Carlos and Gladis Ajmac live in the department of Tecpán, Guatemala, with their two children. Their son, Esau, is 7 and their daughter, Emili, is 5. Before buying land and partnering with Habitat Guatemala to build their home, the Ajmac family rented a house. «Our rent every month was double what our mortgage is now.», explains Carlos.

Together, the family runs a sandal making business out of their home; They have two employees and sell the sandals at local markets in the department. After 5 years of renting, they are happy to have more space where they can run their business and be together as a family.

«We were sad when the volunteers left!», exclaims Gladis. «But, thanks to God, we are happy and more comfortable in our new home.»

Ramona Yaxon  lives in Sololá, Guatemala, with her husband. Her ten children are married and live with their families, so she and her husband live alone in their house. When her children moved out, they moved the kitchen area into a different part of the house so that they would have more room.

«My old stove worked,» explains Ramona, «but over time it deteriorated. It used a lot of wood and filled the kitchen with smoke.»

«My new stove works perfectly!», Ramona exclaims. «I can use wood, pine cones, or corn hulls and it burns well. While I cook, my husband sits at a table next to the stove and we talk. We are never far apart.»

Sitting outside in the sun, Ramona talks about her life. «We have some land and my husband grows corn that he sells. And I raise ducks! I used to have pigs too, but one day I fell and hurt my knee. My kids told me I was too old to raise pigs anymore. You need a lot of strength for that! I wanted to raise pigs in my courtyard but they said no. So now I just have ducks.»

Ramona is Maya and in her part of Guatemala the language that is spoken is Kaqchikel. Recently, Ramona shares, she has started studying the Bible with two American Jehovah’s Witnesses missionaries who have given her a Bible in her language. «I lived my whole life without religion.», Ramona explains. «And I am old but I have asked God for a few more years on earth so that I can enjoy my new stove!»

Ana Isabel Gomez and her husband Damacio live in the department of Chimaltenango, Guatemala. They have two children, Ana Yesenia, and Emeli Jasmin.

While Damacio works in the fields in the surrounding area, Ana Isabel takes care of her home and children. Like many families in this area, work opportunities are limited and those that do exist are low paying. For these reasons, Isabel and Damacio are happy to save money wherever they can.

This is one reason that smokeless stoves are so important to families like the Gomezes. There is a shortage of wood in Guatemala because, during the civil war, the military burned down many villages and the surrounding woods. Families are still feeling the effects of these actions today; many have to travel long distances to gather wood and those that live in towns have to purchase it.

«We save wood with the new stove!», Ana Isabel says happily. «My old stove was really old, it used up a lot of wood, and there was so much more smoke.» For women like Ana Isabel who spend their time cooking food for their family, this is very important. Cooking over an open flame leads to eye and lung issues and removing the smoke from the cooking area is a simple but effective solution.

Ana Isabel has a message she would like to send to the volunteers who helped build her stove, too. «Thank you so much for coming to build our stove and support our family! We hope you come back soon!»