Mothers' Day

Thursday, 15 March 2012

It’s the time of year again for those of us in the UK and Ireland to honour our mothers, on  this coming Sunday 18 March, Mothers’ Day.

This year,  how about thinking of a mother in Uganda as well as your own?  A donation of £10 could go towards a smokeless oven – it makes the home more healthy and saves labour.

It costs only £30 to train somebody to build a smokeless oven - the materials are free! Donate now to our smokeless oven project or read more about them in our previous blog.

In Uganda young people are thinking about their mothers too. Esther Nalungoda is a student who uses UDS’ computer facilities for her studies, and for internet access.  She is a long way from her mother, so plans to send her a message by text as soon as it turns midnight  the night before.

Prossy and Sandra both do computer training with UDS.  They say everyone should celebrate Mothers’  Day.  Men should celebrate by thanking  their mothers for giving birth to them. Prossy said it’s a day when she does everything for her mother,  like cooking a special meal for her, buying  her a present and thanking  her for bringing her into the world. It’s also a time to express her appreciation to her mother for all the love, care, education and everything she’s done for her.  For Sandra, it’s a day when she expresses her happiness at being a child to her parents,  especially to her mother.

So when you are thinking about your Mother, think about Ugandan mothers, and how you can make their lives healthier and easier with a smokeless oven.  Donate now

Saving time and improving health in Uganda with Smokeless Ovens

To celebrate International Women's Day,  Andrew Yiga - the UDS Programme  Director talks about the Smokeless Oven Programme in Kamuli, Eastern Uganda 

It is a hot afternoon, and I pay a courtesy call to one of our farmers; " hoodii (Any one home)…. nobody seems to respond until I get to the backyard where I hear a familiar voice as I get closer. 

I am welcomed into the kitchen where Betty Mombwe and her husband are chatting with comfort. This is so unusual for  Uganda ! She is excited to have a visitor from UDS. After a chat, she lifts the lid of the saucepan  to check on what she is cooking. A thick cloud of steam covers the kitchen for seconds, then she quickly realizes how surprised I am to find such a  smoke free  environment (yet she is cooking using firewood) as she explains how fantastic her smokeless stove is. 

"It has been a real change having this smokeless oven , as it is no longer just me and the children that are in the kitchen. When I am busy, my husband comes into the kitchen to chat about family and social issues.  When I go outside to wash the dishes, my husband will now look after the fire. Not so in the past, as Ugandan men fear being choked by smoke"; explains Betty. 

Betty using her smokeless oven

"I also spend less time collecting firewood as I only use two pieces of firewood to prepare a meal.  Because the oven is designed with two burners - I can boil drinking water at the same time as I cook our meal, using the same amount of wood. In the past I would collect wood 4 times a week, but since I've had the oven I only have to do it once a week.  I don't have to worry about warming food for any family member who missed the main meal either as food keeps warm for four hours.  Oh smokeless ovens -  what a wonder and great relief you are  to the women of Africa who have to rely on firewood to cook !

It only costs £30 to train somebody to build a smokeless oven - the materials are nature's gift!  Donate now to our smokeless oven project or read more about them at www.ugandadev.org.uk