Stove Delivery

Our entire team traveled together for the first time yesterday to Xepocal. In addition to holding a women's health training, wanted to see the three new latrines the men built, Kevin's pottery wheel, and, most of all, be there for the delivery of 10 ONIL plancha stoves. When we arrived the stoves were stacked neatly in the Methodist Church's Sunday school building.

Some nearby families came to pick up their stoves, and the rest were loaded onto a pickup for delivery. We sent two teams to accompany the stoves, congratulate the families, and see for ourselves the old stoves-which were actually 3 stone fires. The kitchens are mostly small adobe buildings with a dirt floor, a fire, a small table for preparation of food, and utensils hung on the wall. Walls and ceilings of all the kitchens were totally black with soot from the cook smoke. Some were so smoky we coughed when we entered even though no fire was burning.

The families were extremely grateful for the stoves, which require 7o% less wood, saving them time and money gathering fuel. Most importantly, the new stoves burn much cleaner, reducing the risk of respiratory illnesses, a leading cause of illness in the Mayan children. The new stoves are also much safer and will reduce the risk of burns.

We have now delivered all 50 stoves! The stoves were made possible by donations from many of our team members, generous community members, and friends across the country. We have a waiting list of 25 families who need stoves, and more requests coming in as others learn about them. Each stove costs $117. If you are interested in purchasing a stove for a family, stay tuned for details in a future post.

Post and photos by Susan

STOVES ARE INSTALLED in Mayan kitchens!

(Team member Sheila Kiscaden interviewing one of the stove recipients)

Through contributions from many Rochester and other areas of the country, our team was able to purchase 50 stoves.

Why stoves? -- YOU MIGHT WONDER.
All of the cooking is done by the women on wood fires within the small, largely adobe, homes.

Significant health issues ensue, including

(1) SMOKE INHALATION which has become the leading cause of death in Guatemalan children under the age of 5 according to the World Health Organization. On average, the deadly carbon monoxide level in homes is twice the level considered to be dangerous.  

(2) FACIAL AND HAND BURNS TO CHILDREN who fall into open when they are playing or learning to walk

(3) DEFORESTATION which occurs at a rate of 2% per year because of the huge amount of wood required for daily cooking. Additionally, the wood has become very scarce and expensive.

(4) EXCESSIVE TIME DEMANDS ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN who must often walk long distances daily to acquire the wood necessary just to feed their family.  

(5) BACK PROBLEMS which occur because the heavy loads of wood, once found, must be hauled back home on the backs of the women and children.  

YOU MIGHT WONDER -- What kind of stoves were sent to Guatemala?
Onil stoves were purchased by Suzanne and Jim Greenleaf who collected the stove donations. Onil parts were sent previous to our arrival. These stoves provide enough heat to cook a meal with only three sticks of wood. Each stove has a chimney that vents the stove's smoke outdoors, meaning a family's home is no longer filled with deadly cooking smoke. An additional attribute of the stove is that it also can be moved around in the kitchen if necessary. To do so, the families must move the concrete block base and the venting.

Mayan families from the highlands (three communities: Pocohil, Chicua, and Xepocol) were chosen based on greatest needs in the communities.
Once the families were chosen, they did have to purchase the concrete block and the venting, with the idea that they should participate in the stove project rather than just having it given to them. The women also had to take a nutrition class.

Once our team arrived, we were able to see many of the installed stoves, and we were also able to talk with the women about them.

YOU MIGHT WONDER -- What do the women have to say about their stoves? 
Here are SOME quotes from the Mayan women:

I can cook food in a third of the time. 
 It's so great that it uses so little wood. 
 I love my stove.  
I use my stove from morning to night.
I like the fact that I can move it if I need to.  
There's no more smoke in the house. I am happy.

(text & pictures by Julie)