The V2SDF – Vet To Stop Deforestation project is built on a powerful principle: true sustainability comes from equipping local communities with the knowledge and skills to build their own solutions. Last month, we took a crucial, hands-on step in transferring this knowledge.

From July 7th to 25th, 2025, we conducted a specialized training program for vocational teachers at the LTCR Mushasha pilot workshops. Educators from our partner institutions—CEM Gitaba, CEFORE Rusi, and LTCR Mushasha—immersed themselves in the practical manufacturing of industrial-scale solar cookers.

This training marked the launch of a new phase of local capability. The focus? Moving from concept to concrete creation, starting with the very foundation of precision manufacturing.

Building from the Blueprint: The Art of Precision Bending

The cornerstone of a high-efficiency parabolic solar cooker, like the SK-23 model, is its perfectly curved reflector. This isn't achieved by guesswork, but through meticulous engineering and skilled craftsmanship.

Therefore, the training began at the drawing board. The first critical module was dedicated to preparing the guide plans for profile bending. Participants learned how to interpret technical drawings and translate them into precise, actionable templates. These templates are the essential guides for bending the metal profiles that will form the parabolic skeleton—the sturdy backbone of the cooker.

This foundational step is about more than metalwork; it's about instilling an ethos of accuracy and quality control. By mastering the creation of these bending guides, our teachers are ensuring that every solar cooker produced locally will meet the exacting standards required for optimal thermal performance and durability.

Why This Step Matters:

• Skill Transfer: It grounds the training in core vocational skills—technical drawing, measurement, and precision metalworking—that are transferable to many other industries.

• Scalability: Accurate, reusable templates are key to scaling production efficiently and maintaining consistency across multiple units.

• Empowerment: Starting with the fundamentals empowers the teachers to understand the entire manufacturing process from the ground up, fostering true expertise and confidence.

This intensive training session is a testament to the V2SDF project's commitment to deep, practical capacity building. We are not just delivering technology; we are cultivating a generation of master trainers who will, in turn, guide their students to become the technicians and green entrepreneurs of Burundi's sustainable future.

The work at the LTCR Mushasha workshops has begun, and it starts with a perfect curve. Stay tuned as we follow these educators on their journey from blueprint to finished product, forging tools for clean cooking and forest preservation.

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