Our first improvements in the school kitchen started in 2009 with the installation of 8 new cooking pots. In a second phase in 2015 the kitchen was renovated by installing floor and wall tiles and repairing the water supply, windows, lighting and cold room.
However, the cooking pots are always in need of attention. They are electrically heated: the cooking pot has a double outer wall with a special oil in between, which is heated by electric heating elements. However, this oil should be replaced after two years at the latest.
This date has been postponed again and again for financial reasons. Supervisor Joseph Chipindi brought this situation to our attention. As a result, we commissioned the representative of the South African Cooking Pot Producer in Zambia to service the cooking pots. Two technicians were at the school for five days and gave the 8 cooking pots a maintenance service and replaced a number of parts.
The heating elements were badly charred and would all need to be replaced. Under these circumstances, efficient heating would no longer be possible and this was certainly reflected in the electricity bill.
Besides the heating elements, some protective relays had to be replaced and the wiring had to be renewed. Finally, the interior and exterior walls were brought back to a high gloss with cleaning grease. Now the school kitchen is shining again in its old splendour.
The Sawpower company left a maintenance manual at the school. We hope that these will be better taken into account in the future: a boiler costs Fr. 6000 each!
