CEDESOL

Über uns

CEDESOL was incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 2003. The foundation was established because the founders believe passionately in the transference of practical knowledge and technology from the experts to the people.

Our mission is to transform lives and protect the environment by equipping people with appropriate technology and education. Our projects center on three key concepts: education, renewable energy and social justice.

Since its inception, CEDEOL has worked in cooperation with others to improve the design and the efficiency of its ecological cookers and develop participatory training and education. CEDESOL also collaborates with financial institutions and like-minded organizations to create micro enterprises, providing affordable ways for people to acquire the stoves. An important part of the process is training people how to construct and maintain ecological systems. Becoming owners of the technology empowers people and reduces social and economic barriers, improving quality of life and creating a brighter future.

What we do:
• Incorporating cookers: Cedesol provides creative market practices to enable the people of Bolivia, regardless of their economic standing, to be able to acquire an ecological stove that will significantly improve their quality of life. Partnering with banks, micro-finance organizations and other organizations working in this field, we are able to offer micro-credit solutions to people who have little in the way of financial resources so that they are not excluded from the benefit of our cookers.
• Training: Our community-based participative workshops involve and train community leaders in alternative energy and in the best use of our ecological stoves to implement the improved administration of homes.
• Technology: By establishing ´good practice´ standards, educating and interacting with government, civic and community leaders, small businesses and financiers we provide industry guidelines to be implemented through our constantly developing business models.

Programs:
• CEDESOL is in a partnership with Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S.A. for Clean Indoor Air.
• Cedesol is currently running a project in partnership with GiveMeaning, an organization with a website that allows anybody to invest in projects that have achievable goals to accomplish measurable life-change.
• Kyoto Twist Solar Cooking Society: In Coachaca Grande, a village of just 120 families, 30 families were chosen through the Kyoto Twist Solar Cooker Society selection interview process to participate in building their own box-type solar cookers and learn how to use them most effectively.
• Pioneer Carbon: Cedesol has commenced a carbon finance project with Pioneer Carbon, the projects arm of Climate Care, one of the world’s leading retailers of carbon offsets.
• Prison workshops: At our rehabilitation workshops inmates are trained and then paid to build our ecological cookers, providing them not only with a means of survival for their family but skills and work ethic that restores dignity and prepares them for life on the outside.

David Whitfield is the Executive Director of the CEDESOL Foundation.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.