Overview 2003
It took a while for the last two ministers to sign the "acord de siège", the official recognition of ADES as an NGO. But in June, the long-awaited document arrives.
Also in June, ADES moves into the new carpentry workshop in Toliara with a large sales room, an office and a kitchen. An own photovoltaic system and a wind turbine supply a large part of the electricity and the own well supplies water for self-consumption.
In September, Regula notes that more than 500 cookers have already been sold and thus the originally imported kits have been used up. It is now up to Chantal to buy all the material locally and negotiate prices. Not an easy task. Soon it turns out that the selling price per solar cooker has to be increased from about CHF 60 to about CHF 90, which is more than the monthly salary of a secretary. In Switzerland, too, ADES seems to be struggling with a lack of income and feeling the effects of the recession as well as various fundraising scandals. "At the moment, our financial resources are exhausted," Regula writes in autumn in a letter - which later turned out to be successful - to potential donors.
Photos 2003
2003_01_08 Production of solar cooker Tuléar
2003_01_27 Visit of the President of Madagascar to Geneva1
2003_01_27 Visit of the Madagascan President in Geneva2_Regula and Bebi hand over the dossier to Marc Ravalomanana
2003_01_27 Visit of the President of Madagascar to Geneva3
2003_01_27 Visit of the President of Madagascar to Geneva4_in discussion with the Minister of Education
2003_05 Construction completed2
2003_10_15 Building Centre Tuléar
2003_10_15 Pinzgauer arrives
2003_10_15 Pinzgauer with Mr Probst
2003_12_25 Christmas in the new sales rooms Tuléar_Children of the guardian Tsihoanana receive presents
2003_12 Hospice, bottom left, has made a car out of waste from the carpenter's workshop. Thanks to school fees from ADES, he is becoming an engineer
