It is difficult to believe that so much could happen in one year. From hiring our first full-time field employee, to providing aid during COVID-19 for all of our local partners, to launching a successful pilot project based on a new stove model, this was the year of new endeavors and unexpected challenges. Our dedicated staff rose to the occasion with an unwavering commitment to StoveTeam’s mission and to the families we serve, but it was the steadfast strength of you, our supporters, that made it all possible.

Looking back on this incredibly challenging year, I will most remember how this family of StoveTeam supporters stepped up to ensure our mission continues - no matter what. You didn’t just sit idly by as we flew headlong into the uncharted territory of COVID-19. You answered our request for emergency food aid for factory workers and more. You responded with enthusiasm as we embarked on an all-new stove project. And, you celebrated each new initiative. This year, we want to celebrate you right back, because none of this would have been possible without you!

I know you have a lot to support right now, so please accept my most sincere thanks. Your support ensures our ability to move full force into 2021. In our 12th year, as we work to secure a safe and prosperous future for thousands of women, children, and families, we are stronger than ever, because of you! Together we will meet the challenges of San Martín Jilotepque and beyond, and we are so glad that you are part of this family.

Shelby Kardas, Executive Director, StoveTeam International

March, 2021

Soon after Alex arrived in Guatemala, we received the first hints that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 would soon change our lives and our life-saving work, both at home and in Central America. Here in Oregon, our daily office routines were disrupted. We hunkered down and closed our Eugene office to save costs. We worried that the crisis and the impending economic fallout would mean an end to the generous support this program relies on. In Central America our partners were facing a much greater struggle. 

Early in the spring, governments across Central America imposed strict lockdowns and our local projects in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras were forced to stop all production. While a necessary move for these countries, which have some of the weakest medical systems in the world, on the ground it meant that dozens of factory workers suddenly had no income, and in many cases no way to provide for their families.

Despite the stress here at home, our amazing family of StoveTeam donors answered our call for assistance and as a result we were able to provide emergency food aid for all workers and their families in all of our partner factory locations. This support sustained families through the early days of COVID-19 restrictions. By summer, restrictions relaxed in many regions and our partners were able to resume production. As we learned more about COVID and its devastating toll on vulnerable populations, especially to the elderly and those with pre-existing and respiratory conditions, we were reminded, once again, of the importance of our mission and the urgent necessity to improve indoor air quality for millions of people.

More than “Just a” stove

The onset of COVID-19 and the total shuttering of schools and the majority of our partner projects meant that Alex could no longer travel between locations or start the large-scale stove monitoring and education initiative we had planned for 2020 in Guatemala. A quick re-evaluation of our options and reorganization of resources led us to  launch a pilot project to build a new stove model called the Justa (pronounced “hoo-stuh”).

The Justa stove is built in-place inside the home by local stove technicians who are trained by StoveTeam. The construction of each stove provides local jobs, and uses all local materials and transportation. Each Justa stove eliminates smoke inside the home by nearly 100%, saves kids from the risk of burns, reduces wood usage by 50%, and saves up to 15 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere!

While our partner projects still build the Ecocina cookstoves we have produced for over ten years, Justa stoves present multiple additional advantages, including an integral chimney which eliminates nearly 100% of smoke from the home and the ability to cook multiple foods at once. This project also incorporates much-needed education. In community demonstrations and during the building of the stove, technicians dedicate valuable time to educate families about the dangers of open-fire cooking, how to properly use and maintain their new stove, and about the benefits to human health and the environment of this new technology. All of this together greatly increases the likelihood that families will retire their old, smoky three stone fire - for good!

As part of this project, our local technicians are now taking digital surveys in every home, and uploading them to the cloud, including a photo of the family with their stove and the exact location of the home. Not only does this allow us to maintain communication and follow up with families much more easily, it also allows us to share this information with our supporters, helping to bridge the illusory divide between our worlds.

