Smokeless Stove: María Tautiu

Doña María lives with her husband Alejandro and their children: Ramiro (23), Isaías (23) and Juana (10) in a small community in the outskirts of Lake Atitlán, Sololá. Doña María takes care of the home, while Alejandro works in the fields.

Before receiving a Smokeless Stove, María cooked for 12 years over an open flame stove that she built herself. It caused her and her family different respiratory diseases and red eyes because of the smoke.

María feels really happy and content with her stove, she says: “It is working really well, I only use two pieces of wood to light it and cook,” she continues, “the smoke is no longer inside, and I have enough space to cook all my meals.”

When asked about the day of construction, María refers: “I felt happy when all the volunteers came and built it really fast,” she continues, “Maltiox! (thank you) for your support in building my stove, may God bless you.”