Fuel-Efficient Stoves: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

I hope this message finds you well and that your year is off to a wonderful start! I am excited to share a few updates from Guatemala, made possible with your generosity.

Since we were last in touch, we have continued to make progress working directly with rural households to provide more sustainable alternatives for cooking–such that less firewood is needed in the long term. With our partner, APROSARSTUN in the Department of Izabal, we have been using the Chispa stove model which satisfies the priorities of the ‘amas de casa’ in this region. Last year, with your help, EcoLogic and our partner worked to install 68 new stoves and provide the training and capacity-building needed to ensure their proper use and maintenance.

The Chispa stove reduces the consumption of 8,650 kg of firewood per stove per year–or the equivalent of 4 trees. This represents on average a reduction of 55% in firewood consumption. In addition, the more efficient combustion results in a 99% reduction in indoor smoke pollution which has a series of health benefits, including fewer incidences of childhood pneumonia and respiratory infections. And if that wasn’t enough, the stoves also result in family savings given that 70% of Guatemalans purchase firewood for cooking. The reduction in firewood consumption can translate to a savings of 150-300 Quetzales per month (Source: Estufa Chispa Plancha, Impacto).

In addition, I wanted to share that our work with stoves was recognized by the Energy Globe Award as one of the best environmental projects out of more than 2,500 projects submitted!  We are honored by this recognition and salute the other organizations selected in this category that work hard every day to conserve natural resources and improve lives.

Thank you so very much for your support! We truly could not do it without you. I work with these communities, day in and day out. I know how much they appreciate the positive impact you are making in their lives and on their forests through your support of EcoLogic. If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with me at mdeleon@ecologic.org.

In solidarity,

Mario Ardany de Leon, Program Officer, Guatemala

Links:

• Energy Globe Award

• Energy Globe Certificate (PDF)
  

Dear GlobalGiving Supporters,

I hope this message finds you well! I am excited to share a few updates from Guatemala with you.

This year we started a collaboration with StoveTeam International. We are working together to pilot 10 stoves of the Justa Chapina model with the communities we work with in Totonicapán. First, Freddy one of our community project stove-builders got trained and certified on how to build the Justa Chapina model, with special attention to the combustion chamber to ensure optimum fuel efficiency.

Then in August, we moved forward with the construction of the 10 stoves and so far the reviews have been very positive. We are now in the process of conducting a more formal evaluation of the users’ satisfaction and the efficiency achieved in real-world conditions. I will keep you posted on the results!

Thank you so very much for your support! We truly could not do it without you. I work with these communities day in and day out. I know how much they appreciate the positive impact you are making in their lives and on their forests through your support of EcoLogic. If you have any questions or comments, please get in touch with me at mdeleon@ecologic.org.

In solidarity,

Mario Ardany de Leon, Program Officer, Guatemala