Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families

A microproject by Asociacion Tu'ik Ruch' Lew
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families
Support Cookstove Repairs for Guatemalan Families

Project Report | May 21, 2021
Maintenance is key

By Dr. Jessica Kind | Managing Director of Tui'k Ruch'Lew

changing an old combustion chamber
changing an old combustion chamber

Thank you for supporting the Tz’utujil Maya community in Santiago Atitlan with your generous donation. 

Tui'k Ruch'Lew's goal is to ensure that every single stove is in operation for as long as possible. To achieve this goal, we have developed a comprehensive monitoring system for the stoves. This plan includes 4 visits in the first year after the installation of the stove (i.e. after 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year) and one visit per year thereafter until the stove has reached its service life of about 10 years. 

During each visit, the Tui'k Ruch'Lew outreach team checks the stoves for proper functioning, conducts household surveys for our sustainable development goal label, and obtains general feedback from the beneficiaries about the stove use. While the outreach team is in the houses of the beneficiaries, they talk about the social, environmental, and economic benefits of the stoves and perform simple maintenance work. 

Maintenance work includes:

  • Cleaning the bottom of the metal cooking plate to increase the heat transfer 
  • Changing the combustion chamber to ensure optimal heat distribution and thermal storage 
  • Changing the chimney or parts of it to prevent household air pollution

Maintenance in times of coronavirus

The collapse of the tourism industry in Santiago Atitlan that accompanied the coronavirus pandemic is a hurdle on many levels. Our team quickly realised that many of our stove users have economic difficulties in paying for basic goods, not to mention the spare parts needed to keep them functioning optimally. In order to help out families in these difficult times, we started this campaign to help those families in need of replacement parts. 

This is your impact!

Let us share the story of Ana - a young Tz’utujil Mayan woman, who lives together with her husband in Pachichaj, Santiago Atitlan. Ana makes beautiful beadwork, ranging from necklaces, bracelets, and keychains made of animals and flowers. Selling the beadwork to tourists has added to the family income over the last years. The lack of tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic has made it much more difficult to earn a living from this work. 

Nevertheless, when she contacted Tui’k Ruch’Lew to ask for a new combustion chamber, she told Maria that she had saved the 70Q over the last months for the very much needed combustion chamber. When Maria and Jose went to her house to change the combustion chamber, she felt sorry as her family had to spend the money for basic food. These situations are neither easy for our team nor comfortable for the stove user. Back in the office, we discussed Ana’s need and decided that we will use the funding from GlobalGiving to help Ana and her family. Seeing the smiles and the gratitude in her face when Maria and Jose changed her combustion chamber is priceless. As a thank you we got a pig made from beads - a lucky pig, perhaps?!

Thank you again for your donation! This makes it possible for us to ensure the long-term use of the ONIL stove. In 2021, our team already changed 34 combustion chambers and did 64 maintenance work on ONIL stoves. 

Stay safe,

the Tui’k Ruch’Lew team

The impact of USD 15 on Ana's life
The impact of USD 15 on Ana's life
the lucky pig :-)
the lucky pig :-)
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Organization Information

Asociacion Tu'ik Ruch' Lew

Location: Santiago Atitlan, Solola - Guatemala
Website:
Facebook: Facebook Page
Project Leader:
Jessica Kind
Santiago Atitlan , Guatemala

Retired Project!

This project is no longer accepting donations.
 

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