Lorena Harp’s Solar Cooking Ambassador Program Gains Global Recognition
Solar Household Energy (SHE) is pleased to announce that Lorena Harp’s solar cooking ambassador program has received international recognition following the award of the Prize for Women’s Creativity in Rural Life. This recognition highlights the impact of community-driven approaches to clean cooking and the important role of women in advancing sustainable solutions in rural communities.
Based in Mexico, Lorena Harp is a seasoned environmental activist with over two decades of experience promoting solar cooking. She has trained thousands of women to adopt solar cooking practices in their daily lives. Through her leadership of the ambassador program, with support from Solar Household Energy (SHE), trained participants go on to teach others in their communities, creating a multiplier effect that expands access to clean cooking solutions. Today, solar cooking is present in over 50 communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico.
The award has brought increased visibility to Lorena’s work and to solar cooking initiatives more broadly, with the ambassador program featured by major international outlets including CNN, BBC, Reuters, and the World Economic Forum. This coverage reflects growing global interest in practical, locally driven clean cooking solutions.
This global recognition marks an important milestone for Solar Household Energy and its partners. It underscores the value of investing in community-based training and locally led initiatives that enable households to adopt sustainable cooking practices. As the program continues to expand, the ambassador model offers a promising pathway for scaling solar cooking solutions while empowering women as leaders of change within their communities.
Media Coverage
The solar cooking ambassador program and related initiatives have received widespread coverage across international and regional media platforms. Selected features are available below:
- Reuters (Facebook video)
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BdUNMecPK/?mibextid=wwXIfr - BBC Mundo (Instagram feature)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ42OBslE6d/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet - BBC Persian (YouTube feature)
https://youtu.be/tONP9ie4LLI?si=EJnxCP4wEX-EQ1Dc - France 24 – Solar-powered cooking gains popularity in Mexico
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20251105-solar-powered-cooking-gains-popularity-in-mexico - Noticias Telemundo (Instagram feature)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSieZymCDdq/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet - Uno TV (YouTube feature)
https://youtu.be/gV9JYgersw8?si=vbUu9wC4D9Pl4fDA - Frontera TV (YouTube feature)
https://youtu.be/gkVfEsg8wP0?si=IBly13FbxGw_okkk - World Economic Forum (Instagram feature)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DR2WKG0iv53/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet - ConCiencia 24.7 (Facebook video)
https://fb.watch/Es3OdXlEyL/ - Dailymotion video coverage
https://dai.ly/x9t9ujg - Noticias Ya 48 (see minute 46:30)
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/16zJoxPWTq/ - Gastrolab – Solar cooking and women in Oaxaca
https://www.gastrolabweb.com/tendencias/2025/11/20/cocineras-solares-en-oaxaca-las-mujeres-que-dan-ejemplo-de-sostenibilidad-con-comida-mexicana-62936-amp.html - Canal La Antigua (YouTube Shorts)
https://youtube.com/shorts/NNgINuOjTNU?si=pKivsaVPB24W7M27 - CNN Español – Solar cooking and indigenous communities in Mexico
https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2025/12/23/mexico/video/hornos-solares-cocina-indigena-oaxaca-perspectivas-tv - Istmo Press – Solar cooking workshop in Oaxaca (2018)
https://www.istmopress.com.mx/istmo/cocinas-solares-una-alternativa-sustentable-que-adoptan-mujeres-del-istmo/ - Pie de Página – Women bringing cooking into the sun
https://piedepagina.mx/mujeres-trasladan-sus-cocinas-al-sol/ - ConCiencia (Solar Household Energy)
https://share.google/NWutUe0MpHxcBsQAn - Cocineros Solares (Facebook page)
https://www.facebook.com/CocinerosSolares/ - Cocineros Solares (Instagram page)
https://www.secure.instagram.com/cocinerossolares/?hl=es-la
