Sandra Velasco Camon

To reach Sandra Velasco Camon’s house can be precarious and requires great patience. First is the two-hour drive in the backcountry of Chimaltenango. After follows a twenty-minute walk down a steep pass that is overshadowed by rearing mountains that nearly block out the sky. The landscape is dry, dust caking the gravel path and filling the air. Those unaccustomed to the trek may easily slip and fall.

By living in remote conditions, Sandra recognizes that resources can be difficult to come by. For years, she especially struggled with meal preparation. Between buying food, finding wood, and cooking, much of her day was occupied by strained attempts to feed her family. “I was cooking with a sheet of metal and a few blocks, plus, wasting too much firewood,” Sandra says. “It was difficult.”

Despite her efforts, she recalls how debilitating her previous stove left her. The smoke would burn her eyes, and the falling wood pieces seared her skin. “I couldn’t work or do anything,” she says. “I would have these pounding headaches, and I couldn’t go to the doctor.”

However, for the past five months, the circumstances have reversed. Since building a new smokeless stove with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala volunteers, Sandra’s health has improved dramatically. The headaches no longer plague her, and she can work without preoccupations. “The stove heats up quickly, and I feel so much better having it,” she remarks. “I like that it doesn’t use a lot of wood. With just a little bit, I can cook everything. I can make tortillas very easily.”

She now uses a handful of wood, which will last her two days. In the time that she saves by not looking for firewood, Sandra can be a grandmother. In that time, she plays with her rambunctious three-year-old grandchild, Alex. “The stove is working like it should,” she smiles. “It gives me more time.”

Sandra recalls the group of volunteers that helped build her stove positively and is happy with the help that they provided her. “They were friendly, and they worked together to support me,” she says. “I am grateful to them. I give them my blessings and my gratitude.”

Germana Ambrosio

“In March, they came to build it,” remembers Germana Ambrosio. Standing in the middle of her kitchen, Germana is surrounded by strings of paper party decorations that flutter in the gentle breeze. “These decorations were brought by the group of volunteers when we had our good-bye celebration,” she comments, reaching up to touch one of the colorful triangles. “They remind me of them.”

Germana speaks of the day that a group of Habitat for Humanity Guatemala volunteers arrived at her home to build her smokeless stove. She recalls the experience fondly, and it remains fresh in her memory even five months later. “It took about half a day to build the new stove,” she says. “And the group was so friendly, hardworking. We got along well, and we were so content.”

For years, Germana longed to find a better cooking option that would help feed her family of seven. Previously, she had used a comal, or a heavy rounded metal sheet that can be balanced over a small fire. While comales are suitable for making tortillas, they can be unsteady, and in many cases, extremely dangerous.  “There was always so much smoke,” she comments. “It affected me in every way you can think of. My eyes hurt, I had headaches and a cough, and I burned myself a lot.” Germana went to the doctor several times. However, her treatment was inconsistent. “Sometimes, they gave me medicines for free. Sometimes, I had to pay a lot of money. It was very difficult for me.”

However, since the stove’s construction, Germana notes that there have been several positive changes. First, her health has improved dramatically. Another major difference is the amount of time that she spends looking for wood. “Before, I would look for wood about five times a week for two to three hours at a time,” she counts. “But now, I only look two times a week.” With the extra time, Germana can prop up her feet and relax. “I love it!” she laughs.

Another advancement has been with how quickly she cooks. “The stove is working well. It heats up quickly, and I can put everything on it at once. Tortillas, coffee, everything is easy now. I feel so excited to have this in my house.”

As for the group that she met, Germana is grateful for their hard work. “Thank you for supporting my family.”

Angela Cuxuil Garcia

As food staples go, the tortilla is the center of the Guatemalan diet. Inexpensive and filling, most Guatemalan families that live below the poverty line depend on tortillas as their principal source of food. However, in the case of Angela Cuxuil Garcia, her ability to make tortillas and feed her family was hindered by one great obstacle: a defective cook stove.

“The best thing about the new stove is that the smoke is gone,” Angela remarks. “Before, simply by lighting a match, there was so much smoke,” she says. “Because it would enter my eyes, I couldn’t see well, and I would tear up quite a bit.” Without a stove surface, she had little flexibility with choosing how to feed her five children. “I couldn’t make tortillas,” she admits.

One of Angela’s neighbors suggested that she look into a program that built smokeless stoves for families in need. That program happened to be Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. “My neighbor told me that if I didn’t have a stove, I could look for support through this organization,” she says. “It has been a great help to us, because it has changed everything.”

Angela enjoys more flexibility now that she has her smokeless stove, which is an aspect that she hadn’t expected. “I don’t have to work for firewood as much anymore. I can do other things, like wash clothes, weave baskets, and other things.”

Additionally, by spending less time looking for wood and more time working, Angela has been able to save a little money and diversify her family’s meals. A prime example is the pool of black beans that simmers in a clay pitcher atop the smooth surface of her new stove. Cooking with a clay pitcher is a technique that makes the beans taste richer and removes the smoky flavors, a problem that had defined Angela’s cooking for so long. “I like how I can cook everything at once,” she comments. “Tortillas, beans, coffee. Now, it’s all easy.”

Above all, Angela is grateful to the group of international volunteers that came to help build her stove. “I am so grateful for all of those who came, for doing me the favor of building the stove. I thank you for the help, which is a great help for us, because everything has changed.”

Josefina Velasco

“I was told about Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s smokeless stoves by a neighbor,” says Josefina Velasco. Mid afternoon sunlight streams into her kitchen, leaving her face aglow. She clears plates as she speaks in a quiet tone. “I wanted to participate because I was cooking only with a piece of metal balanced on top of two blocks.”

Cooking with an inefficient device proved to be dangerous for Josefina and her three young children. She recalls that she felt dread every time that she had to prepare meals. “There was a lot of smoke that filled our kitchen,” she mentions. “We were all sick, and my children suffered more than anything.” Concerned, Josefina brought her children to the medical center, but due to the lack of resources, there was little to be done. “It’s difficult to see your children suffer,” she repeats. “If there was any, the medicine was too expensive for us.”

The new smokeless stove in Josefina’s kitchen looks nothing like the previous device that she had cooked with. Solidly built with an adobe block foundation and shining iron grill, the stove remains the center of the kitchen. “I’m very proud of this stove,” Josefina smiles shyly. The best thing? It has removed all traces of illness from the house.

Six little chairs huddle into a circle around a brown table in the middle of the kitchen. Crumpled napkins, chicken bones, and the tail end of tortillas indicate a meal well enjoyed. Before, Josefina reflects, it was difficult to have meals frequently because of the lack of fuel. “We used to travel long distances to find firewood.” Josefina remarks. “Now, we don’t need so much, so we don’t need to go too far.” This small change has allowed Josefina to feed her three young children, Erica, Magda, and Lester, more food and more often.

As for the group of volunteers that assisted Josefina with building her stove, she expresses her gratitude with great enthusiasm. “The volunteers were great. They were friendly and hardworking. I send them my greetings.”