Smokeless Stove: Ruthilia Matzer

Ruthilia lives with her husband Mardoqueo and their children Edgar (22), Silvia (21), Gloria (18) and Orfa (15), in a small community in the outskirts of el Tejar, Chimaltenango. While Mardoqueo works in agriculture, Ruthilia is a homemaker and weaves traditional clothes too.

She explains how partnering with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala to implement a smokeless stove has improved aspects of her family’s daily life: “I used to cook over an open flame in the floor. My eyes were always hurting” she continues, “the new one is working perfectly, no more smoke!”

Ruthilia shares that the whole family feels content with the stove, and they have saved wood too because it is designed to consume less wood and heat evenly.

She finishes by sharing a message to the volunteers: “I am very grateful to Habitat and the volunteers for their support,” she continues, “we would not have been able to build this stove by our own means, may God bless you.”