b'F I J ISee Solar, Cook Solar, Fiji Solar Cookers - local Soroptimist knowledge, and participation, critical to the Projects successTheFijiSolarCookersProjectUntilnow cookinghasmeant the use.InFebruary2016CycloneWinston commencedinJuly2014andwasof firewood, and as such, women havehit Fiji andtwo of the See Solar, Cook completedbySeptember2015,withafaced health risks from poor ventilation. Solarlocations-BAHartHomeonthe spend of 5,239, providing nine parabolicMuchoftheinstallationandtrainingmainisland,andKubuluaDistrict solarcookersacrossthreelocations;across all sites in Fiji was undertaken bySchool,onVanuaLevu.Reportswere twoonthemainislandandathirdonSoroptimists and local suitably qualifiedrecievedshowingdamagetothesolar the small remote island of Vanua Levu;volunteers. Due to the remote locations,cookersandtheFijiSolarCooker empoweringanestimated260women,the installations were completed over aProjectwassubsequentlyextended. girls, and their communities. period of five months.Two hundred and ten Pro solar lanterns IntheearlystageoftheProject,Thevast knowledge, cultural awareness,weredistributedtothoseinneedby SoroptimistInternational(SI)ofFijiandcommitmentoflocalSoroptimistslocalSoroptimistgroupsthroughto prepared a plan, establishing a local teamandvolunteers-allcriticalelementsSeptember 2016.andaSoroptimistcoordinator.Asiteinthedeliveryofremotelymanaged reviewshowedademandforimprovedprojectstogetherwiththeenthusiastic cooking facilities, enhanced security, andparticipationofthecommunityhas forsolutionstoimprovehealth,boughtadded greatly to implementation. about by the use of firewood for cooking, and kerosene.Thefirstsolarcookerinstallationand training took place at Hart Home, Ba, Viti Levuandresidentsweregiventraining andwereeducatedontheuseofthe parabolicreflectors;howtoanglethe reflectors as the sun moves during the day to produce maximum heat. NelsonPalmerSDAPrimaryschool, wasthesecondlocation,wherethe project benefited from the many women ofthecommunitycomingforwardto participate in the installation process. A demonstrationofthecookersinvolved cooking rice and cassava - a root crop and Fijian Staple diet.Finally,inVanuLevu,attheKubulau DistrictPrimarySchoolinBua,three solar cookers were installed which would benefittheschoolboardinghouse,for childrenofthefamiliesfromthree surrounding villages. A true community affair,thecookerswouldmakeareal differenceintransformingmealtimes whereparentsfromeachvillagetake turns weekly to cook.Building a solar oven Women proudly pose with new solar ovens8 9'