The organizations Sodepaz and Medicuba España recently produced 13 solar cookers in a workshop held in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, intended for schools in Santiago de Cuba that support children without parental care, as reported by Sodepaz on its Facebook profile.
The workshop was held in the shared space of both organizations and featured two instructors and ten participants who, in just one day, managed to build the 13 devices.
The kitchens are made of cardboard and aluminum foil; they are modular and easy to move.
For its operation, a dark metal pot and a glass container are needed to create the greenhouse effect necessary to concentrate solar heat, Sodepaz explained in its publication.
At the end of the workshop, two stoves were tested in the patio of the venue, and it was confirmed that the water reached boiling point in just a few minutes.
«Thanks to this system, it is possible to cook food using only solar energy, without the need for electricity, gas, or firewood,» reported Cubadebate as it echoed the news.
"Kitchens will be sent in July to schools in Santiago de Cuba for children without parental support," the organization confirmed.
Nationally, an estimated 2,500 minors are living in homes without parental protection in Cuba, with the state only covering the most basic needs.
The initiative combines international cooperation, sustainability, and citizen participation, and it is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the 2030 Agenda, which aims to ensure universal access to affordable energy and clean cooking technologies for the 2.3 billion people who still lack them.
The arrival of solar cookers made from cardboard and aluminum foil to meet basic food needs in Cuban schools illustrates how deeply the energy crisis has transformed daily life on the island.
What in other contexts is presented as an ecological or educational technology, in Cuba becomes an emergency tool in the face of the inability to access electricity, gas, or fuel reliably.
Mixed reactions on social media
The publication of the workshop triggered numerous reactions.
The most critical opinions focused on the background of the news. Some commentators questioned whether the solution to meet basic needs in Cuba involves cooking with devices made from cardboard and aluminum foil.
Others argued that the fact that foreign organizations have to send solar cookers to Cuban schools reflects the accumulated deterioration of the national energy infrastructure after decades of poor economic management and dependence on external political allies.
Among the positive comments, some users congratulated the organizers and deemed that this type of initiative should be extended throughout Cuba.
"It would be beneficial for them to provide instruction in Cuba to entrepreneurs and institutions to facilitate its application", wrote an internet user, highlighting the practical potential of technology.
Others defended the project as a concrete response to the everyday challenges faced by millions of Cubans.
The debate reflected two opposing viewpoints.
While some view these kitchens as examples of resilience, creativity, and international solidarity in response to an emergency situation, others interpret them as evidence of the profound economic and technological regression of the island, where the state's inability to ensure basic services has forced thousands of families to turn to alternative cooking methods typical of humanitarian crisis contexts.
The context: Cuba without electricity or fuel
The project arrives at the worst energy moment for Cuba in decades.
In 2026, the electricity generation deficit has consistently exceeded 2,000 megawatts, with power outages lasting between 19 and 22 hours daily in Havana and in the interior provinces, respectively.
On May 14, a record deficit of 2,174 MW was recorded, affecting 70% of the country.
The crisis worsened following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, which cut the Venezuelan supply of between 25,000 and 35,000 barrels per day of crude oil, alongside the simultaneous suspension of Mexican shipments, depriving Cuba of 44% of its oil imports.
In the face of the collapse, Miguel Díaz-Canel himself requested on March 30 to ensure “materials for cooking, from charcoal to firewood”, making the use of alternative fuels an explicit public policy.
In that scenario, Cubans have turned to solar cookers as a survival alternative in response to the prolonged blackouts. In May, a private store in Centro Habana was selling solar parabolic cookers imported from China for 135 dollars.
A trajectory of cooperation with Cuba
Sodepaz, founded on September 28, 1986, and based in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, and Medicuba España—part of the MediCuba-Europe network, present in 13 European countries—have a long history of collaboration with the island.
In 2025, they jointly sent 13 containers to Cuba, including a 40-foot one in March of that year, valued at 135,000 euros, destined for Santiago de Cuba, with the shipping costs financed by the City Council of Rivas-Vaciamadrid.
The new donation arrives at a time when thousands of Cubans have resorted to cooking with charcoal, firewood, alcohol, or solar energy to compensate for the deficiencies of a collapsed electrical system.
While solidarity organizations emphasize the environmental and communal value of these technologies, the need to turn to them to meet basic necessities highlights the seriousness of an energy crisis that the Cuban government has failed to resolve, which continues to deteriorate the quality of life for the population.
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