Big changes at StoveTeam

In August, we welcomed Shelby Kardas, our former Development Director, as our new Executive Director. Shelby has a long history as a nonprofit leader spanning over 20 years, including 10 years as the Vice President of World Oregon, a prominent international education organization. 

In September, StoveTeam's founder, Nancy Hughes, decided to pass her role as Board Chair over to board member Kim Forrest. Kim joined StoveTeam’s board in 2018 after serving on staff for two years as Programs and Volunteer Manager.

In a letter to all StoveTeam supporters, Nancy said this about her decision:

"As you know, we are a TEAM, and I am just the face you see instead of the hundreds of volunteers, an extremely committed Board of Directors, and our wonderful staff. Under this new direction, I have every confidence that StoveTeam will continue to grow and thrive, and I am very excited to see what the future holds."

Nancy still remains involved in all of StoveTeam's activities as a supporter, advisor, and wonderful friend.

Raising awareness

The Clean Cooking Alliance estimates that the mission to provide four billion people with safe and efficient cooking methods only receives 1% of the recognition and support needed to address this issue on the scale it deserves. We believe that until the issue of open-fire cooking has achieved a level of awareness that is more in line with its devastating impact to human and environmental health, progress will be lacking. At StoveTeam we recognize that in addition to bringing lifesaving cookstoves to vulnerable families, it is also our duty to raise awareness about this issue.

To accomplish this, StoveTeam’s Executive Director Shelby Kardas and Operations Director Forest Resener took the opportunity presented by COVID-19 to deliver over 50 presentations and speeches at Rotary clubs, conferences and events, all over video chat, during 2020! 

Through the telling of this story, we encounter rooms full of inquisitive, empathetic, and often horrified faces and we are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response. Participants leave with a more robust knowledge of our world. They also feel empowered to join a growing movement that aims to solve a global problem faced by billions. We would love to speak to your organization as well. To book a talk please contact info@stoveteam.org.

This year we developed a series of free online Spanish lessons targeted toward advanced-beginner/intermediate level classes and individuals. Participants can use these lessons to learn Spanish vocabulary while exploring Central America’s rich culture, history and issues of poverty. This Spanish Unit also dives into StoveTeam’s work, gives teachers and students the opportunity to video chat with a local Guatemalan working as part of StoveTeam’s Justa Project, and finishes with the opportunity for groups to raise awareness and even hold a fundraiser to provide stoves.

Over a dozen Spanish teachers and native speakers collaborated with us to create the unit and the response has been amazing. Within the first month, a teacher in Portland, Oregon taught the lessons, and her small online class of only ten students raised nearly $1,000! Since then, the unit has been viewed by over 20,000 people.

Special thanks to...

StoveTeam’s growth this year is thanks to the support of hundreds of donors, but we want to take a moment to thank some who went the extra mile to ensure our programs continue no matter what. This year we are proud to have been supported by grants from the Christadelphian Meal a Day Fund, Good Works Institute, The RoundHouse Foundation, and Rotary clubs from all over the country!

We are thrilled that our major donor program The Fire has grown to over 30 members this year.

Stories make the numbers come alive

StoveTeam has a long tradition of bringing home inspiring stories after every trip to visit our partners in the field. From Flavia, a 72 year-old woman who carries a heavy load of wood on her head almost every day, to Doña Lucia, who walks four hours a day carrying a basket of peaches for sale, we strive to connect with the families we were serving. We love to share these stories with you because they help us forge a deeper understanding of our work. 

One family in Guatemala in particular touched our hearts. The Pérez family welcomed us into their home and we interviewed each member to learn more about how their new stove had impacted their lives. One recent development is that Leonel, the father of this family, trained to become our most recent stove builder! 

When meeting these families we are always struck by the fact that they are just like us in all the ways that matter. Despite the sometimes devastating poverty, these homes are filled with love - parents want steady work and they want to provide a happy, healthy life full of opportunity for themselves and their children. In the end, we are always reminded that we have far more in common than we have differences.