Planet Paprika Proyect at Unidos!

Last Saturday, I discovered Unidos association in Lille, France!

http://www.unidos.social

Its very active members already made a lot of solar energy projects in Latin America: solar showers in Bolivia, solar cookers in Peru and Chile, and solar lights soon. They fund their projects only with private donations, thanks to events that they organize in France, like for example football matches.

I had the opportunity to present Planet Paprika Proyect during this event organized in Macondo cafe in Lille. I also exchanged a lot about project management and solar technology with Unidos.

A very pleasant day!

Solar dryers at Alternatiba!

On Saturday, September 12nd, I had the opportunity to present the 2 types of solar dryers we made in Normandy in public. I had a stand at Alternatiba village of Evreux (Normandy), where about 3000 visitors came besides rainy weather!

People were very interested in the 2 systems, they looked at the photos, read the pannels, wondered what there was inside the pots (dried fruit!)… And I could five them explanations and talked to them about the project in Peru.

The day was a great experience!

Undirect solar dryer

Here are the photos taken during the building of the undirect solar dryer with thermal solar pannel. Soon will be published more explanations about it!

Dried fruit cake!

A short Winter recipe to enjoy Summer fruit! 

Ingredients :

• 3 eggs
• 100g sugar
• 100g butter
• 10g baking powder
• 180g flour
• 100g chocolate
• Dried fruit from past Summer: cherries, apples, pears, strawberries, bananas…

1. Put dried fruit into a bowl of water to rehydrate them.
2. Mix eggs and sugar to obtain a fluffy mixture. Melt butter and add it to the preparation. Add baking powder and flour to obtain a thick mixture.
3. Add dried fruit and some water used to rehydrate them. Mix the preparation.
4. Put the dough into a cake dish.
5. Melt small pieced chocolate in double boiler. Spread melted chocolate over the cake.
6. Bake the cake at 180°C for 45min. The cake is ready when one puts a knife into it and takes it out clean.
7. Wait for the cake to cool down before unmolding it.

You’ll get a nice flavoured cake for breakfast.

Bon appétit !

A solar dryer in the Alps!

September 2014, I’m building another solar dryer in the Alps, South of France. The design is the same as the one in Normandy, but the use of recycled materials triggers once again the adaptation of the original structure designed by the Solare Brücke association. This 2sqm dryer didn’t cost anything to the producer, who managed to make order in his materials storage 😉

The producer wants to use his solar dryer for plants drying. So, he suggests to cover the part where we put the products to avoid direct exposure to the sun. It seems that this doesn’t have impact on temperatures (we couldn’t measure it).

The 5W solar pannel we used was recycled from an installation for electric fences. We first tested it on a 12V and 0,25A fan taken from a computer.

  

The plastic cover we used has already been used, so it’s quite fragile. To avoid plastic cover manipulation, we decided to change the inner access of the dryer. The air outlet of the dryer can now be opened just like a door with hinges. Little taps are used to close the access and a cotton material avoids insects penetration. So now the plastic cover is entirely fixed on the structure.

Loose products are placed on a rack raised so that air can flow on both sides. The producer noticed the benefits of nettle drying in September / October – when the plant is matured – to make nettle tea in March when it’s needed in the fields, to prepare next agricultural season.

New version of our website!

The Planet Paprika Proyect website has changed! It has now a complete project description, from prototype building to results. It also presents a new project for which we are looking for volunteers and funds, so feel free to contact us!

Dried fruit!

New season for solar dried fruit production has begun in Normandy! We started our tests on pears, apples, strawberries and cherries. Results are satisfying, particularly with apples and pears, and dried cherries are perfect to replace raisins! However, dried strawberries got a bad aspect and strange texture. Once rehydrated, we’ll have to taste them!

Pears and apples

Strawberries and cherries

Finally good news!

The Planet Paprika Proyect is now finished! 4 solar dryers have been installed. The website will be actualized soon. If you want some details about the results of the project, you can have a look at the report by clicking on the link below:

Project report

One of the 4 solar dryers installed in Estanque, on of the communities which benefited from the project

Help us do the survey!

Planet Paprika Proyect needs your help to make a presentation of the project to Peruvian farmers. We need to know dried fruit price on the market. Download the file below to help us, and thanks for your time!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0l986d6hn1s1wl8/Enqu%C3%AAte.xlsx

Fair ad for poor children dining hall

6am. Daylight is there since about 1h. A first bus where early workers are still napping, among this amazingly calm Lima. I meet Tito, Peruanitos group head, an association which gives support to children from poor districts.

Photo taken from the Peruanitos website

We are leaving the city to reach San Martin de Porres, a Northern district. We have to change bus to start going up the Candela hill, where the dining hall is, on chaotic roads.

After being shaken for about half an hour, we finally get off the bus. But we are not arrived yet: now we have to climb stairs to reach the top called “vista alegre” (Joyful point of view). Once again, houses are made of sheet steel. Dogs, cats and children running, mums waving and chatting.

Candela hill. At the top, water tank.

At the premise, volunteering mothers are cooking breakfast. Cinammon oat quaker with ham sandwich. No domestic water, a neighbour supplies water tanks that have to be carried up. Gas cooking, cheaper than electricity.

The premise is a quite large building in quite good conditions. Tables and chairs are installed to welcome 100 children from 3 to 11. Without the help of Peruanitos, they may have nothing to eat on Saturday mornings.

Photo from website

Little by little, children are coming, with their brothers and sisters or their mum. They seem to have made many friends there. Tito checks that every child who has its name on the list is here, and asks to mothers if one is absent.

On this hill of poverty, a child smile can appear thanks to a gifted breakfast every Saturday morning. Peruanitos also gives school furnitures and organizes events to bring happiness to these children from poor districts. When the association gets enough donations, it can even offer quality wood beds to houses where sometimes, all brothers and sisters sleep on the same matress, when there is one.

Peruanitos brings also social help to women, who sometimes are not respected at their own house. But the association can only work thanks to donations, which are sometimes not enough. I personnaly met the members of the association and I can insure that money is well used. So if you want to bring your support, you can visit their website (in Spanish): http://www.peruanitos.org/

Thanks for the children!

Photo from website.