 20% of men

use the solar ovens.

Uso del horno solar

según sexo y edad

Survey

By the end of year 2, 70% of the families

are innovating with solar ovens and using

them for other ends besides cooking for

the family.

Other uses of solar

ovens.

Survey

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R2. The usage and cost of

fossil fuel (gaz) and wood

by the 331 families living

in the 31 communities of

the Bolivian Amazon has

been reduced.

By the end of year 2, 80% of the families

have reduced the amount of Wood and

fossil fuels (gaz) used for cooking in at least

50% with respect to the baseline.

Use of Wood and

fossil fuel

differentiated by old

and new families.

Survey

By the end of year 2, 80% of the families

have reduced the amount of money spent

on fossil fuel (gaz) and wood, in at least

50% with respect to the baseline.

Gasto por uso de la

leña y combustible

fósil diferenciados

por familias

antiguas y nuevas

Survey

By the end of year 2, 80% of the families

have saved 50% of the time dedicated to

secure supplies of fossil fuel and wood with

respect to the baseline.

Ahorro de tiempo

diferenciados por

familias antiguas y

nuevas

Survey

At the end of the Project, the sue of solar

ovens is estimated in a reduction of X tons

of CO2 emitted.

Amount of burnt

wood.

Estimation from

DieterSeifert & D-

Neuoetting (2000),

DieterSeifert (1998),

Antonio Creus S.

(2004) which point

that burning 1 kg of

wood emits 1,83 kg

deCO2

People using solar ovens have reduced the

exposition to CO and OM 2.5 in at least

50%.

Exposition to CO

and PM

----------------------------

R3: Historically excluded

women are recognised as

main actors in the

promotion and

sustainable management

of their amazonic

resources.

By the end of the Project, in at least 50% of

the communities where women have

raised capacities, they are actively

participating in community planning

processes and decisions on natural

resources uses.

Active participation

of women

Focal group

X% of women and X% of men perceive

psoitive changes (power relationships) in

the attitudes of men and families in the

distribution of roles, with respect to a

baseline.

Perception of the

distribution of the

gender roles

Focal group

By the end of the project, at least 30% of

empowered women are assuming

leadership or representation roles at the

community and supracommunity level in

issues related to energy and natural

resources management.

Women leadership Focal group

R4: The use of solar

ovens has improved the

wellbeing of children.

By the end of the Project, at least 80% of

the families, including children, have

acquired new, healthier, feeding habits.

Feeding habits of

families.

Survey

Focal group

16

75% of women states that they count with

more time out of the kitchen for other

activities (i.e., free time, leadership,

participation in decision-making

proccesses, trade, etc.)

Free time of women

Survey

Focal group

R5: Solar ovens have

been positioned at the

local, national and

international level and

within Christian Aid as a

viable and sustainable

proposal to strength the

resilience of vulnerable

families that can be

replicated and scalated.

1 communication and promotion plans at

the national and international level, in tight

collaboration with CA’s global partnerships

(CEDLA, UNITAS; IA Spain, Big Shift, Global

CookstovesForum).

Communications on

solar ovens.

Interviews to partner

institutions.

Media coverage on the project and results. Media coverage Entrevista a

instituciones socias

At least 2 local governments and 2

indigenous territories have gained

awareness and participate in the

promotion of solar kitchens and their

benefits.

Public policies to

promote the solar

ovens.

Promotion of

steering of solar

ovens.

Interview to partners

institutions and local

entities.

Interview to leaders

By the end of the project, at least 1 alliance

with an academic or technical institution to

generate knowledge and awareness about

local solutions to strength the resilience of

amazon communities that face climate

change, by using renewable energy.

Climate resilience

alliance

Interview to partners

CA Bolivia Will use this Project to create

multiple communications and spaces to

share learning and experience with all the

organisation to feed the debate on

corporate policies and development of

programs on renewable energy.

-------------------- ------------------------

An academic paper Will present the

economic opportunities (in terms of family

savings and opportunities for families to

produce and commercialize.

Availability of

studies and

evidence.

Interview to partners

institutions Literature

revision

Pioneer experiences implemented in the

commercialization of solar ovens in urban

nucleus.

------------------- ----------------------

A report – summary of experiences of the

use of solar ovens in the Amazon, findings,

results, policies and programmes.

Availability of

information of

previous

experiences around

solar kitchens in the

Amazon.

Revisión Bibliográfica

17

7. RESULTS OF THE STUDY

Photo Christian Aid

The solar oven is one of the easiest methods to save energy and take advantage of what exists in nature,

with the use of concentrated solar rays to heat the water or any other type of food, these initiatives

have been created to decrease environmental pollution because they do not require fossil fuel and

electricity, but also thanks to the solar oven the quality of life can be improved since they conserve the

nutrients of the food; that is, in the end it is not only protecting the environment but also the living

beings and their life systems. However, it is a technology that many people still do not use, most of the

rural communities still use wood for cooking, however fossil fuels can be avoided with the use of solar

cooking.

