StoveTeam Blog

Project in Oaxaca a Go!

After almost two weeks of late-night meetings with little food, Nancy will return to Oregon tomorrow with a secured group, Rotary club, and factory site, for a stove factory in Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca, Mexico. Here's how she describes the last few days on the road:

It's been a busy week for us and we have given presentations to two Rotary clubs, a group of people from Tlaxiaco, a few local politicians and businessmen and women, and today we finished it off by talking to both the representative from the Grameen Bank and the Oaxaca Lending Library. Tomorrow, after a nice luncheon with friends, we are meeting with Lorena Harp of the Harp Foundation. The trip has been fascinating as we learn the ins and outs of Mexican culture. We have adjusted to the differences in foods in the various countries in Central America having learned about pupusas in El Salvador and carne asada in Nicaragua. The stove griddles or planchas for cooking tortillas have to be large enough here to cook tlayudas which are like enormous crisp tortillas filled with black bean paste and cheese. They are folded in half and sold near the open markets. We have also learned the names of stove materials, again different from Central America. There we talk about "baldosa" tile for the combustion chamber, but here in Mexico it's called "media tabla". "Cocinas" (literally translated as "kitchens") are here known as "estufas" or stoves.

You may wonder if it's safe to be here in Mexico, and we can tell you that we're still able to stroll around the central area of Oaxaca in the cool of the evening and what we see are families with the children playing together, lovers stealing a few kisses, and almost no tourists. This is the hot time of year that many people leave town, but as we're delighted to see the sun, we're enjoying everything enormously.

Nancy

Greetings from Mexico!

Jinny Ralls and I are here in lovely Oaxaca to see if there is interest in establishing a new factory to produce Ecocina stoves in this region of Mexico.  When we arrived, we were immediately met by Bricia, a Rotarian who was previously trained by Larry Winiarski, the inventor of the rocket elbow for stoves for the developing world.  Bricia is a former Rotary exchange student and is currently working with a Rotary grant from Fresno, California to introduce both solar stoves, rocket stoves and "hayboxes".  All of this is known as the "integrated cooking method" and has been promoted by Wilfred Pimentel of  Fresno Rotary for years.  Bricia knows people in all four Rotary clubs in Oaxaca and has promised to set up a meeting for all of us so we can present the idea of an Ecocina factory to everyone and see which Rotary might be interested in the project.

Yesterday we also met with Kevin Adler who is an Ambassadorial Rotary Scholar here in Oaxaca, and we were very lucky that he brought his friend Elizabeth who works with En Via, a women's program that does micro-finance for women who wish to start businesses.  Kevin and Elizabeth have been busy connecting us with both En Via and the women's Rotary Club here in Oaxaca, and we will give a presentation to that Rotary on Wednesday evening at 8pm.

While Kevin, Elizabeth and Bricia are busy connecting us with the groups that might be interested in supporting a stove project, Jinny and I have done a bit of exploring outside of Oaxaca.  We went to a paper-making factory in Etla, the pottery center in Aztompa and also to Teotitlan, the community that produces beautiful woven rugs.  After a delicious lunch in Teotitlan, we returned to the Zocalo in the center of Oaxaca where we received a call from Roberto Sanchez, the director of the Cultural Center in Tlaxiaco, who is interested in possibly starting a factory in the Mixteca area.  He's due here in about 15 minutes, so time is short, but we're accomplishing a lot and having a great time exploring Oaxaca and environs.

More soon!
Nancy

Building the Ecocina

I have had the pleasure to spend a couple of days in Pleasant Hill at Bob Way's shop learning how to make Ecocina stoves. It is quite an involved process! From sewing the wire basket to welding the handles on the comal, it takes a whole variety of tasks and tools. Bob has been an excellent and very patient teacher along the way. Except for a leak that we couldn't seem to patch while pouring concrete into the mold and welding a couple of things upside-down, I think we did a pretty awesome job.

I have learned how to use an arc welder, an oxygen-acetylene torch, and a plasma cutter. I've also gained quite a respect for the men and women in our Central American factories that can each produce 2 stoves/day! I have had such a fun experience. Thank you Bob!

Making Pupusas

In addition to making an Ecocina, I've been trying my hand at integrating one into my cooking once in a while. While it took several tries to light the first time, once I had the hang out of it, it burned great! It's been amazing for cooking Pupusas (Salvadoran meat, cheese, and bean-filled doughy tortillas). I think I will try pancakes next.



