Carmen Choy

As rain falls down in sheets and lightning flashes, Carmen (74) stands in her kitchen, trying to warm up with the heat of her stove. She lives here with her son, Juan Carlos (48), who is blind. They are part of an indigenous Maya community that only speaks Kaqchikel, which is a commonly spoken local dialect in the Sololá Department of Guatemala. Carmen wears traditional clothing that her daughter made for her. These items are woven by hand and then dyed with natural colors extracted from plants. The colors, patterns, and geometric shapes of her “huipil” or blouse hold special significance in Maya culture.

This scene would have been impossible just months before. After warming herself up, Carmen reveals that she is pleased with her new smokeless stove for a multitude of reasons. She says proudly: “My new stove is bigger. I can cook several dishes at the same time.” She explains that the old stove was smaller and emitted a lot of smoke. When she prepares meals, she is no longer affected by smoke fumes, which negatively impacted her and Juan Carlos’s health.

Carmen learned about smokeless stoves as part of Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit program. Thanks to a promoter, who came to her community and gave a presentation to her neighbors, she found herself immediately interested. It would be an opportunity to significantly improve her family’s living conditions, despite previous attempts.

Three years ago, another nonprofit organization offered a latrine to Carmen. But soon after constructing it, the latrine quickly fell apart. The interior space became dilapidated, and the ventilation system failed. As a result, the space was dirty, and the environment, miserable. At that point, Carmen decided not to use it anymore, eliminating her access to sanitary services.

For these reasons, Carmen is glad to have a new latrine. During the construction, she specifically asked to the site manager to dig the hole wider than planned, in order to extend the use of her latrine. Her reasoning? “I wanted it to last as long as possible.” She also notes that the new latrine is much cleaner and offers her more privacy than she had before.

Carmen also uses a water filter now. Her family no longer suffers from stomach pains, which were caused by bacteria in the river water that they used to drink.

Most of all, Carmen is grateful to the group of volunteers who came to help her. “I won’t ever forget the work of the group. Every day when I use my stove, the water filter or the latrine, I remember their kindness.”

---

Miriam Ajcalong Xep

“Tortillar” (making tortillas) is a precious tradition that runs in Miriam’s family. As a child, Miriam used to prepare tortillas with her mother, whose own mother had taught her. The skill has been passed down throughout generations.

Now, Miriam lives with her mother and her two daughters, Miriam (9) and Astrid (2). She still makes tortillas, which she sells to her neighbors and at the market to earn her living. Although she makes 150 tortillas daily, Miriam only earns 30 to 35 quetzales (equivalent to $4.20 to 4.90).

To meet the demand for her tortillas, Miriam must use a stovetop surface to grill them. Before participating in Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit project, she used to share the stove with her mother and always needed to wait until her mother had made her own tortillas before using it. However, one day, that all changed. “When the neighborhood committee came to my door to tell me that I could have my own stove, I was so glad,” Miriam remembers.

Soon after, a volunteer group came to help with the stove’s construction. Miriam has fond memories of that day. “When the group came to build the stove, I was glad to have them in my house. They were so enthusiastic, it made me so happy. I thanked God to have sent me the international volunteers,” she exclaims. “Thanks to them I have a new a stove, latrine, and water filter.”

Miriam is proud to have her own stove and says that it is a gift from God. “I needed to wait one week after the construction of the stove to use it. It was really hard because I was so excited to try it.”

The Healthy Home Kit has also significantly improved Miriam’s economic situation. One benefit is that her new smokeless stove allows her to save money. “It only needs three pieces of wood to heat up,” she notes. “Before, we needed more wood. I used to buy some every fifteen days, but now it lasts more than a month.” By saving money from foregoing firewood purchases, Miriam and her family buy other items. “I spend it to buy some things for my daughters, to make them happy.”

In addition to her stove, the water filter has improved her family’s health. “We suffered from stomach issues because of the water, mainly because it was not clean,” Miriam says.  “Now, we have pure water.” Miriam also saves some energy thanks to the water filter. “Before our water came from the village. Every two days we needed to fill our water tanks. Now, thanks to God, with the filter, all we have to do is clean it, fill it, and use it again.”

Lastly, Miriam notes, her newly built sanitary latrine creates a safe and cleaner environment for her family.

Miriam is grateful to all of those who supported her. “I thank God, and then I thank the group for their help”.

Rosario Morales Suix prepares lunch in the kitchen. Her husband, Francisco (56) is coming back from his fields, exhausted. He lifts the lid of the pot, which releases the smell of tomatoes, onion, and garlic. He smiles, satisfied with the menu for the day.

Before building their Habitat Guatemala smokeless stove, Rosario was cooking in the ground. She explains how difficult it could be. “Three concrete blocks, some logs, and that’s it. I used to have a stove offered by another NGO, but it cracked. Every time I used it, it filled the room with smoke,” she explains. The smoke affected the health of their family, especially because their old stove used to be in the same room that served as a kitchen and bedroom.  “We used to cough all day,” she says. For that reason, Rosario had no choice to go back to the “old way of cooking” on the ground outside. She admits that preparing tortillas in those conditions was a laborious task and that she and her grandchildren often burned themselves from falling logs.