Solar ovens are artefacts that allow cooking food using the sun as an energy source. They are essentially

heat traps that convert the solar radiation into heat energy. Its upper part is transparent to let in

sunlight and has reflective panels (aluminium foil or mirror) that help capture more heat. The base in

the interior and the container where it is cooked, is where the radiation is absorbed. It is due to the

greenhouse effect that a rise in temperature occurs and the insulation of the system accumulates it,

allowing temperatures of 100º C to be easily reached in the pot.

The solar ovens used in this project, have been introduced to the indigenous and peasant communities

of the Municipalities of Rurrenabaque, San Buenaventura and San Ignacio de Mojos in 2015, in principle

as a pilot or trial experience and as an alternative for food preparation in times of flood; seeing their

results and the great acceptance of the population during the pilot phase, 245 more solar ovens were

implemented up until the start of 2018, (these families are being called as "old families"); and currently

a further 72 new solar ovens have been implemented in 2018/9; (these families have been termed as

"new families"); making a total of 317 solar ovens implemented in 26 communities, 2 indigenous

territories of 7 Municipalities in the Amazon.

18

The results that are presented below on:

a) the frequency of use or use of solar ovens;

b) use and cost of fossil fuel (gas) and firewood;

c) role of women;

d) welfare of the family, women and children;

and e) acceptance and appropriation of solar ovens at the local, departmental and national levels.

The data differentiates between old families that already have solar ovens for 1-3 years and new

families who have just acquired them and who have limited or no experience of using the oven.

Although it is important to mention that all families who have solar ovens have received training and

follow-up on its use and what meals to prepare.

The measurement variables that are presented have been extrapolated from the indicators of the

project that is in progress and will be contrasted to the completion of the project

7.1 Use and frequency of use of the solar oven 7.1.1 Frequency of use The frequency of use of the solar oven in the space of a week among the families that already have solar oven is of an average of 3.10 times per week. However, while 42% of families use them 3 times a week, 33% use four times a week and 9% use more than 5 times a week. Seen graph N ° 1.

Source: Own elaboration based on data from the survey. 2018 On the other hand, in the focus groups, it has been seen that the families that have more time for solar cooking are the ones that are most frequently using it, as is the case of Doña Natividad from the community of Bermeo in the Municipality of San Ignacio de Moxos, who said "... it's been three years that I have the oven and its usefulness, I can say that it is very good for me as well as for my children and my husband, the oven makes us feel good when we have to prepare food and we are using it almost every day for the preparation of different types of food ... ". The use of the solar oven is related to the solar rays, so when there is a lot of sun there is a higher probability of use, especially for the preparation of food. However, it has also been mentioned in the focus groups that on days when it is cloudy or rainy, it can be used as a thermal box, which requires that in principle the firewood be used to bring the food up to boiling point and subsequently placed in the solar oven to finish cooking, this reduces the use of fire wood and smoke, which is increased when the wood is wet. As Doña Juan Céspedes told us "... in the solar oven we do many things, even when there is no sun it can be used as a thermal box, as the food is cooked, you can make chicha, somó, tujuré, rice pudding, rice; Baked fish, for example, needs very strong sun o cook it properly. It would be

0

20

40

60

80

100

2 3 4 5 Total

16

4233

9

100

Figure N°1Weekly frequency use(%)

Series1

19

good to have a bigger solar oven or place it in one big pot to cook. The solar ovens we have now can only accommodate smaller pots, but we are a big family and sometimes the oven is just not big enough and there is not enough time to make two batches. Overnight we can leave the food to simmer and the next morning it is ready…"(San Miguel community focus group). 7.1.2 Ways that the Solar Oven is Used

As we have seen the frequency of use of the solar oven, now we will see what or what they are using

the oven for. Apparently among the most common uses is for the preparation of food, for the

dehydration of food, for the drying of the raw material to make handicrafts and for keeping the cooked

heated. However, other uses are also given as we will see later.

