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.

Nancy, her husband Eddy and two sons, Van and Emerson live in the town of El Duranzo. Nancy would prepare meals for her family of four over an open fire “pollo” stove, which the family constructed themselves. Now, she has had her smokeless stove for over 6 months and is pleased with the effects.

When asked about the difference between her old and new stove, Nancy said, the difference is we don’t inhale the smoke. “The smoke affected our eyes and throat, now it is better” When we asked Nancy, “What is your favorite item to cook using your new stove?”—“Everything!” She says, “everything cooks quickly, and I spend less time in the kitchen.”

Nancy remembers well, the group that came to visit and helped to build her stove. “I want to say thank you for coming to help my family and for helping families who need it most”

We visited the home of Maria Melida Amadol and spoke with her daughter, Maria Leticia, about their family’s experience with their new smoke-free stove. Maria Leticia lives next door and visits her mom daily as they live side by side and often comes over to use her mom’s new stove. In the home, live Maria Leticia’s younger brothers Neilson (20), Jose Antonio (18) and her mom, Maria Melida and dad, Jose Antonio Sr. They’ve had their smoke-free stove for six months now and they are so grateful for the change it’s made especially for her mom. Before, “a lot of smoke filled the kitchen and it didn’t leave the area.” The new stove pipes the smoke out of the kitchen and the fumes no longer affect their throat and lungs.

To the group who visited and helped to build the family’s stove, Maria Leticia shared, “we’re very grateful to the group that God touched your hearts to come and to help us. We are happy and are so grateful to you.”

Marta Lydia Hotec lives with her in-laws Maria Nastasia Colon and Valdino Toc along with her three daughters, Maria Dolores (10), Maria Juanita (6) and Maria Pilar (1 year). Marta is a homemaker, while her husband works to provide for the family. For the past 11 years, they’ve cooked with an open fire “pollo” stove.

The fire would burn her clothes and the smoke and soothe would char the walls.  “Now with this stove,” she says, “it doesn’t burn the pots and it doesn’t burn my clothes.” It’s changed our daily life too. “Before there was only one fire and I could only cook only one thing at a time. After the main meal, I’d make the tortillas, then the café or atoll – now I can make 4 or 5 things at once on the new stove.” Marta continues, “Before I would spend an hour cooking one item, but now, it takes twenty minutes to do each one (simultaneously). Now with more time, I can do more things.”

When asked about the group who came to build with her family she says, “more than anything I want to give my thanks that God who allowed them to come to our benefit; because, here, a group hasn’t come like this and to offer this blessing. In a place like this, sickness has affected us and for each of us to have the opportunity to have something like this—now we now don’t have to live with the smoke. We’re very happy.”