''They say necessity is the mother of invention..So it seems to be the case in this situation. When you are faced with a problem you do something about it...''

Palestinian man designs DIY solar ovens to beat energy cuts in Gaza 

July 1st, 2015 by Allison Blackburn

 - See more at: http://interestingengineering.com/palestinian-man-designs-diy-solar-ovens-to-beat-energy-cuts-in-gaza/#sthash.FVEQGbWN.dpuf

For those living in the Gaza Strip, life comes with many challenges as they are faced with shortages of fuel and food and the electricity supply cannot be relied upon. Along with this there is warfare, with 2,310 Gazans dying in a month long conflict with Israel. One thing that the Strip does have is lots of sunlight and one man has made the most of this.

Khaled Bashir has designed and made a solar oven that is able to cook food relying only on the natural resources, which the Gaza Strip has in abundance, the sun. While the design of the oven may be crude it does the job of cooking food perfectly and it is affordable.

Bashir made good use of his background and qualifications that he received. He earned an M.Sc when studying at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Upon his graduation he then went to work for the Palestinian Agriculture Ministry and is working at the moment in construction materials. However while he remains very busy he still has time for helping out the community.

The solar ovens he designed may take time to cook but they are very effective and Bashir said that they are much better than a gas or electric oven. One of the main advantages of solar cooking is that it keeps in the flavor of the food. Another advantage is that the food doesn’t burn as the sun is always moving. The temperature inside the solar oven reaches up to 284 degrees Fahrenheit and it runs on just one tank of gas a year.

Bashir has made 20 units of the solar ovens so that his neighbors can use them. He also shows people how to make them for 700 shekels for the parts and labor and an oven takes about two days to construct.

            






 [Image Courtesy of Gaza Gateway]