GlobalGiving.org: Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves in Lake Atitlan

GVI win best volunteer organization!

Ross Deans — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:19:39 GMT

GVI Responsible Travel Article

We are delighted to share that GVI have just been announced winners of the best volunteer organization category at the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who voted for and supported us.

GVI volunteers work on this project throughout the year making important hands on contributions to our work. The attached article explains some of the impact made on our project in Guatemala and elsewhere thanks to everyone’s hard work and support.

Attachments:

GVI Responsible Travel Article (PDF)

Buena Vista benefit from Energy Efficient Stoves

Ross Deans — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:28:00 GMT

Proud recipients of an energy efficient stove

Thanks to the amazing support for this project, over the years, we have been able to build energy efficient stoves throughout the community of Buena Vista in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.

Buena Vista is typical of many Indigenous communities in Guatemala, comprised of wonderful proud Indigenous people with an infectious charm although living in basic living conditions and with limited access to basic rights like education, sufficient food and housing life can be hard.

This project has brought energy efficient stoves to this community which have dramatically improved living conditions and efficiency in the home. These stoves reduce firewood consumption by up to 70% helping to reduce deforestation but this also means that families spend less time collecting firewood and can work, tend to their families, go to school or even find some time to relax. In addition these stoves reduce indoor air pollution which can cause serious health concerns, particularly for women and children who will spend more time in the home.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported this project and made a real difference to the lives of Indigenous people in Guatemala.

A mason constructing a stove

New stoves being constructed in coming weeks

Ross Deans — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:28:45 GMT

Great news from Guatemala as we have a team of incoming volunteers who will be working with our project staff and local community members to construct some much needed stoves over the coming weeks.

The families who receive these energy efficient stoves will benefit from huge improvements in their living conditions. Many families living in Indigenous communities still cook over open fires within the home in an area which may by their only living and sleeping space for the whole family.

Apart from obvious safety concerns the open fires can cause serious health issues for families members. The fires also require a lot of wood which can take many hours to collect and increase deforestation.

Energy efficient stoves reduce firewood consumption by 75% and can add years onto the lives of family members. With less time collecting firewood family members have more time to work and bring food and an income into the household.

25 New Stoves in Use

Dom Williams — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:17:36 GMT

With thanks to support for this project we have been able to construct a further 25 energy efficient stoves in the community which means at least 25 families are now benefiting from reduced indoor air pollution, dramatically improving living conditions.

We are now nearing our target for the community and will be able to move to a new community in need and start again!

Thank you so much for your support!

Energy efficient stoves at Lake Atitlan

Alton Germain — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:53:13 GMT

As the reforestation rates continue to be alarming in Guatemala, and the numbers of cases of illnesses from indoor smoke inhalation and burns are on the increase, the stoves we build are becoming even more important.

They can save up to 75% of firewood usage, reduce smoke in the home completely and due to their design, cut down potential burn accidents to a minimum. With volunteers working side-by-side with the local mason, the difference is visible in a few short days.

Stove benefits showing already

Dom Williams — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:19:36 GMT

After two years since we started this program, families are already seeing reductions in their daily wood consumption, by between 50 and 75%...burns and lung illnesses also appear to be dropping, with fewer family members with rasping coughs.

More happy trees going into 2010

Dom Williams — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:18:40 GMT

70 stoves were built in Guatemala this year, meaning that 70 more families will be able to cook without smoke and many more trees can look forward to still being in the ground in 2010, as less firewood is needed for the new stoves. To help this along, we also planted 10,000 trees. There are still 40 stoves to be built in Peña Blanca, that is our target for 2010. cheers and Happy New Year cheers

Charity Challenge for projects

Dom — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:11:35 GMT

Greetings. The project at the lake has had an excellent year and to start fundraising for next year, I will be embarking on a Charity Challenge, climbing 4 volcanoes in 6 days, so please, if you can, spare a penny or two to help raise funds for such a good cause. cheers

Group stoving

Dom Williams — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:28:44 GMT

From 18th July, a group from Canada will be joining us to build up to 7 stoves in Peña Blanca, which is amazing. When you couple this with the fact that we have just planted 10,000 in our other projects, then the future of the environment and also the future of the families who before had to breath in the smoke each day, is secured.

The importance of stoves

Dom Williams — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:08:09 GMT

The stove takes shape

The stoves we are building in the community not only perform their main function: cooking. There is so much more; they use less firewood, they reduce smoke inhilation to almost zero and they are built so small children cannot fall into the fire or burn themselves on boiling water. We plan to build 50 stoves in 2009 to add to the many we built last year, and with your support we can definately reach this goal.

Cooking tortillas on the stove - no smoke,no open fire!

Multi-purpose stoves

Families ready for new stoves

Dom Williams — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 17:59:16 GMT

As we welcome in 2009, the community is gearing up for the second wave of stove-building. Our aim is to build 50 this year, adding to the stoves we built last year. As with all our work, this is one community of many, all with the same need, so the future involves 100s of stoves to be built...our work is certainly cut out for us and thanks to your support, we can reach our targets.