Smokeless Stoves: Juan Paulina

Juana Paulina lives in a community in Sololá, with her son, Oliver, and her husband Francisco. Juana takes care of Oliver full time while Francisco works in agriculture.

When she learned about the opportunity to build a smokeless stove with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, she knew immediately it was something she wanted to do for her family. “Before my new stove, I cooked on the floor of my kitchen and I was always worried that Oliver would fall into the fire,” Juana says.

Now, Oliver is much safer and Juana can cook without the fear of Oliver or one of his friends burning themselves. Additionally, she no longer suffers from headaches and eye irritation from cooking over an open flame. The family is also able to save money because they now use half the amount of wood for cooking. “One big bundle of wood used to last twenty-five days,” Juana explains. “Now it lasts for two months. It’s good to have a little more money because there are always expenses.”

Juana also remembers that Oliver loved playing with the volunteers and said it was fun to have them for the day. She sends her thanks from Guatemala!