A community-driven solution towards mitigating mixed-waste burning and the excessive use of fossil fuel and biomass while local food traditions and local production.
Capture the sun.
Shamsi is a clean cooking solution, built exclusively from locally available, health-safe materials and applies simple mechanisms. It is a low-cost solar oven, cooker and dryer, that uses direct solar radiation as a renewable energy source. Shamsi upholds local baking and cooking traditions, while making clean energy accessible in rural areas.
Keep the tradition.
Shamsi is capable of producing foods according to local traditions e.g. the sun-leavend "Shamsi Bread" of Upper Egypt. Shamsi Bread is deeply rooted in the southern baking culture and counts as an essential component of the local nutrition diet. Until today, sun-leavened bread is self-baked to sustain households. Shamsi upholds local baking and cooking traditions while making clean energy accessible in rural areas.
"When the smell of fresh bread is no longer blended with toxic fumes."
Protect people & planet.
Across Africa, biomass and fossil-fuels are used primarily for cooking, causing heath risks and rapid losses of integral ecosystems. Replacing the use of expensive fossil fuels and biomass and the widespread practice of burning mixed-wastes, Shamsi significantly reduces carbon emissions and deforestation. Households are at lower risk of severe respiratory and cancerous diseases caused by smoke and fire.
Create opportunity.
Shamsi is built from local materials, applying simple mechanisms and integrating local building techniques and craftsmanship. Therefore, it can be easily produced and assembled by locals. This promotes local production and gender-equal income opportunities for local communities and franchisees, empowering women toward self-sufficiency, especially in low-income districts. Along with the production and productive use of Shamsi, local value-chains can be established.
"Deeper understanding leads to better solutions."
Victor Papanek
“Designing meaningful, innovative solutions that serve the intended users begins with understanding their needs, hopes and aspirations for the future.”
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Integrate local knowledge.
Shamsi was developed in close collaboration and participation of local communities in Egypt and Tanzania. The co-created solution integrates local building techniques and craftsmanship and materials. Building on local knowledge makes the low-cost solar solution adoptable and scalable, since it is tailored to local contexts and needs.
"First, we're facing an existential crisis that must be dealt with quickly; and second, there are ways to overcome it."
Noam Chomsky
"Think global, act local."
Patrick Geddes
Shamsi
When ecology meets community