Source: Own elaboration based on data from the survey. 2018

In the case of "old families" as can be seen in graph Nº2 what stands out most is the use of the kitchen

for the food preparation almost always, followed by drying / dehydrating food on a regular basis. The

oven is generally used very little for the drying of handicrafts by families involved in this activity,

although there are some families that always used it for this purpose, whilst others almost never. This

depends a lot on the economic activity to which the families in the communities dedicate themselves:

in the communities where their main activity is agriculture, the use of solar cooking is more for the

food preparation and drying / dehydration of food; while in communities that are mainly dedicated to

female craft activities (as is the case of the Community of Bella Altura in the Municipality of San

Buenaventura) the use of the oven is prioritised for this activity; "I dry the fibre of penga del majo in the

solar oven, because I work making handicrafts, we make textiles with this material to take to sell to

Rurrenabaque, we also toast chocolate and put the paste already ground by hand in the molds in the

oven, then we package the chocolate with our own label and we sell it. The oven is very useful, we work

faster "(Lucinda Ecuebari, Community of Bella Altura). But also, there are families who have are using

it in other ways, for example making pastry, dehydrating vegetables and even to store food out of the

way of rodents. "... I also dry the vegetables that I buy from the market. Since we live a long way away,

we buy the vegetables, then we dry them in the kitchen and keep them in a glass jar and they last for

several weeks and are stored as if it were fresh, well preserved; It is as if it had been chopped fresh. We

are also promoters. We have gone out to other communities and we have taught others how to put the

ovens to good use, it is not about leaving it there but rather to use it to cook under the rays of the sun.

Preparacionde alimento

Secado dealimentos

Artesania Otros Alimento,Arte, secado

Total

32

107

2

111114

20

10

03 2

6 5

0

11

19

2

14

0

5

13

33

3

43

po

pula

tio

n in

terv

iew

d

Figure 2: For what purposes is the solar oven used

20

Some say the ovens do not dry the vegetables, but how will they dry if they have covered everything?

You have to leave them to let the steam out. I dry crafts, cook food, dry seeds, tables and other things

... "(Luz Mar Chao, community of Altamarani, Municipality of San Buenaventura).

In the case of new families, they have consulted about the use they would make when they have the

solar oven; and as we are going to see in table Nº3, they think in a greater use of the kitchens for the

preparation of food and secondly, use it as a dryer. They do not know its usefulness for the craft

preparation.

In the case of new families, they have consulted about the use they would make when they have the

solar oven; and as we are going to see in table Nº3, they first consider the solar oven for preparing food

and secondly, to use it as a dryer. They do not know its usefulness for the craft preparation.

Source: Survey data. 2018.

7.1.3 Use of the kitchen by family members

When the beneficiary families of the solar oven were consulted about who used the oven or who were involved in the preparation of food, the results obtained from the old families, in this particular case of the families that formed part of the pilot stage, mention that "... in the first place, the one that uses it is the mother, then the children, this always happens" (Natividad Matareco, Bermeo community). In the case of families that have solar ovens for ½ years now, as we can see in figure 4, 32% mention that only the mother uses it, 42% mention that both mother, father and children use it ; however, the frequency with which they use in the case of fathers and children is "sometimes"; in 16% the mother and children use it and 10% the mother and others, which refers to close relatives especially uncles, brothers and grandparents.

0

5

10

15

Figure Nº3Intentions on solar kitchen usages

Siempre(4)

Regularmente(3)

A veces(2)

Nunca(1)

No, ocupa

21

Fuente: Elaboración propia en base a datos de la encuesta. 2018.

The mother is still the main person in charge of preparing the food. However, in most families they have

mentioned that both the father and the children are involved in the preparation of the food, this is due

to the ease that exists with the solar oven, especially with the fathers, and for in the case of children

there is much less risk of burning or having an accident than when cooking with firewood, where serious

accidents often occur. "... now our husbands are involved in the kitchen, we let them cook and they are

the ones who serve themselves , and they serve our children. In my case, as I am in a leadership role, I

mostly use the solar oven with my daughter who is now 14 years old, but she has used since she was

12 years old, she prepares all kinds of food, she puts the food in before going to school and everything

is ready at lunchtime, when we share the meal as a family; she has learned to make many things,

practising every day, now she even makes cakes, fish – everything that we used to cook over firewood,

now everything comes out of the solar oven delicious ... "(Petronila Ipamo, Director TIM-1, San Ignacio

de Moxos November 2018)

In the case of new families, they were asked in the first instance. Who are the people in charge of food

preparation? and then, in the case of having a solar oven in the future, who do you think would use it

and how often? In the response to those who are responsible for the preparation of food, it is always

the mother. The father and the children cook sometimes, and a few cases do it on a regular basis.

Whereas if the family had solar oven 58% believe that the preparation of food in the solar oven would

be the responsibility of women and children, 17% think that it would be mother, father and children,

32%

42%

10%

16%0%

Figure Nº 4: Who uses the oven?

Madre

Madre, padre e hijos

Hijos y Madre

Madre y otros

02468

101214

Figure Nº5 Who prepare the food

Padre Madre Hijos Otros

17%

17%

58%

8%0%

Figure Nº6: Who would use the kitchen?

