Safe, Energy Efficient Cookstoves in Guatemala

We know that building strong communities requires responding to serious public health challenges with specific and effective solutions that resonate with beneficiaries. As such, HRI continues working hand-and-hand with vulnerable families and communities to address the critical problem of indoor air pollution which is the result of open wood fire cookstoves. Cooking should not be deadly. Through education and the construction of our cookstoves, cooking can be safe, better for the environment, and food can still taste good.

Whether we are building new stoves, monitoring performance of existing stoves or implementing cooking trainings, we are witnessing a positive wave of change and continued enthusiasm for the program in communities. Norma, a recipient of a new HRI stove in Guatemala, described her personal experience like this:

“I am very happy and grateful that HRI helped me to have a new plancha [safe, energy efficient] stove – it has helped a lot. Before, I used loads of firewood, smoke was trapped in the house all the time, and ash was in every part of my home. With my old stove, my daughters were constantly coughing and I burned my arms all the time. It is different now, the smoke goes out the chimney, I don’t use nearly as much firewood, my girls don’t cough and I cannot even remember the last time I burned my arms.” 

Thank you for your support, which allows us to continue our efforts to create a new normal for cooking that saves lives.

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