By Francis Kamara

Easy Solar and PADI Products partnered to organise a cooking competition for traders at the Lumley Market. The competition was geared towards advertising the products of Easy Solar and PADI, as well as a sensitization campaign to shed light on the hazards or dangers of using local ‘Coal Pots’ for cooking.  

Speaking with Wahida Sesay, the Public Relations Officer PADI, who is also a representative of Pee Cee and Sons, she confirmed that it is the first time PADI is partnering with Easy Solar Company to introduce a new cooking stove that will help minimize the hazards of local ‘Coal Pots’.  

She added that PADI is helping with cooking ingredients like rice, oil, Maggi, seasoning, etc. She went on to say that PADI is not only limited to producing cooking products like oil, Maggi, rice, etc. but that they are also into trading other products like cocoa, milk, mayonnaise, etc. She affirmed that it is going to be an ongoing project as the targeted areas are not only limited to Lumley Market, adding that the success of the cooking competition at Lumley has paved the way for a strong motive for them to continue with the project in different areas around the country.

As the name PADI signifies love, partnership, and positive bonding, it is one of their corporate social responsibility of giving back and appreciating their customers, she noted and urged all customers to continue trading PADI products. She used the opportunity to call on other Sierra Leoneans who are yet to start using PADI products to come onboard and start using them. She assured customers and Sierra Leoneans in general that PADI products are reliable and healthy.

Mohamed Sheriff, the Campaign Coordinator for Easy Solar Company, acknowledged the support and partnership with PADI Products and for organizing an all-out Freetown cooking competition. He went on to say that the event is an advertising campaign, as well as a sensitization project that will enlighten the people of Sierra Leone of the dangers of using locally-made ‘Coal Pots’. He added that, as displayed during the cooking competition, the Easy Solar cooking stove is safer and faster for cooking, adding that “the stove doesn’t generate smoke that pollutes the air.”

He went on to say that the three representatives from the Lumley Market displayed outstanding cooking skills using the ingredients provided by PADI Products. The three representatives selected Groundnut Soup, Cassava Leaves and Potato Leaves as their cooking projects. He affirmed that the winner of the cooking competition will take home a gift from Easy Solar Company, as well as a package from PADI Products. 

In addition to that, he added that the winner of the Lumley Cooking Competition will join three other winners from various communities like Waterloo and Ktoo Town Road to contest in the finals in which the winner stands a chance to win Le2 million. He noted that this will be aired live on television.

According to Mohamed Sheriff, the motive behind the promotion and publicity is to alert Sierra Leoneans about the dangers posed by local ‘Coal Pots’ which are threats to our health, and that a lot of people have died because of extensive usage of coal pots and absorbing the negative particles of ‘Coal Pots’. He urged Sierra Leoneans to secure the Easy Solar cooking stove as it is cleaner and more efficient, as well as being very easy to use.

The winner of the Lumley Market Cooking Competition, Adama Turay, who prepared Cassava Leaves with vegetable oil, was given an Easy Solar cooking stove set as well as a gift bag from PADI Products (containing all PADI cooking ingredients and more). 

Adama Turay expressed her gratitude and excitement to Easy Solar Company and PADI Products for such a wonderful initiative. She added that such public education is beneficial not only to her, but to all household owners in the nation. She affirmed that as the winner of such a historic event, she is proud that her cooking skills have been recognized. She confirmed that she will be sensitizing her friends and others that using local ‘Coal Pots’ are detrimental to health. She urged all Sierra Leoneans to secure the Easy Solar cooking stove for effective use and safe and clean cooking.