First Major Shipment of HotPots to Mali, West Africa

First Major Shipment of HotPots to Mali, West Africa

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.

hotpots

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

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