If anyone in Eugene would like to get involved in building stoves or just get together to make Pupusas sometime, send me an email! sanya@stoveteam.org

Sincerely,
Sanya

March Newsletter

In our January newsletter, we highlighted our first factory in El Salvador and the drive and determination of factory owner, Gustavo Peña. Read the Newsletter Here

This month we will feature our newest, and rapidly-growing factory in Copán Ruinas, Honduras and factory owner Anibal Murcia.
Anibal completed his studies in the school of agriculture at John F. Kennedy La Ceiba Atlantida, Honduras. He has worked with indigenous groups - mainly the Lenca and Chorti - doing sustainable agriculture and forestry. From 2005-2009, he was the vice-mayor of the municipality of Copán Ruinas. He is married to Norma Rosanna Berganza and they have two children, Eduardo, 17 and Anett, 9.

Anibal's background in both agricultural development and politics are what make him an exceptional technical manager and community leader. Anyone who has the pleasure of meeting Anibal is struck by his genuine sincerity, attention to detail, and dedication to the betterment of the health and environment of his community. Presently, Anibal is one of the 9 members of the municipal government and serves on the local council on the environment.  

Not only has Anibal dedicated his life to the success of this project, but his wife Rosanna, and son Eduardo also assist with the administrative side of the business. The Murcia family is hard-working, dedicated and compassionate towards their community. We believe it's hardly coincidental that they are already expanding so rapidly, having produced 1,400 Ecocinas since July 2010. 

You can find more photos of the Copán factory here: Download PowerPoint. Anibal's contact information is available on our Website

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Interested in going on a volunteer trip?

A group of StoveTeam volunteers will travel to Copán Ruinas, Honduras in early November 2011 for a week-long volunteer trip. This trip will involve in-depth household stove testing as well as various construction projects at the factory, a chance to make Ecocina stoves and attend cooking demonstrations in communities. The trip will be limited to 20 people, so sign up early! 

For more information visit the Volunteer section of our website or email info@stoveteam.org

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StoveTeam Receives Prestigious Award

StoveTeam received the Special Achievement Award in Developing Local Markets at the U.S. EPA-sponsored Partnership for Clean Indoor Air Forum in Lima, Peru last month.

President and Founder, Nancy Hughes was invited to speak to the international audience on the topic of "Manufacturing Approaches to Enhance Stove Performance."

Highlighted in this year's conference was the establishment of the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, a $250 million initiative led by the UN Foundation. The initiative will include nine sector-specific working groups with the goal of providing 100 million households with clean cooking solutions by 2020.

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StoveTeam was Featured in Oregon Quarterly Magazine

The Spring Edition of the University or Oregon publication has a two page spread on StoveTeam and recent happenings.
Pick up a hard copy today or 
Read the Article Here

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Save the Date! April 23, 2011

A traditional West African music and dance performance supporting a stove factory in Tamale, Ghana with performances at
2pm and 8pm. Will be held in the Dougherty Dance Theatre at the University of Oregon.

This event is co-sponsored by Ghana Dance Ensemble, Abibigromma, and University of Oregon's Dance Africa Ensemble.
All proceeds will go towards providing fuel-efficient stoves to those in need.

More information will be available in our April newsletter and on our website: www.stoveteam.org

From Barbara Lee and  John Costello (STI board member)

Today we visited the Ecocina factory in beautiful, historic and HOT Leon, Niaragua. Touring the site with factory owner Juan Gutierrez and StoveTeam International Coordinators Beatriz and Fred Fiallos-Hamman, and meeting the crew of factory trabajadores was a real pleasure. The site is buzzing with activity.

Nicaragua, the birthplace of many poets and patriots, is in great need of products like the Ecocina to help ease huge problems of deforestation, poverty, and chronic illness. The March 2, 2011 issue of one of Nicaragua´s newspapers, La Prensa, has an excellent in-depth article on the country´s deforestation and fuel use. Read the Article Here  An unforgettable image from the article is the sight of trucks carrying wood from the countryside into Managua and carrying drinking water from Managua into the countryside to supply deforested areas that are now becoming dry.

From Barbara Lee and John Costello, STI Board member:

We've just spent a week in Honduras, and had the opportunity to visit Anibal Murcia's busy Ecocina factory in Copan Ruinas. By coincidence, a Rotary group from Florida toured the factory on the same day. The group received a great welcome from Anibal, the factory workers, and Don Udo, who was hosting them in his hotel. The next day, Anibal transported a number of stoves to a community in the mountains outside the town of Gracias, which is about three hours drive from Copan Ruinas.

