Hearts DR began building highly efficient and safe cooking stoves in 2011. They reduce the amount of wood used and smoke produced dramatically. The 60% wood reduction decreases smoke, burns, and time spent gathering wood. Improved wood-burning stoves save people time and energy in collecting wood. This time can be used to improve other aspects of their lives. They help preserve local resources and the environment, while improving the respiratory health of the community.
The first phase of the improved stove project was completed over the Summer of 2011. Joe Busch and Katy Clark worked with the Hearts DR volunteers and staff on how to buld the stoves, use and maintain them. The plan is for this to become an income generating project for Hearts DR. 20 of the stoves were built to serve as an introduction of this technology to the community. Most of the first stoves were completely subsidized by fellowship funds from Yale. Model stoves were built in a number of different communities in order to provide the necessary foundation to teach about the benefits using this improved stove as a replacement for their tradition of cooking over an open.
The stoves cost about $100 each. Stoves will be sold to families that can afford them and the small profit margin can be used to subsidize stoves for poorer families. In the process, health is improved and jobs are created. The stoves are working great and catching-on but production is limited by the amount of supplies that can be purchased at once and the availability of tools. Funding is needed to help expand the production capacity of this project to hit critical mass for production and purchasing efficiency. The construction and sale of stoves to other communities will provide employment for individuals in this community.
Content and Photos courtesy of Hearts DR. For more info on their other projects please see www.heartsdr.com.
