The Apron Project – Maputo, Mozambique


Through a partnership with Gadhia Solar, AMF has developed a replicable training program introducing solar ovens with related microcredit enterprises to the women of Mozambique.

Apron Project
Apron Project Summary Brochure

What if you had less then a dollar a day to feed your family but couldn’t afford the wood to cook it? That is the harsh reality of women living across Africa. Many women who cannot afford to buy the firewood walk several miles in rugged terrain to gather wood for cooking. This can take up much of their day, allowing little time for income generating activities. By introducing solar ovens, families are able to save money and time while also reducing smoke affects on health and their carbon footprint.

AMF's Apron Project offers a solution to this crisis through a replicable training program introducing solar ovens with related microcredit enterprises to women in Mozambique. By introducing solar ovens, families are able to save money and time while also reducing smoke affects on their health and carbon footprint. Through a integrated microcredit program, the solar ovens provide families with new income generating activities including drying of vegetables, baking cakes and frying of chicken to be sold in the local market.

Solar Statistics:

• 1.5 billion worry daily about gathering their firewood requirement.
• Purchasing firewood can cost 40% of a family income. Sometimes costing as much as to fill their cooking pot.
• Cooking on open fires affects eyes and lungs. Smoke is the third largest killer in the world.
• Cooking on open fires releases carbon dioxide in the air. This leads to Global Warming and Green House Effect.

As a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, the project will create a sustainable and replicable training program of solar ovens and microcredit enterprises. View the commitment, click here.


The Apron Project pilot group has been selected with the help of grassroots partner, Reencontro. Through extensive interviews, these women have been chosen to be the first beneficiaries of the program. We look forward to expanding the program in 2011. Meet the women of the Apron Project below. We hope you join us in bringing solar ovens to Africa!

Constancia Machava
•47 years old
• No husband – He left for South Africa in 1984 and never returned
• Sells second hand clothes by going throughout the neighborhood on home to home visits • She supports 2 children on $2.70 a day The Apron Project
• The income from the project will allow her to finish her house, improve nutrition for her family, and allow the children to continue their education

Emilia Magaia
• 36 years old • Widow
• Sells firewood, charcoal, matches earning $2.05 a day
• Supporting 5 children – Only 4 are able to attend school
• The income from the project will allow her to build a better house, send all her children to school with uniforms, and improve general living standards

Lidia Matusse
• 46 years old • Widow
• Supporting 6 children – All are in school
• Suffered from T.B. in 2003
• Sells peanuts in the market
• Makes around $4 a day
• The income from the project will allow her to pay for school uniforms and offer more opportunities to her children

Elsa Filimone
• 40 years old
• Has a husband who does not work • Supporting 3 children – All are attending school
• Sells carrots and tomatoes from her garden in the market
• Income of $5.25 a day The Apron Project
• The money from the project will help a lot with providing clothes, food, school fees, etc. She would like to use the solar cooker to bake cakes. Elsa used to have a small business of making cakes, she had to shut it down because of a lack of funds. If give then chance with the cooker, she could again bake cakes and sell to a list of clients she has from her old business.

Assa Belarmino
• 44 years old • Widow
• Supporting 2 children – Not enough money to send both to school. Because of government restrictions, she has to send them to private institutions and can not afford the fees
• Living only off of the small income from Reencontro
• She is very interested in starting a small business and would like to use the solar cooker to bake cakes

Eunice Bahule
• 35 years old • Divorced
• Supporting her child and niece • Sells small cookies from her home
• Lives on less then $1 a day from small Reencontro salary
• Would like to use the solar oven to bake more cookies and also dry bay leaves The Apron Project
• The extra income would allow her to build a home for her family

Otilia Costa
• Widow • Sells bottles and charcoal in the market
• Cares for 7 families, a total of 15 children
• Has 4 children of her own
• She supports her family on $3.25 a day The Apron Project
• Is interested in the small businesses she can start with the solar oven to help her family

Alice Basilio
• Single
• Supporting one child and her brother only from small monies from Reencontro
• Her and her baby are HIV positive
• Was operating a small phone business from her home through Reencontro’s microcredit program until the phone was stolen
• Very interested in starting another small business to help her family

Guinalda Manjate
• 28 years old • Single • Supporting one child
• Her and her baby are HIV positive
• Currently works with the Reencontro microcredit project and has found small success in selling fish • Her income is around $2 a day
• As a hard working entrepreneur, she is positive that using the cooker can better her life and create new opportunities

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Related links

Cornelia Funke