Papua New Guinea is home to pristine forests, and unparalleled biodiversity. 760 species of birds exist only there. In Suowi Valley, a no-man's-land at the junction of 3 provinces, the Ankave depend on the forest for their survival. These indigenous people have no access to modern amenities; common infections kill. Help us provide efficient cookstoves and hygiene systems to 100 families, protecting them from respiratory illness and protecting the forest that nurtures them from deforestation.
The forest provides Ankave their sustenance, yet it's vitality is vulnerable not only to their use, but shifts in the climate. People are dying prematurely from preventable causes in this indigenous community. After death in childbirth and infancy, respiratory illness, worsened by smoke inhalation, is a leading cause of death. Malaria, also intertwined with changes in the natural systems, is another. Development here must carefully combine conservation, human health, and education.
With your support, we will bring fuel efficient, low emission cookstoves to Suowi Valley. This will prevent over harvesting of trees for firewood, and prevent hundreds from illness and death from respiratory illness by decreasing exposure to heavy smoke. Bringing in these rocket stoves and hygiene systems provides opportunities for professional health camps, conservation surveys and workshops, and community participation in planning future programs for Ankave and their biodiverse environment.
With cookstoves and supportive training, deforestation and loss of biodiversity can be abated by reducing firewood gathering, and fostering Ankave strategies for ecologically sound development. The health of the indigenous people, especially children, will improve with less exposure to wood smoke and effective hygiene. An initiative like this builds commitment in the community, and sets the stage for more complex interventions to address conservation, health and education in an integrated way.
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