Madre y otros Madre, padre e hijos

Madre e hijos Madre

22

as well as other 17% believe that it will be done by the mother and others (uncles, brothers and

grandparents); and only 10% think that only the mother would be in charge of the kitchen. Again, in

this case the tendency is that with the implementation of solar kitchens it is thought that fathers and

children will become more involved in the preparation of food. Which, as we saw earlier in the old

families, is true; we'll see if it's going to be like this with the data from the output line of this project.

7.1.4 Benefits of solar cooking

The general benefits of solar ovens are:

• Solar ovens are very suitable for families with few economic resources because the energy of

the sun is free and inexhaustible.

• Dependence on common fossil fuel (gas, oil, electricity, etc.) can be dispensed with.

• There is no risk of fire, poisoning, leakage, etc.

• Using solar ovens improves the quality of life since it saves hours of work searching for

firewood. This time saved can be dedicated by women and children (they are the ones who

tend to look for firewood) to other tasks or to their personal capacity building or education.

• Solar ovens favour the environment, because they reduce deforestation due to less firewood

needing to be used daily and the also reduce air contamination.

The valuation carried out by "old" families -as

we can see in figure 7- of the benefits of solar

cooking:

84% value solar ovens as between very good

and good, because they save them time, they

benefit the environment, they benefit their

health, they allow them to participate more in

the social life of their communities.

11% think that solar ovens are regular,

because they still have problems using them and they require further training, which could be done

by the promoters of the groups but is also indicative of lack of practice and management, which must

be carried out, albeit with errors.

And finally, 5% express low satisfaction to the contribution of benefits of solar cooking.

In focus group discussion, women have expressed the benefits in a more personalized way drawing on

their own experience:

Testimonies:

"The families that use solar ovens do not inhale the smoke, this encourages women and attracts their

interest to acquire solar ovens. Solar ovens are also drawing interest from the municipal authorities as

the case of Ixiamas, and San Buenaventura, which are now coordinating with Soluciones Practicas

"(Gladys Ibaguari, President of CIMTA, the Indigenous Women’s Organisation of the Tacana Territory)

"... We women are the ones who suffer when we are cooking over firewood, the smoke affects our

eyesight, women are losing their sight. Women are the ones who inhale the smoke and ruin our lungs.

We are handling hot and cold water and we are the ones, we are the women who get sick, and when

we get sick they do not take us to the doctor, rather they criticize us. That is why it is important that at

5%

42%42%

11%

Figure Nº7Assessment of the benefits by

families using the oven

Poco

Bueno

Muy Bueno

Regular

Source: data from survey 2018

23

home we talk about these issues with our husbands. They have to be aware of what we are going

through and to respect us. Faced with these difficulties, the solar oven is a really positive response....

"(Luz Mar Chao, community of Altamarani).

"... I am a leader, I have a meeting at 9 o'clock in the morning, so for lunch I will away, so I leave my

eldest daughter in the morning with instructions about what to do with the solar oven when she return

from her classes , then I go with peace of mind to my meeting because I know that when my children

come home from school they will have lunch ready and warm to eat; before the solar oven, I had had

to cook everything before leaving the house in the morning, this meant that I was often late for the

meeting, I was preoccupied worrying about whether my children had something for lunch, or if they

were just eating something cold. This meant that I could not concentrate of focus at the meetings, my

mind was mind was wandering. However, now, with the soar oven I have greater peace of mind,

greater wellbeing and this is very important for how well I exercise my leadership ..”. (Lucinda

Ucuebari, community of Bella Altura).

"... solar ovens are a very important

tool for women, because we can

leave the food cooking and

meanwhile we can get on with other

activities such as going to the field

where we cultivate crops, participate

in meetings, go to school to check up

on our children, talk with the

neighbours and they even give us free

time to rest; solar ovens are a real

benefit to women ... "(Juana

Bejarano, Bermeo Community).

According to the testimonies of the

women themselves, the benefits they identify are multiple. The following is a summary of the possible

benefits, developed based on the focus group discussions:

• The temperature in the solar oven is moderate, this helps not to lose nutrients which do not

evaporate from the food. The foods maintain their nutritional values, taste, and aroma; that's why its

flavour is still rich.

• Money is saved as the women no longer have to buy fuel and women are able to cook nutritious

meals such as legumes and other recipes that require hours to cook, as is the case of somó.

• Fire smoke irritates the lungs and eyes causing serious illnesses, the solar oven is smoke-free,

therefore, much better for health.

• Fire in the kitchen is dangerous especially for children who can very quickly get into trouble, causing

damage to homes and farms because of the risk of fire.

• Women and children must walk a lot to collect firewood for cooking. These walks deep into theforest

are risky, often exposing them to danger of accidents, injury and attacks by wild animals; solar cooking

reduces these risks and allows free time for other activities.

