The transfer of tangible, hands-on skills is the engine of the V2SDF – Vet To Stop Deforestation project. In a significant leap from theory to practice, our recent teacher training moved into its most dynamic phase: the core fabrication of the solar cooker's essential component.

From July 7th to 25th, 2025, vocational teachers from CEM Gitaba, CEFORE Rusi, and LTCR Mushasha convened at the LTCR Mushasha pilot workshops for an intensive module on manufacturing industrial solar cookers. This session focused on the heart of the construction process: the curvature and welding of the metal profiles to form the precise parabolic structure of the SK-23 solar cooker.

After initial training on technical plans and guide templates, the educators applied that knowledge directly. The workshop echoed with the sounds of progress as participants carefully bent robust metal profiles into the exact curves dictated by their plans. This critical step transforms straight beams into the graceful, mathematical parabola that will ultimately concentrate the sun's rays with maximum efficiency.

Following shaping, the training progressed to welding—the art of fusing these curved profiles into a single, strong, and stable skeleton. Under expert guidance, teachers practiced the techniques required to create clean, durable welds. This phase is crucial, as the structural integrity and longevity of the entire solar cooker depend on the strength of this welded frame.

Why These Skills Are Foundational:

• From Design to Reality: This stage is where precise engineering meets skilled craftsmanship, turning theoretical designs into a physical, functional form.

• Building Local Industry: Proficiency in metal bending and welding are highly valuable vocational skills, directly contributing to local industrial capacity and job creation beyond the project itself.

• Ensuring Quality & Durability: Mastering these techniques ensures that every locally produced SK-23 cooker will be robust, reliable, and built to last in real-world conditions.

This hands-on experience is empowering a new cohort of trainer-experts. The educators are now equipped not only to teach these advanced manufacturing processes but also to instill in their students the importance of precision, safety, and quality in sustainable technology production.

The V2SDF project continues to forge a path where environmental action is driven by practical education. By building the parabolic frame, these teachers are literally and figuratively shaping the foundation for a sustainable future in Burundi—one precise bend and one strong weld at a time.

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