Smokeless Stove – Ofelia López Sirin

Ofelia lives with her husband, Jesús, and their children, Stefany (15), Brian (11), and Jonathan (8) in a small community near Lake Atitlán, Sololá. While Jesús works as a debt collector, Ofelia takes care of the children and the household chores.

As part of Habitat Guatemala’s smokeless stove program, families receive a stove, to help them improve their health by giving them a smoke free environment.

Ofelia explains; “I used to cook over an open-flame stove for ten years. That is why you can see the entire ceiling and walls are tainted black. Because the smoke stayed inside,” she continues, “When I found out about this project, I applied to receive a better stove. Now, you can see that there is no more smoke inside! My new stove is working great, it is easier to cook here.”

She feels satisfied with her new stove; “No more red eyes! It lights up fast, and it gives me enough space to cook all of my dishes. And it consumes less wood, I do not have to buy wood so often.”  When asked what she enjoys cooking the most on her new stove, she smiles and answers: “I cook everything! Beans, rice and eggs, tortillas every day.”

Ofelia refers to her time with the volunteers; “They worked hard and really fast, we shared lunch together. We felt very happy to spend time with them,” she continues, “Thank you all for your support in building my stove. We are happy with our stove. May God bless you.”