24

• The solar oven can be used to cook food or to pasteurize water especially during an emergency when

other sources of fuel are not available, for example in the case of floods.

• Money is saved from the purchase of fuel, which can be used for food, education, health, etc ...

• The pots used in the solar oven are easy to clean, a very important factor for people who have to walk

miles to get water.

• The solar oven can be used in a portable way,

In the case of the "new" families according to Graphic no.8, 31% of the families surveyed believe that

the kitchens benefit them in a very positively, and 46% between little and regular, the answer is logical,

because they are just starting to use the solar oven.

This data is very important because it becomes the starting point of the project.

Source: Own elaboration based on data from the survey, 2018.

7.2 Use and cost of fossil fuel (gas) and firewood

Firewood is most traditional fuel used for food preparation, and even today is the most widely used

because it is affordable and accessible for indigenous and peasant communities. Undoubtedly, also

according to the experiences shared by communities participating in this study, firewood also adds

good flavour to meals.

On the other hand, firewood is also synonymous with poverty, deforestation and environmental

pollution and health risk. Studies have proven that the use of firewood is detrimental especially to the

health of the women who, more often than not take charge of most fo the food preparation. The

smoke from the firewood causes damage mainly in their respiratory system, which can eventually

cause death.

Securing access to alternative fuels, such as gas, in indigenous and peasant communities in the

department of Beni and north of La Paz is very difficult. Although some may use it, the cost is still

prohibitive to the majority, due to the flooding of roads mainly in rainy season, which hikes up the

cost with each gas bottle costing up to 100 bolivianos (approx. GBP10). For example, in the

community of Altagracia in the municiplaity of Baures, we can see how the use of the solar oven has

resulted in a direct reduction of other fossil fuels being used by the beneficiaries.

15%

31%46%

8%

Gráfico Nº8New families opinion about benefits of

soalr ovens

Poco Bueno Muy Poco Regular

25

7.2.1 Amount of firewood and gas used by families

The first findings of the study show that most of the families (96%) surveyed continue to use firewood

in different proportions and quantities. Only 4% do not use firewood for food preparation. In this case

they use another source of energy such as gas or solar energy. As we can see in Graph Nº9, 62.96% of

families use gas and 59.26% use gas and firewood to prepare their food, in this case the data is of the

total of the families that have been surveyed, that is to say no distinction has been made between old

and new families, in the sense that the data is simply recording what source of energy they are using.

In the course of the project, we expect to see a decrease in the use of fossil fuels as solar ovens are

increasing used.

Source: Own elaboration based on data from the survey, 2018.

7.2.2 Obtaining firewood

88.37% families collect firewood in their fields or

in the forest, that is, their territory, which means

that it does not have an economic cost that the

family must assume, however, as we will see

later firewood collection and transporting it

requires considerable time and physical effort.

Only 6.98% of families buy firewood at an

average price of 19.50 bolivianos for a bundle (el

jase).

Source: Own graph based on data from the survey, 2018.

0.00

20.00

40.00

60.00

80.00

100.00

Uso de leña Uso gas Gas y Leña Total

96.30

62.96 59.26

100

3.70

37.04

Gráfico Nº 9 Use of fuel %

si no

Recolecta leña Compra Costo del Jase

88.37

6.9819.50

4.65

88.37

Gráfico Nº 10Obtaining firewood %

si no

26

To collect firewood, the families usually set out from their homes and travel on average 1.17 km

spending an average of 1.36 hours to collect firewood on average 2, 35 times a week. 95, 34% of

families collect firewood in their own community or in their territory and 4.66% also buy firewood in

the community. See table No. 3.

Table Nº3: Family Firewood Collection

Firewood Collection Average

Distance Km 1,17

Time (hours) 1,36

How many times a week 2,35

Collected within the community

% 95,34

Purchased within the community

% 4,66

7.2.3 Quantity and price of fuel used

As we saw in the previous chapter, families almost

always use firewood as a source of energy, especially

for food preparation; in this case, reduction of

firewood has been correlated with the incorporation

of the solar ovens, that is to say, although families still

use firewood, the use of firewood been greatly

reduced.

The families without solar ovens use 52.98 kilos of

firewood each week, which is equivalent to 5.3

bundles. Families that have solar ovens have reduced

their use of firewood to 23.47 kilos per week, that is

to 2.4 bundles. Each week, this means that the use of

firewood for families with solar ovens has been

reduced by 55%. Over the course of a year, these

figures would result in the 317 families that have

solar ovens reducing their used of firewood by

1,587,697 kilos of firewood each year.

