More than one thousand (1,048, to be specific) HotPot solar ovens arrived
this summer in Bamako, Mali, West Africa . The 40-foot HotPot-laden shipping
container represents SHE Inc.'s first major delivery of HotPots to Africa.
The shipment originated in Monterrey, Mexico, where the components are
assembled, packaged and warehoused by ILS, a local logistics company.
ILS President prepares first major
HotPot shipment to Bamako, Mali |
The container's contents were purchased by SHE's principal West Africa
distributor, SYST-COM & Energie, Sarl, a Malian energy services company.
SYST-COM is operated by a husband and wife team, Mr. Cheickna Sissoko, a
telecommunications engineer, and Mrs. Aissata Sissoko one of Mali's first
female physicists and a telecommunications engineer.
For the past three years SYST-COM has promoted solar cooking and educated
Malians about the HotPot. SYST-COM is beginning to sell HotPots throughout
Mali, as well as serving as a shipping hub to supply the HotPot needs for
pilot projects in other West African countries. An NGO affiliated with
SYST-COM will also conduct a user study on behalf of SHE.
In a country where the desert is advancing 2.4 miles a year, many Malians
have expressed an interest in purchasing HotPots to reduce dependence on
wood.
Fall 2006
