Safe, Energy Efficient Cookstoves in Guatemala

Our teams have been working diligently conducting home to home surveys with the project beneficiaries. The following are the results of a sampling of one village community: 

Amount of wood used for cooking:

• 100% of users report up to 75% or more decrease in the amount of wood needed for cooking.

Capacity of new stove to prepare meals:

• 100% reported the ability to cook all their traditional and customary meals using the stove.

Burns:

• 20% reported severe burns in children under the age of 12 years in the household with the open fire stoves, many of them requiring medical attention.
  
  
• 0% reported burns with the new cookstoves.

Respiratory Issues:

  Open Fire Cook Stoves

• 70% of respondents reported respiratory issues among women preparing meals.
  
  
• 30% reported respiratory problems among children under the age of 5.
  
  
• 100% reported respiratory problems among children between the ages of 6 and 12 years.
  
  
• 60% reported respiratory issues among all adults in the households.

  However, when HRI provided our Clean Cookstoves with chimney removing smoke from the homes: 

• 0% reported any respiratory problems among household members after receiving the cookstoves equipped with chimneys to remove all of the smoke from the stoves.

This data is remarkable! It details the incredible impact the Safe Cookstoves are having on the health and safety of every family, as well as the protection of the environment and concerns for deforestation. Thank you for your support which helped ensure these families received a safe cookstove!