However, in the case of new families the average use

of firewood per week is currently 9.3 bundles of firewood, which represents 4 more bundles than that

being used by the old families that have being using the solar ovens over time. However, it is important

to note that this data may not be accurate because when the investigators asked the old families how

Leña jasex semana

Gas Bs xmes

52.98

82.88

23.47

41.44

Graphic Nº11Quantity and cost of fuel( Firewood

and Gas)

Cantidad de combustible usada Sin cocina

Cantidad de combustible usada Con Cocina

27

much firewood they used each week before they had the solar ovens, they were asking them to

remember back one, two and even up to three years ago. In the focus groups, most people interviewed

mentioned that they have halved the use of firewood. It is necessary to understand that the families

are not carrying out the measure, but rather this data is based on memory, but the quantitative and

qualitative data coincide in that yes, the use of firewood has been effectively halved. As Mrs. Roxana

Añez of the Altamarani community told us "... before I had to come home every day loaded with my

bundle of wood, and that lasted for lunch and for dinner, then I had to go out again. Now my bundle

lasts 2 days longer "(Focus group, community of San Miguel).

With regards to the purchase of gas each month and how much was invested, when families did not

have solar ovens, the average investment per family was 82.88 Bolivianos per month (994.56 Bs per

year). Now for families with solar ovens, the average family spends 41.44 bolivianos a month in the

purchase of gas which represents a saving of 41.44 Bs per month and 497.28 bs over the course of a

year. That is, there is a 50% reduction in spending. "... beforehand, each month I had to buy gas two or

three times, especially in the rainy season we had no alternative but to use the gas stove because with

the rain the wood is wet and it is difficult to burn, there is a lot of smoke, but now with the solar oven

we have reduced the use of gas. We still use the gas to bring the water to the boil and then transfer the

pan to the solar oven so that it can finish cooking, this is possible even on rainy days, it cooks really

well". (Claudia Escalante, community of Estrella de Belén).

7.2.4 Time required for the collection and preparation of firewood and the purchase of gas.

Christian Aid

The practice of collecting and carrying firewood, as the most accessible, economic fuel that allows

families to prepare food, provide heat among other uses, has been part of many indigenous and

peasant cultures since the time of their ancestors. Obtaining firewood is not an easy task, most families

28

take advantage of the wood that is available after preparing and cleaning their fields (cultivation land),

which can be very close or very far from their homes. How firewood collection takes places depends on

the decisions of each family, in some instances it is the task of the fathers and the sons, but in many

cases, it is carried out by the women, who may or may not count on the help of their children.

To gather wood, tools such as an axe and a machete are required. Families also have identified trees or

species that last longer and are not consumed quickly with fire, they call it “fine wood”, on the other

hand, however, a pre-requisite condition is that the tree or shrub must to be used as firewood, is that

it is part of a dead plant or is in a dry state. Securing firewood involves going to find it, gather it, and

transport it back to the home from the place where it was found. If the wood consists of thick trunks,

it must be cut into smaller pieces with the help of a axe to make it ready to be used in the kitchen as

fuel. In short, it is a task that needs time and dedication by some of the family members. But as we said

before, the use of solar ovens has facilitated and reduced the workload "Before having the solar ovens

we spent twice as much time to go to look for the wood, the solar ovens have lightened the burden.".

Héctor Vejarano and Natividad Matareco ", October 2018.

Next, we present the time, distance they travel and the times per week that they have to do this task

of preparing the firewood as fuel for cooking.

The families surveyed report that the distances for firewood collection is between 4km to 0.2 km. In

Graph No. 12 we can see that the average is 1.17 km. As for the time it takes, families mention that

they take an average time of 1.36 hours to collect firewood, . With a minimum of families that take

between 4 to 0.015 hours.

Most families go twice a week to stock up on firewood, since most of them collect firewood in their

community and the minimum that they buy in the same way comes from the same community.

All mention that the benefit of solar ovens has reduced by 50% all these activities that must be done in

terms of the collection of firewood.

In the case of new families, who are just beginning 2018 as beneficiaries of solar ovens, in graph No13

we can see that the collection distance of firewood is half a kilometer that most families travel,

however, there are a minimum of families that travel a maximum of one kilometer and another

minimum that travels 0.015 kilometers to obtain firewood. Regarding the frequency that families must

collect firewood, they do it twice a week. On the other hand, the percentage of families that collect

firewood is 95% of the families surveyed and 5% is expressed in the same graph. that does not collect,

but purchases.

The families surveyed report that the distances for the collection of firewood a minimum percentage

takes between 4 to 0.2 km.

7.2.5 Access and purchase of Gas

In the indigenous and peasant communities in the area of project intervention, access to fuel such as

gas is only recent in the past decade or so. Due to frequent flooding of the roads, gas is expensive for

families that depend on an subsistence economy due to the fact that gas is only sold in the urban

centers, and added to the high cost if the added difficulty of transporting it back to their communities.

