Solar cookers for refugees
Together with its partner ADES, FairClimateFund provides families in the Iridimi and Touloum refugee camps with clean and safe solar-powered cooking solutions. Green QR Code buys carbon credits from this project.
Source: FairClimateFund, Chad project page (opens in a new window), accessed 16 September 2026. Registry: Gold Standard Impact Registry, GS 3445 (Iridimi), status “Certified Project” (opens in a new window), accessed 17 September 2026.
Background
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Darfur, more than 1.3 million Sudanese — including 883,000 people since April 2023 — have sought refuge in Chad. Many families have been living for more than 15 years in one of the 20 camps along the border, with no prospect of a swift return.
In these vulnerable circumstances, even something as basic as cooking is a source of danger. The camps lie in an extremely dry region where firewood is scarce. This causes tensions with surrounding villages, because residents and refugees depend on the same scarce fuel. Women and children are hit hardest: they often walk for hours to collect wood and run a high risk of intimidation and violence.
The solution: cooking with solar energy
What began in 2005 with the introduction of the CooKit — a simple solar cooker made of cardboard and aluminium foil, produced locally in the camps — entered a new era in 2025 with the Haines Solar Cooker: more efficient, more durable and better able to withstand heat and water. The solar cookers are still assembled in local workshops by women from the camps.
Since 2019 FairClimateFund has had the CO₂ reduction certified under the Gold Standard. The income from the carbon credits keeps the programme running and allows it to expand to other camps.
More information: fairclimatefund.nl — Chad: solar cookers for refugees (opens in a new window)
Benefits of the project
Climate and environment
- Less firewood use
- Lower CO₂ emissions
Social
- Fewer local conflicts and better safety for women and children
- More time for family and education
Economic
- Time saved gives women room to generate extra income
- Local assembly creates employment
Health
- Smoke-free cooking avoids inhaling harmful smoke
- Less physical strain: no more long walks for firewood
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