On 23 March 2001, the association ADES (Association pour le Développement de l'Energie Solaire Suisse - Madagascar) was founded in Ottenbach ZH. After ADES concentrated on the production of solar cookers in the first years, the organisation integrated new fields of activity into its activities over the years. From the preparations and planning of the first solar cooker boxes to the founding of the association and the adventurous construction of the first locations, ADES grew into an NGO with well over 250 employees in Madagascar, eight centres, seven branches and three ADES mobiles and produces 100,000 cookers per year. Today, ADES follows a three-pillar approach. Based on fundamental social values and with the aim of preserving Madagascar's forests and livelihoods, the three pillars of activities include the production and distribution of solar and energy-saving cookers, reforestation and education. All activities work together as a large awareness-raising campaign.

- Solar and energy-saving cookers
ADES solar and energy-saving cookers significantly reduce wood and coal consumption. Solar cookers heat food using only the power of the sun. Energy-saving cookers reduce fuel consumption by 50 to 80 percent, depending on use.

–      Education and awareness raising
In order to improve the situation in Madagascar in the long term, ADES uses education and awareness-raising measures to make the population more sensitive to nature. Resellers are supported in building a financial livelihood. Specially trained staff teach environmental education to schoolchildren and enable teachers to integrate environmental education into their lessons.

–      Reforestation
ADES is reforesting Madagascar at six locations (as of 2022). One focus is on the Ejeda region, where projects are implemented together with local village communities. In the highlands and at other locations, ADES works together with reforestation partner organisations. In 2021, about 120,000 trees were reforested in this way.

Over the years, the heartfelt project of our founder Regula Ochsner has gained many loyal companions who support ADES as volunteers or with donations. We have also been able to find partners with whom ADES has worked successfully for many years. These include, for example, the myclimate foundation, which finds common partners for climate protection and supports ADES in proving the impact of its projects according to the strict requirements of the international Gold Standard. Another partner is the international organisation for energy development EnDev, with which ADES has been able to implement key projects over several years, such as the 2020 expansion with ADES mobiles and new branches. The work of ADES is also convincing internationally: In 2021, ADES was awarded the international ".ORG Organisation of the Year", i.e. of all organisations with a .org domain.

ADES founder Regula Ochsner was a development worker in Toliara in southern Madagascar from 1972 to 1975. When she visited the country with her mother Ruth Ochsner in 1998, she was dismayed by the rapidly progressing deforestation. Regula and Ruth Ochsner decided to do their utmost to preserve the forest in Madagascar. At the founding meeting, Regula Ochsner was elected as the first president of the association. In our chronicle you will find a review of each year of our existence: milestones achieved, pictures and much more.