Government sponsored emergency support programs for families affected by the floods have

motivated gas cooking and the use of gas bottles. However, despite distribution of gas ovens and gas

bottles, not all families have access to Gas.

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In this sense the graph Nº14, shows us the use of gas and the obtaining by the families, where 55% of

the old families, use Gas; while in terms of new families, 69.2 uses Gas. Most or more than 50% buy

Gas in their community.

7.2.6 Reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) According to DieterSeifert and D-Neuoetting (2000), DieterSeifert (1998), Antonio Creus S. (2004) it is estimated that the combustion of one kilogram of firewood emits 1.83 kg of CO2. Using this reference, the data on the reduction in CO2 of the 245 families that already use the solar oven, in tons per year, has been extracted as can be seen in the following table.

Table 4: CO2 reduction in Tn/year in 245 families

Variable

Without

kitchen With kitchen

Burnt Wood (in Kg) 1557612,00 690018,00

CO2 emissions in Kg 2850429,96 1262732,94

Wood ( Tn) 1557,61 690,02

CO2 emissions (Tn) 2850,43 1262,73

CO2 reduction (Tn)/year 1.587,70

Therefore, it can be said that the contribution in the reduction made by the families that have solar

ovens is of 1,587.70 Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year, in other words, there is a reduction in the

contamination by fossil fuels in a 55.7%. This figure will surely be higher when the new families start to

use solar cooking.

7.3 Participation and prominence of Women

In Bolivia, where more than 40 percent of the population identifies as indigenous or Afro-descendant,

according to the 2012 National Population and Housing Census, indigenous women face a greater risk

of being excluded. In addition, according to a National Survey on Discrimination and Social Exclusion

Utiliza gas No utiliza Compra en lacomunidad

Centro Urbano

55.8144.2

53.534.9

69.2

30.8

69.2

38.5

Gráfico Nº14Octencion del Gas (%)

F antiguas F Nuevas

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from the Perception of Women Report in 2014, all women feel discriminated against in different

aspects of their lives, with indigenous women especially being the most affected.

According to Christian Aid`s partner Peasant Research

and Promotion Centre (CIPCA-2009) in a study

undertaken around the power relations between men

and women, they presented the following findings:

• In the reproductive field, women assume most of the

responsibility, control of the body and sexuality of

women, naturalization of that space. They are victims

of physical and psychological violence

• In the productive field; there is little recognition of

the economic contribution of the women throughout

the productive agricultural cycle for examples -

preparation of soils, sowing, harvesting etc. Women

participate in almost all the same activities as men, but

their contribution is not recognized as productive

work.

• In the Community / political participation field: the

role of women's participation is undervalued. In the

organic community structures women face a constant

struggle to participate effective and be autonomous.

Some aspects that have been changing in a positive way for women:

• It seems that women do have access to and control of most resources, such as: land, tools, the

benefits of both agricultural and livestock products, although their still lack autonomous decision-

making power about how they are managed.

• Women recognize that there has been a change in certain roles over time, for example they

mentioned that before their parents did not let their daughters attend school, but today both their

sons and daughters have access to education. They also made it known that now violence against

women has diminished somewhat because now women have greater awareness about their rights, how

to exercise them and how to denounce cases of abuse.

• Women manage the economic resources of the family. In many cases they decide together with their

partner how resources are invested and managed.

However, while women are aware of the progress made thanks to their struggle, they also recognize

that there is still a long way to go before a more just and equitable society is achieved. Womens`

discussions, training and proposals are focused on the need for greater empowerment of women. Also,

they recognize that to bring about of changes in power relations, they need to engage with men and,

above all, to educate their children, so that the next generations, grow up with other values and

principles.

Photo Christian Aid

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7.3.1 Perception of positive changes in power relations.

Based on the discussions of the focus group workshops, women have seen the progress and difficulties

that exist in terms of their participation:

They consider that, in decision making spaces, women are more active in recent years, mainly those

women who hold leadership positions. Women now have greater participation in community meetings

and also at the municipal level. As a concrete result of ore effective and greater participation, women’s

proposals are now being integrated into the annual municipal planning and, women are increasingly

holding positions at community level. No longer are women limited to assume the traditional roles

previously reserved for women by men such as Gender and Finance secretariat; but, now thanks to

their ongoing struggle and commitment, they are assuming very strategic positions for example the

Secretariats of Land, Territory and Natural Resources, and in some cases they are appointed the main

authority “Corregidores” of their mixed (men and women) community organisations.

