By Shelby Kardas | Executive Director
During the January - December 2022 timeframe, StoveTeam International launched its successful Justa project in El Salvador and Nicaragua, bringing more fuel-efficient, vented cookstoves to replace dangerous, smokey open fires. We received our non-profit status in Guatemala which will allow us to continue our mission across Central America with more security and efficiency. And we launched our Maestros Comaleros program with 3 stove builder academies, providing valuable skills and employment for 46 individuals. With the placement of over 1,200 fuel-efficient cookstoves in 2022, we transformed kitchens into safe places where families can spend time together. Maestros Comaleros trainings provided 46 individuals (31 men and 15 women) valuable skills and gainful employment. Each recruit acquired 58 hours of technical and sales training and gained the opportunity for future work on a contractual basis to continue the stovebuilding project in their home community. Through this process, as of December 2022, Maestros Comaleros placed 1,220 Justa stoves (at an approximate cost of $135 per stove) in diverse communities, impacting an estimated 8,400 family members. We continue to build at the average rate of 100-150 stoves per month.
Meet the trainers:
Santos graduated from the Maestros Comaleros training earlier in 2022. Santos is 18-years old and the middle child of 10 siblings of Doña Margarita, who received a Justa stove in 2020. Santos has been building stoves in his home community of San Martín Jilotepeque, and was recently asked to participate in this Maestros Comaleros training as a trainer. When he is not training new stovebuilders, or building new stoves, he is in charge of doing one-week follow-up visits on new stoves to ensure quality control and to collect surveys that help us analyze our adoption.
One of StoveTeam’s absolute superstars is Anibela. We are blown away by her enthusiasm and positive attitude. Watching Anibela work truly shows the nature of the Maestros Comaleros program which is intended not only to provide gainful employment and technical skill, but to encourage entrepreneurship in individuals. Anibela is also a recent graduate of the Maestros Comaleros program, and due to her amazing work ethic and enthusiasm, she has quickly become one of our best stovebuilders and has been promoted to supervisor and lead trainer. Anytime you see Anibela, you can see the pride in her work in the giant smile that flashes across her face. Anibela is just one of the women who make up our star stovebuilding team.
The issue of open fire cooking primarily affects women and children and we know that women are part of the solution. StoveTeam is building a stellar team of women stovebuilders and promoters who are essential to encouraging other women to adopt new technology.
By Cara Sandels | Development and Communications Manager
By Forest Resener | Communications and Operations Director
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