Contaminated water supplies are often the cause of fatal diseases in rural Tanzania and The Gambia, especially in children and those affected by HIV/AIDS or malaria. Mothers using the only water supply available can unknowingly give their children life threatening illnesses.

Through peer-to-peer workshops focused on the principals of solar energy, AHEAD (Adventures in Health, Education, and Agricultural Development) teaches women and youth how to construct and use solar ovens and a wax thermometer to pasteurize contaminated water.

Pasteurization eliminates viruses and bacteria in drinking water. Families who have bacteria-free water greatly reduce the incidence of diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever and dysentery. Using solar ovens for cooking also decreases the demand for wood as a fuel, thus preserving forests. When solar ovens are used to provide safe water, cook meals, and even bake and sell goods, a village becomes healthier and self-reliant.

In Africa three out of five children become severely ill, often dying from a lack of access to safe  drinking water.