However, this greater participation and representation, does not come without great sacrifice. Women

are assuming these new roles in addition to other tasks, assumed principally by women in which most

men have still not managed to take on board. Many women believe that it is simply down to a matter

of choice, being willing to assume responsibility and ensuring that their voices are heard which is in

itself an indication of the raised self-esteem and self-worth held by these women leaders…

Photo 10 UNITAS

"... Women are very afraid assuming leadership, because they do not know how to cope, However, they

are gradually overcoming this fear as they gain experience and we learn on the job we see that it is not

so hard. We must believe in ourselves..."(Isidora Apuri, Community Villa Alcira). We can see progress in

women assuming leadership positions in testimonies such as the following.... “ now women are

participating, we are being taken into account, we encourage each other to put ourselves in situations

where we have to deal with the authorities of the municipality for example. We are managing projects

now, we are summoned to meetings of our community organization, and we are more organized than

before. "Solar ovens are of great benefit to the organization and for the women living in these

communities. We are sad because we want women in all the other communities to benefit too, we

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hope that the project can be expanded, that is why we are here." Petronila Ipamo, leader of the

Multiethnic Indigenous Territory, TIM-1).

Women are assuming executive leadership roles, building on the trust deposited in them by their

communities, for example in the Multiethnic Indigenous Territory, TIM-1 that is home to 19

communities, 9 of these have chosen woman as their maximum authorities. It is heartening that over

50% of women assume leadership in a territory where only a few years ago only men held positions of

authority. These achievements are thanks to the ongoing struggle of women to raise awareness and

reflect about their rights and their role in the development of their territory. They represent a the first

tendencies of shits of power in community based organisations. The solar oven project has enabled a

space for women to come together to share and to develop and strengthen leadership skills. It builds

on sharing around reproductive tasks and goes beyond this to provide opportunities to move beyond

their traditional roles to consider their contribution and leadership in productive and political

processes. It is a space where women feel comfortable and are able to develop and support one another

in a collective capacity building.

Women are developing a new leaderships style with double resposnabilities because they have to find

a balance between the tasks of the organisation with the demands of the family such as child care,

preparing meals, washing clothes among others. The solar ovens have been a great help to many

women leaders, enabling greater compatibility between these demands and in a context where it is

often to achieve a balance between public and domestic roles “…I am a leader. I have meetings from

nine o’ clock in the morning which means that I can’t be at home to cook lunch, so I delegate to my

eldest daughter to use the solar oven when she comes home from classes at midday. So I can go to my

meeting without worrying because when my kids come hoem from classes the food is all cooked and

warm and ready to eat. In the past I would have to cook everything before I left the house in the morning.

I would arrive late to the meetings and worried that my kids would be perhaps eating just cold food –

this meant that I culd not fully concentrate in the meetings, my mind would wander. But now with the

solar oven I am much more relaxed and this makes me a better leader,” (LucindaUcuebari).

"I have been a leader and during this time I have had many activities and tasks to perform, for example

one day I had to pick up a delegation of people from Rurrenabaque, so in the morning I left everything

ready in the solar oven and asked a neighbour to move it every once in a while to catch the sun beams,

then I went to Rurenabaque to pick up my visitors, and on the way back (half a day) we arrived and there

was the food already to be served (a baked fish). If I did not have the solar oven that would not have

been possible, I would have had to have everything read and cooked before leaving the house which

would have meant waking up very early. The solar ovens make life easier for leaders.” (Juan Céspedes,

Community Villa Alcira).

Within the three focus group discussions, a key issue for reflection was about how this project benefits

women in leadership positions; all participants mentioned that the solar ovens enable their families –

especially their children- to better understand why and how the women were participating and

strengthening their skills to participate more actively in decision making processes. All this has been

expressed with testimonies, role plays and work groups that can be read in the annexes.

Therefore, women are encouraging each other, overcoming their fear. As one of them said "We may

not have many years of schooling, but we are not mute".

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7.3.2 Equitable distribution of gender roles

Regarding the equitable distribution of roles, there is still way to go, a minimum percentage of the

female leaders receive the support of their spouses to exercise their positions, while a majority has

assume a double burden as leader whilst still assuming the main share of domestic tasks at home.

"Women feel guilty about our children, it’s difficult to leave them alone, often we do not have anyone

to take care of them. We are really worried about our children. We feel torn between our children and

also our own desire to learn. That’s what I was suffering but the workshops have helped me to deal with

these situations. My husband, when he was a leader, I supported him a lot, but when it was my time to

assume leadership, he did not support me in the same way, maybe, my husband doubted that I was

capable of assuming this role. Despite this, I assumed the leadership and I told him, I may not know how

to write but I can exercise this role. I have shown him that it is possible, and now he supports me. We

have to break with the silence, we must speak out for things as they should be ... "(Luzmar Chao,

Comunidad Altamarni).

The positive changes to strengthen the

participation of women, include the fact

that spouses are providing not only more

moral support but also with the

reproductive chores in the house. "My

husband and my daughter are the ones

who support me to exercise my role as a

leader. We have come to live in the

s