Injera Ovens: A Success in the Making
Azilda pats the cement mixture into one of the six moulds. Another of the women, Yelgathso, makes sure that the mould is filled and packed firmly enough so that the other women can remove the mould. Each mould is examined and checked for any cracks. Like a jigsaw puzzle, when the cement pieces are put together, they will form a new design of an injera oven - a simple thing which will transform these women's daily lives.

Injera, a pancake like bread, is a mainstay of the Ethiopian diet and served with every meal. For centuries, injera has been cooked over an open fire requiring large amounts of firewood.

As the supply of firewood decreases, more trees are cut down, causing more of the topsoil to erode. Since 70% of Ethiopians live off the land, this erosion is having devastating effects on their ability to farm and raise livestock.

It also means much more work for rural women who often go on foot as far askms. to gather firewood and then return carrying bundles of wood that weigh more than 30 kgs. It is literally back breaking work, withwomen stooped over like question marks.

The new injera oven solves many of these challenges facing Ethiopians. The new design is a "closed" oven which uses about a quarter of the firewood required for an "open" fire.

Partners and AWWA, a grassroots Ethiopian charity that focuses on the welfare of women and children, are now involved in producing and distributing these ovens. As with all of Partners' projects, the local community is directly involved. Local women, like Azilda, are employed making the ovens. Other women are selected from each village and brought to the manufacturing site to learn how to assemble and operate the new ovens.

The ovens are sold to rural households for a modest price...about $5.00, paid for over time. There is no shortage of customers as local women see how these ovens can dramatically reduce their workload. This year's pilot project has produced and sold over 1000 ovens. Next year 4,000 more ovens will be manufactured and distributed.