Brenda Leticia, her husband Adalberto along with their two children Mailey (11) and Kaily (6) live in the community of Santa Izabel, Chimaltenango. One year after having her Habitat stove installed by a team of volunteers, we spoke with Brenda to find out what difference her smokeless stove has made for her family. These were her words:
“I’ve lived in this community for 31 years, my whole life. Before I cooked on a “pollo” (an open flame stove) on the ground.” The stove caused me to cough a lot and affected my lungs, now it’s much better because the smoke leaves and goes outside.”

When asked about the difference between her old and her new stove, she says, “the difference is heating– I can heat a lot of things at once—(the new stove) is only one fire but I can cook 4 different things at once—before I had to cook them one at a time.” The stove has three “burners” that allows the singular heat source below to heat the wide surface above.

Maria Carmela and her family have lived in their current home for 40 years. She lives with her husband and four children Leida (23), Erica (22), Neihmer (15) and Brialey (6) in the town of Santa Izabel, Chimaltenango.

Recently, they received a wood-efficient stove through Habitat. Previously they had cooked on an open flame adobe stove. “We suffered a lot of smoke,” says Maria Carmela, “the smoke made me cry and now, it does not.”

When asked about her favorite dish to cook, “pepian” she says. It’s a traditional dish made of tomatoes and various spices. Her children and husband all agree, Maria Carmela’s pepian is the family’s favorite, and the dish wouldn’t be complete without her homemade tortillas. To the group of volunteers, Maria Carmen and her family have this message “A great thank you because we are better off because of it” They are grateful that each volunteer came to demonstrate their support and have made their lives better.

Maria Ursula Marroquín and her husband Lazaro have lived in the town of Joya Grande for the past 36 years along with their three children, Rosalina, Angel and Lydia.

Recently, Maria Ursula and Lazaro received their first smokeless stove when a group of volunteers came to help them build. The stove took just one day to build but has impacted the family and their daily lives. Before, Maria Ursula cooked on an open fire “pollo” stove, built into the earth with adobe and wood. The smoke from the stove affected the family and caused coughing and throat pain. “Now it’s more comfortable” Maria says. Her favorite meals to cook on her new stove is pollo guisado, a stewed chicken, and caldo, a traditional soup.

To the group who came to help them build Maria Ursula is grateful for her new stove and the way it has changed her well-being, especially her health.