Why Build A Stove? The Problem
Mayan people are very poor and live in basic bamboo or cement block huts. They prefer to cook in a separate hut but sometimes cook in the same small room where they sleep.
Families in Guatemala cook their meals over a wood fire.* These wood fires are on the ground or floor of a hut with no ventilation.
Women’s long skirts catch fire and children fall into the fires. The #1 killer of women in Guatemala is lung and eye diseases from the smoke in their kitchens due to cooking on wood fires with no windows and no ventilation.
A lot of wood is burned, deforesting the countryside.
*According to the Time Magazine, Sept 2013 issue: “3.5 million people die each year in part from pollution from cooking fires.”
Families in Guatemala cook their meals over a wood fire.* These wood fires are on the ground or floor of a hut with no ventilation.
Women’s long skirts catch fire and children fall into the fires. The #1 killer of women in Guatemala is lung and eye diseases from the smoke in their kitchens due to cooking on wood fires with no windows and no ventilation.
A lot of wood is burned, deforesting the countryside.
*According to the Time Magazine, Sept 2013 issue: “3.5 million people die each year in part from pollution from cooking fires.”
Solution:
Build economical stoves that vent-out the smoke and raise the fires up off the ground.
Almost 2,000 stoves have been built so far. We work to raise funds for supplies and salary for the Guatemalan stove builder. A total of $120 per stove is provided by generous US citizens.(The Guatemalan family pays $20.)
Work teams continue to travel to Guatemala to help build stoves but the need for stoves is huge, so Felipe and Josue have trained many other local stove builders.
There are currently 14 stove builders in 15 communities. We are always trying to provide stoves to new villages.
Work teams continue to travel to Guatemala to help build stoves but the need for stoves is huge, so Felipe and Josue have trained many other local stove builders.
There are currently 14 stove builders in 15 communities. We are always trying to provide stoves to new villages.
