Disclosure: I received a Wonderbag to aid in the writing of this post. All thoughts and opinions expressed, as per usual, are my own.
The Wonderbag is a portable, non-electric slow cooker with a social conscience. Created by Sarah Collins, a South African adventurer, entrepreneur and social activist, the Wonderbag eliminates the need for tedious wood fire cooking and /or electricity.
The idea for the Wonderbag came to Sarah while in the middle of a rolling power outage in South Africa, resulting from the country’s precarious electricity reserves. Wanting to still cook without electricity, Sarah remembered her grandmother taking pots off the stove and wrapping them in blankets and furniture cushions in order to keep perfectly cooked casseroles piping hot. This heat retention method also enhances rural women’s quality of life by reducing the time spent cooking and keeping them from inhaling so much hazardous smoke from their cooking fires.
The Wonderbag itself is made from a simple colorful fabric filled with repurposed foam chips, a waste product of furniture and mattress manufacturing in South Africa, and fits 2 – 9 quart pots. You sit your pot on a trivet in the bag and the top seals with a drawstring. It continues to cook food which has been brought to boil by conventional methods for up to 8 hours without the use of additional electricity or fuel.
I made a Hearty Tuscan Bean Soup in my Wonderbag, and it was delicious. I prepped the soup, boiled it for a few minutes and let it sit in the Wonderbag for a couple of hours before serving. It was piping hot when my boys and I ate it, and I didn’t have to deal with washing my big crock pot afterwards. It would be great to bring to hot foods to parties or even for camping.
The best part is that for every Wonderbag purchased in the US, one is donated to a family in need in Africa. Here is more on the social impact:
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Smoke inhalation from wood fire cooking is the leading cause of death globally. More than 50% of premature deaths in children under five are related to household air pollution
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Each Wonderbag saves 1.7 trees, 1,000 liters of water, and 1,248 hours of time not spent collection firewood
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82% of female rapes in Africa occur while collecting firewood for cooking
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One job is created for every 1,000 bags sold. Over 700,000 bags have been sold to date
Watch this video for more on the social impact that Wonderbag is making.
You can buy the Wonderbag on their website or on Amazon.
Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. Read past stories here.
Ok, this is pretty neat and truly want to look into now just in case we ever lose power again. Thank you so much for sharing, Jennifer!! 😉
Janine Huldie recently posted..The Mom Entrepreneur – MUMZY 101
It’s awesome, Janine! Handy with or without power. 🙂
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Trimming the Tree
After reading what the Wonderbag is all about, I love that name that much more. The statistics you shared are astounding…
Smoke inhalation from wood fire cooking is the leading cause of death globally. More than 50% of premature deaths in children under five are related to household air pollution <– That is insane. I'm going to look more into this.
And I can't believe 82% of female rapes in Africa occur while collecting firewood for cooking. It's so sad to know these women have to fear just doing something as simple as collecting firewood to cook for their families.
Thanks for sharing this!
Ashlee recently posted..Bucket List – Get Published in a Magazine
My pleasure, Ashlee. We don’t realize what something as simple as a cooking fire can have on women across the globe. The idea for the Wonderbag is so simple and profound. I love it.
anotherjennifer recently posted..Why I’m Not Sending Out Christmas Cards This Year
This is one of my favorites of your posts! You get good food, you don’t have to clean up much, and you help other families. It’s really brilliant thinking on her part.
Tamara recently posted..Didn’t We Almost Have It All.
Agreed, Tamara! I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. There’s a lot of winning with the Wonderbag, if you ask me.
anotherjennifer recently posted..Philanthropy Friday: Share Your Good Day
This is fantastic! Such a simple concept, and yet its impact is so huge. I’m a huge fan of cooking with my crockpot, but I’ve never really stopped to think about how much electricity that uses and the larger impact that is having on the world. I like the idea that the Wonderbag not only helps you with your own cooking, but helps families around the world. Thanks for sharing, Jen!
Bev recently posted..Sometimes your body is just screaming to slow down
My pleasure, Bev! It’s a great concept, isn’t it? You can feel good about buying it and using it. I love my Wonderbag.
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Ice Ice Baby
WOW! This is SO COOL! I am def going to check this out, I am a cooking junkie and always looking for new and innovative gadgets in the kitchen.. the social implications of this product are quite impressive as well! Anyhoo, I stumbled upon your page through a fellow blogger, and thought I would stop by and say hi! It would totally make my day if you stopped by my page and dropped a line, or kept in touch! – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com