How to Build Your Own Charcoal Oven

By Amy Levendusky

On March 30, 2007, during this year's Cultural Day held near the PICS Nahs, Ms. Welsihter Hagilmai and Ms. Meriam Prens of the College of Micronesia-FSM Land Grant Program demonstrated how to use the smokeless charcoal oven built as part of the project entitled, "Pohnpei Traditional Food for Health", coordinated by the Island Food Community of Pohnpei (IFCP).

A total of 34 energy-efficient charcoal ovens were built as part of this project in order to help members of Mand Community and other communities develop the appropriate cooking technology to make cooking local foods easier, cheaper, and more convenient. Baking local foods in this oven also provides a healthy cooking option compared to the cooking method of frying, as long as extra sugar, salt and fat are not added.

These ovens are good for the environment, decreasing emissions of open fires to the air. The charcoal may be made from dried coconut shells, substituting the need for firewood altogether. However, other types of hard wood will work in these ovens and will burn efficiently, thus it is likely that in the long run less trees will be needed for firewood.

These ovens are now in high demand and an additional three have been built by Swingley Johnson, as funded privately. To get started and to build an oven about 3 feet tall, you need the following: one 8x4 foot (1/2 inch thick) plywood, one sheet 26 gauge 4x8 feet flat tin, three- 2x2x16 feet lumber, one 3/8" rebar (20 feet long), one pound 3-inch common nails, and one pound ½ inch common nails, two 2-inch door hinges, one door hasp and one piece 2x4 feet security wire without coating. The cost of these materials is about $75, depending on suppliers.

To build the oven you may contact either of the following vendors: Mr. Bing Bardelas of Capitol Fabricator & Trading Co., in Kolonia (tel #320-2623) or Mr. Swingley Johnson of Mand, Madolenihmw, who can be reached at #320-2308. The cost for the labor to build the oven is from $35 to $50. For further information on how to build your own charcoal oven, call Pohnpei Agriculture at 320-2400 or IFCP at # 320-3259.

IFCP extends its appreciation to the Global Environment Fund Small Grants Program for funding this project and to Swingley Johnson, Seis Solomon, and Deruwo Samson for providing designs. IFCP also thanks the Mand community and our collaborating partners and support agencies, including Pohnpei Agriculture of the Office of Economic Affairs, Department of Health, Department of Education, Department of Land and Natural Resources, College of Micronesia-FSM Land Grant Program, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Centre of Indigenous Peoples' Nutrition and Environment (CINE), SPC Pacific German Regional Forestry Project (PGRFP) and Sight and Life.