Francisco and Rosario came to know Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Home Healthy Kit program through a local neighborhood committee. “Francisco came back home and explained the project to me,” Rosario describes. “Both of us agreed immediately: it would be a great opportunity for us! We wanted to be part it.”

A few months later, Rosario is proud to say that, thanks to her new stove, she can easily prepare three dishes at the same time without burning herself. Plus, the chimney of her new stove works perfectly. “I feel much better. I don’t cough as often,” she says.

“The stove has also made my husband’s life easier,” Rosario adds. Indeed, because the stove consumes less wood, Francisco does not need to go as often into the forest for kindling. “It can be really hard to find wood, especially during the month of July. He could spend all the afternoon looking for some logs, and would come back with almost nothing. Now, with the new stove, he can rest after his work in the field.”

As a result with the Healthy Kit Program, Rosario family’s health has also improved in other ways, thanks to their new latrine and the water filter. While the new latrine fosters a cleaner and more private space, the water filter keeps the family safe from gastrointestinal diseases caused by contaminated water sources.

Rosario is grateful to the group who came to build the stove and the latrine. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and the help of volunteers, her family’s life has become easier. Speaking of the group, she says: “I hope that they have a safe trip back home and that all of them and their families are doing well. God bless them.”

Cesi Garcia Serech

At the top of a hill, a corn field surrounds Cesi Garcia Serech’s house. The view is impressive. Clouds hang over Lake Atitlan, illuminated by a few sun rays. Here, Cesi lives with her four-year little daughter, Jimena, and her husband, Oliver. They share the plot of land with Cesi’s in-laws.

A little further down on the hill, two latrines stand side by side. One is old, and the other is new. The older latrine was built by Cesi’s husband’s family about four years ago. “The previous latrine was in bad condition. It was dirty and rotting,” Cesi remembers. She used to share it with all of her extended family. “Plus, there was no privacy because there was no door”.

The new latrine shows a clear contrast. “The biggest change is that now the latrine is closed off. And we have some privacy,” explains Cesi. She is proud to have her own space. “It is cleaner and easier to clean. It is also more hygienic, especially for my daughter”.

With Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit, Cesi also benefitted from a new stove. Cesi and her daughter used to suffer from the smoke of their previous stove because there was no chimney that allowed for ventilation. As a result, their old stove negatively impacted their health, forcing them to cough and entering their eyes.

Cesi’s family built the previous stove with few blocks. But because it was too small and poorly constructed Cesi and Jimena used to burn themselves. “What I like about the new stove is that it is bigger and it consumes less wood. The new stove requires half as much logs as the previous one,” Cesi notes. With the extra money they save, Cesi can buy more food for her family. She purchases more meat and can prepare her daughter’s favorite dish: grilled chicken.  When her mother says those words, a big smile appears on Jimena’s mischievous face.

When asked about the group of volunteers who came to help build her stove and latrine, Cesi says,“I thank them for their help. I am grateful.”

---

Gricelda Cumez Matzar

Gricelda Cumez Matzar, her husband, Filadelfo, and their five children recently moved into their new home. They were looking for a place to be closer to her family. Now she is living few meters away from her relatives, surrounded by their corn fields. When they arrived, her husband quickly built a latrine with the limited materials that they had. They gathered some sticks of wood to make walls and used tarpaulin for the door. There was no roof.

Luckily, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Kit Program helped Gricelda and her husband, Filadelfo, improve their new living circumstances. “During a school meeting, a promotor presented about the Healthy Kit Program. We were interested, so we went to the office and asked to participate.” It was a new opportunity for their family to improve their house.

A few months later, a group of volunteers came to build a new latrine and a new stove. Gricelda recalls that it was great teamwork, with all of her family participating in the construction. “We removed the stones, we dug, spread the sand … and in one day it was done!”

Gricelda notes the changes. “Now there is a roof, and it’s not raining anymore in the latrine. It is also cleaner.” She makes it clear that it is important to take good care of the new structure. “I taught to my daughters how to clean the latrine. All my family has to take care of it. Every day I make sure that the latrine is clean.”

Above all, participating in the Healthy Home Kit project went well, concludes Gricelda. She enumerates the other changes in their everyday life. The family’s water filter protects them from stomach pains that can be caused by impure water. Gricelda is also fond of her new stove, which is smokeless, warms up easily, and doesn’t consume a lot of firewood. It is a far cry, she remembers, from her previous stove. “There was no chimney, and it was too small and broken.”

Griselda is appreciative of the volunteer’s work. “I thank the group of volunteers for coming to me and offering their help. Although I am still in need, my living conditions have improved.” She adds jokingly, “whenever they want to come back to build something else, they are welcome!”