Women from the Rural Women’s Assembly (RWA) in Serapeng sa Basadi in the Vaal in Gauteng practice one innovative way to mitigate against Climate Change – using handmade cooking bags! RWA member, Mamosoeu Tsoabi, manufactures and teaches women how to make these handmade cooking bags. The women produce the cooking bags which they can then sell for an extra income.
The handmade cooking bag works like a slow cooker – but without the need for another energy source. Tsoabi explains that once a pot of food has been brought to a boil, it is placed in the cooking bag. The food will keep cooking in its own heat which is retained in the bag for up to eight hours.
Given the current electricity crisis, with rolling black outs having become practically a daily feature of South African life, the cooking bag is especially useful. Tsoabi says that using the cooking bag is also a timesaver for rural women and will afford women some more time for themselves and/or other priorities. It can also allow young rural girl children more time for their education since they usually have to assist with household chores such as cooking.
The cooking bag further saves the women money since they will need buy less electricity, charcoal or fuel for daily cooking.
Tsoabi says many rural women often have to collect firewood making them vulnerable to sexual violence since they usually have to walk long distances to collect the firewood. The handmade cooking bag reduces the frequency for collecting so much firewood, therefore reducing this risk.
Tsoabi says that the benefits of using the cooking bag also extends to health since the cooking bag reduces pollution and the carbon impact of cooking, which is often the result from fuel based cooking. The bag also helps to reduce respiratory health issues and related deaths that is sometimes caused from cooking using fuels.
