The Pop Wuj Stove project was started in 1993 in order to fight the many smoke-related illnesses, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) and ARI (acute respiratory illness), that present themselves in the developing world as a result of constant interaction with open fires. These illnesses are the leading cause of death among children in Guatemala. The addition of stoves to one-room homes also make them much safer places for children to be and minimize the frequent accidents that happen around an open fire. By keeping harmful smoke out of the house, families are able to climb out of poverty more easily without having to dedicate time and resources to caring for chronically ill loved ones.
Over the years the stove design has been reviewed and modified numerous times. One of the founding members of Pop Wuj is the author of the current design (one that he has happily shared with other nonprofit organizations worldwide as they seek to eliminate the same problems on other continents). Its popularity results from its durability, ease to build, and accessible materials.
The materials and transportation costs for our culturally-appropriate stove are $160 US. In harmony with our ongoing effort to make lasting, long-term change in Guatemala, we opt to spend a little more on each stove so that our efforts last throughout the years.
With the demand so high in rural communities for this specific design, there is a great need for funds. The easy design also allows the volunteers and community members to work side by side in their construction.
This project also supports our
Environmental Program by offering communities a more fuel efficient way to prepare their food. In this way the reforestation efforts that we undertake are more effective, as these stoves consume less than half of the wood than an open fire does for the same effect.
This past week a group of student volunteers helped finish the second stage of the stove in Doña Robertina’s house, another stove recipient in the community where we’re currently working, Llanos de Pinal. In the past two months four stoves have been built, and in March the stove at the Family Support Center was also completed. Seven families remain in the current stove group in Llanos. In the next couple weeks we will start visiting houses and interviewing our next group of stove recipients from the Xepache community. Coming up later in June we will have a big group from Timmy Global Health (http://www.timmyglobalhealth.org/) to just work on stoves. We’ve started preparing for their visit so we can make the most of their time here.
