The kitchen is the heart of the home. It is a place where families gather to prepare a meal and share stories of their day. But for many rural Guatemalans, the kitchen is also a room filled with smoke, unsafe conditions, and piles of expensive firewood.
To address this issue, the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development began offering fuel-efficient stoves to its members and their families several years ago. These stoves:
- Are cost-effective and use far less wood
- Reduce respiratory and eye diseases caused by smoke
- Eliminate the risk of young children contacting open flames
- Offer a comfortable working height for women
- Serve as a table for families to eat together on cold mornings
- Often provide the only source of heat in the home
- Are manufactured in Guatemala, by Guatemalans, using local materials
The full cost of each stove is $250. The recipient family must invest $50 of their own money toward this cost (with donors covering the remaining $200). Because they spend so much less on firewood, women recoup their $50 investment in just five months. To date, nearly 500 stoves have been delivered to women and their families. Thank you to everyone who supported this project!
Total Cost for a Stove: $250
(Recipient pays $50, Donor pays $200)
Over the years, AJPU has improved the design of the stove several times. The latest model uses just two pieces of wood for each meal (as opposed to 10 or 15), has a larger cooktop, takes up less space in the kitchen, provides storage underneath, and can easily be moved. All stoves ventilate smoke outside through a chimney.
AJPU delivers and installs the stoves in local communities, and stoves are monitored on a regular basis to be sure they are functioning correctly. Any issues are quickly remedied and offer insight into design improvement.
To learn more about any of these projects or how your church can become involved, please contact us and we will be in touch. Thank you!