BHS students design stoves for Ugandan tribe

On Jan. 15, Bonsall High School 10th graders hosted an event marking the end of a two-month project. The Sophomore World Studies class partnered with the non-profit organization Ecolife to develop a solution to a real-world problem. Ecolife is currently trying to build stoves for the an indigenous group in Uganda, the Batwa.

The Batwa need a method of cooking and source of light that is safer and healthier than the three stone fires they use. The foundation approached the students with guidelines for stove safety, the requirement that they needed to be culturally appropriate and 50 percent more fuel efficient than what the tribe is currently using. Students had to heavily research the Batwa people, their customs, and the region. The 10th grade class divided into eight teams and each team compiled its research into an original documentary and stove prototype based on what they learned.

At the event, Ecolife executive director Bill Toone spoke about what they are doing to help the Batwa Tribe and students had the opportunity to present their working stoves to the community and Mr. Toone. Students explained their design and how their research related to the design choices they made.

Sophomore Alexandria Williams explained why she thought why this project was important. “The project opened my eyes and made me realize that we are lucky and we take that for granted. We don't even think twice before flipping on a light switch or turning on the heater when it gets a bit too chilly. People actually have to spend a couple of hours gathering firewood for their homes just to be able to see. And we forget that.”

Bonsall High School World Studies teacher Daniel Costa showed pride in his students performance throughout the project, noting how seriously they took their research and the amount of effort each student put into their final build.