What´s new at Can-Products and in Lesotho          updated on 3rd September 2003

 World Summit on Sustainable Devlopment (WSSD)

Can-Products participated with the Tin-Solar-Restaurant “UN:Plugged” at the WSSD from 17th August to 7th September 2002 in Johannesburg at the UBUNTU Village.

All people were fascinated that food can be cooked on solar cookers and that houses and furniture can be made from discarded tin/cans.
The combination of several related development projects (tin/can, solar, efficient cooking) has attracted a large number of visitors, delegates and media. The most visual part was the tin/can house, followed by the concentrator solar cookers, box solar cookers and improved stoves and the gel-fuel. The visitors and media came mainly for one reason: solar cooking or tin/can houses but after the first week, the visitors came for a third reason: excellent food prepared on solar cooking. The restaurant was providing the best food on site. Many delegates preferred vegetarian dish but the most common served dish was the african dish with pap or rice.
The Tin-Solar Restaurant was considered as one of the highlights of the Ubuntu Village and WSSD.

The visitors, apart from the media, to the restaurant included: Prime Minister of Lesotho with several cabinet Ministers, several Ministers from South Afrika, Greece, Germany, Malawi, France, etc. Many more high-ranking delegates came to visit there but did not officially introduce themselves. Local and international voice, print and TV media covered the restaurant from different angles such as environment, gender, housing etc.

www.allafrica.com
For further information on the solar cooking project click here

Tin-Solar-Restaurant at WSSD

German Minister for Dev.& Cooperation

 ORPHANS - Tin/Can Villages Lesotho (TCV)
HIV/AIDS figures are escalating. The latest figure of prevelance rate among women between 15 years and 24 years is 51%! Lesotho will have over 25% of its population under 15 years orphaned (single and double) by 2010.

A new way of tackling the number of orphans due to HIV/Aids is being implemented whereby Tin/Can Houses play an important role. The aim is to uplift foster mothers who are willing to care for orphans with housing and income generating support. This project is in the process and the first structures are being built. The TCV is a new society, which addresses and implements the establishment of the Tin/Can Village.

A Tin/Can Village will be build and sponsors can participate by contributing a housing unit. In return they receive an honour of the house being named after the sponsor and a link from the Tin/Can Villages Website to their own. A housing unit entails a 24m² solarpowered tin/can-house, a tin/can workshop, contribution to infrastructure and start up capital for income generating activities. The unit price currently stand at US$ 3,700.- or € 3,600.- or  Rand 33,000.- and will flactuate with the price increases.
For further information on the orphans project click here (in german)
For further information on the orphans project click here (in english)

 EXHIBITION

In October/November 2001, a Tin/Can House with furniture from EXPO 2000 and the “ONE WORLD” logo of the German Ministry of Development and Cooperation  (BMZ) was presented and exhibited for two weeks around the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
The exhibition was part of the 40th anniversary ceremonies organised by the BMZ and was very well received by the public.

On 18th of August a EXPO Tin/Can House was displayed inside the BMZ.
For further information on the art exhibition (in german language) click here
For further information on the BMZ click here and here