- Our Mission -
Only 1,000 Mountain Gorillas remain in the Virunga Mountains of East Africa. These amazing animals cannot be found anywhere else on earth and they are under threat of extinction. The biggest threats are habitat destruction, encroachment from the growing human population, poaching, snares, disease, and political instability. Our mission is to protect the Mountain Gorilla Habitat by introducing clean cook stove technology that does not use Biomass eliminating deforestation and when combined with other features will significantly improve the lives of the villagers.
- Who Are We? -
www.gorillahabitat.com is an organization dedicated to protecting the Mountain Gorillas by preserving their habitat.
www.pesitho.com is a Danish stove supplier dedicated to providing the ECOCA clean energy cook stove to replace the one billion open fire cook stoves currently being used around the world.
www.caritas.org is represented in the project by Caritas Denmark and Caritas Uganda. They are a global humanitarian organization focused on developing effective solutions to poverty and injustice through the empowerment of the poor rural people in Africa. Caritas Uganda will provide the implementation in Uganda and will develop local infrastructure to assemble and service the stoves.
- Our Approach -
There are many charities focused on studying the Mountain Gorillas, maintaining their health, or rising funds to support education. These organizations are all worthy of your support. Gorilla Habitat is uniquely focused on the ECOCA solar powered cook stoves that will enhance the lives of the villagers, create jobs, prevent deforestation, and ensure a healthy buffer zone is maintained around the Gorilla Habitat.
It takes the equivalent of two American football fields to provide enough wood and charcoal to support the cooking needs of 4 families annually. The ECOCA is powered by solar energy and will provide a family with enough heat to cook three meals a day and provide light and power well after sunset. The unit consists of a solar panel. a cook top with battery storage, two lights, USB ports and a specially insulated cooking pot. The ECOCA does not consume any Biomass and does not emit noxious gasses or CO2.
-Call to Action-
We support the installation of ECOCA solar cook stoves in the Nkuringo area on the south edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. As this pilot project develops our goal is with your support to install stoves in the other villages surrounding the Gorilla Habitats in Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC. Our connection with the Mountain Gorillas is best described by David Attenborough, "There is more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know".
-Benefits-
The ECOCA stove will eliminate deforestation and when combined with other local projects like Biogas toilets, solar power for schools and reforestation will address several of the United Nations Strategic Development Goals.
Stopping deforestation combined with Reforestation will preserve the Mountain Gorilla Habitat-- SDG 15
The ECOCA will provide affordable clean energy-- SDG 7
Freeing women and children from wood gathering combined with light and power will aid education SDG 4 and job creation- SDG 8
The villager's health problems will be reduced- SDG 3
Climate change will be impacted positively- SDG 13
Raising up women in the family will reduce gender inequality SDG 5 and reduce overall inequalities. SDG 10
