Did you come up with the idea?
The oil drum oven design came to Lifebread from Mark Long, a missionary living and working in Kampala, Uganda. Mark built the first ovens and then provided Lifebread director, Dusty Breeding, with the blueprints and information to build more.
How are the ovens built?
1. Purchase oil drums and bricks
2. Prepare the ground, lay a foundation of bricks.
3. Weld racks and doors onto oil drum.
4. Lay bricks using dirt and cow manure for mortar.
5. Set ovens on foundation.
6. Cover with more bricks.
7. Seal outside of bricks with cement.
8. Build a fire, heat ovens to ensure they are clean and working.
Watch this tutorial, created by Lifebread intern, Cameron Kruse, in 2011:
Where do you get the building materials?
All building materials for the ovens come from local businesses. The oil drums, bricks, and metal fittings are bought from local African vendors (project sites are selected partially by availability of raw materials). For any additional labor needed, such as welding, Lifebread seeks out local craftsmen. The effect of this is to stimulate the local economy as well as to build relationships with unreached Africans in the hopes that they too will come to know Jesus Christ through our work.
How much does an oven cost?
The total cost for a bakery project construction cost about $3,000. This includes raw materials, local labor, and baking ingredients once the set of ovens are finished.
How are the ovens heated?
The ovens are heated by lighting a wood-burning fire beneath the oil drum. We are able to maintain a temperature between 350 and 425 degrees relatively easily by adding or removing logs from the fire.
Wouldn't it be better just to use a "normal" oven?
There are many different reasons why this is not possible or practical. Lifebread operates in many regions where electricity is simply not available or reliable. Commercial gas ovens are expensive and are hard to come by. Culturally, "fancy" equipment tends to get thrown aside when a small part breaks. Lifebread uses local materials to build their ovens, making them hassle free to maintain for years after construction is complete.
