Board to Buy Solar Oven for Denan

VoicesNews.com
August 6, 2008

Paul Munsen of Sun Ovens International pulls out a sheet of chocolate chip cookies he baked during a demonstration on his solar oven to board members of The Denan Project. The board has approved the purchase and shipment of the large solar oven to Denan, Ethiopia, for use in baking bread.

ROXBURY - Paul M. Munsen of Suns Ovens International provided a demonstration on his solar oven to board members of The Denan Project on the driveway of Dick Young, president of The Denan Project.

The local group, which built and supports a free hospital in Denan, Ethiopia, has raised close to $1 million for Denan through the help of several Rotary clubs, Nonnewaug High School and many individual donors.

Among the project's other efforts, it is working to help make the refugees and townspeople of Denan become more self-sustaining.

The large sun oven is part of that effort. It will bake 50 loaves of bread at a time for the town at temperatures reaching 500 degrees.

It will replace the individual "three-stone fires" used by each family to bake bread, saving up to four tons of wood gathered by each family of four and lessening the harvesting of trees in what is fast becoming a desert region.

The large oven and its trailer-mounting represent a donation by The Denan Project of more than $10,000 plus shipping cost to the people of Denan, which is located in Ethiopia's eastern Ogaden region. It is expected to arrive sometime in September.

The Denan Project was started in Woodbury four-and-a-half years ago, and the hospital that the eight founders created and supports has just treated its 50,000th patient free of charge.

Those seeking additional information may visit thedenanproject.com.