This area has a significant indigenous population and is in many places lacking the most basic services. Stoves are a pressing need for lots of families. John and I had the good fortune to spend a few days around Gracias. The town is beautiful and has some very old buildings and neighborhoods similar to those in Antigua, Guatemala. The area has an active Peace Corp presence as well as other volunteers who, I think, will be interested in the Ecocina.

StoveTeam President Nancy Hughes, El Salvadoran Factory Owner, Gustavo Peña, and Administrative Assistant, Sanya Detweiler are all attending the Partnership for Clean Indoor Air (PCIA) Forum this week in Lima, Peru.  

Nancy and two other partners testing a stove prototype

The Forum is held biennially to get together the 400 partners from 150 countries who are all involved in the cleaner cooking community.  Hosted by the U.S. EPA's PCIA, this year also in attendance is the Peruvian first lady as well as other prominent government officials.  So far the forum has discussed topics of national stove programs, highlighting Peru's program, stoves for humanitarian crisis, such as Haiti, and the latest developments in technologies, fuels and testing.

Participants will have the chance to visit local communities who are using improved stoves in the areas surrounding Lima tomorrow and StoveTeam president Nancy Hughes will speak about manufacturing strategies on Friday.  The forum will conclude Saturday with sessions on carbon credits and their application for stove projects.

Winter brings fiery killer into Afghan homes

KABUL | Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:16am EST

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan Khan Mohammad's once long henna-stained beard is burned up to his chin and his face is swollen and raw after a gas lamp exploded because it was placed too close to the family's wood-burning stove.

As temperatures drop well below freezing during the country's harsh winter, bombs and bullets from a near-decade long war against a Taliban-led insurgency are not the only threat -- just trying to light a home and stay warm can be deadly.

"We were using gas for a lamp and cooking food on the bukhari (stove) and the gas bottle was too close and got too hot," Mohammad said of the explosion, which also hurt his 11-year old son. They were being treated at Ahmed Shah Baba hospital in eastern Kabul.

But aside from the threat of burns, the main problem posed by heating and cooking is the smoke, which the World Health Organization said kills 54,000 Afghans a year. Most of those killed are children under five, it said.

The WHO has also ranked the problem as one of the worst health risks facing the poor. Burning solid fuels inside is also a large problem for other regional countries like Pakistan, China, and India.

More than 95 percent of Afghanistan's 30 million people burn solid fuels, such as wood and coal, in their homes, said the World Health Organization, making it one of the top 10 countries worst-affected by indoor pollution.

By contrast, 2,412 civilians were killed by conflict-related violence and 3,803 wounded in the first ten months of 2010, said the United Nations, the most violent year since late 2001 when U.S.-backed Afghan forces ousted the Taliban.

Afghan families typically use a wood-burning bukhari, a drum-shaped stove made of thin metal, or a sandali, a pit of burning coal under a small table covered by a heavy blanket, which people put their feet under to keep warm.

The smoke can lead to childhood pneumonia, lung cancer, bronchitis and cardiovascular disease, while also contributing to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions.

Indoor pollution mainly affects women and children because they spend the most time at home, said Afghanistan's acting Minister of Public Health Dr Suraya Dalil.

"Indoor pollution is one of the areas that threatens the survival of inhabitants," she said. "We're working ... to advocate for measures that would reduce indoor pollution including things like provision of electricity, that increases the safety as well as reduces the pollution in the house."

Afghanistan's infrastructure has been shattered by three decades of conflict and even electricity in the country's capital Kabul is unreliable. A near-decade long war makes security a top priority even as authorities try to rebuild the aid-reliant economy.

INDOOR SMOKE KILLS NEARLY TWO MILLION A YEAR

Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, where children make up half the population. A quarter of children die before age five and the average life expectancy is 44 years.

Dr Bashir Noormal, director general of the Afghan Public Health Institute, said smoke from heating and cooking in Afghan homes "causes burns, carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory illnesses and diseases and deaths.

"Inhalation of coal, wood and straw has been related to lung cancer and cancers of the head and neck," he added. "Chronic exposure to wood smoke also significantly increases the risk of cervical cancer in Human Papilloma Virus infected women."

The Human Papilloma Virus causes cervical cancer. But, in a country devastated by war, Noormal said there was no data on how many cancer cases could have been caused by indoor pollution.

Traditional cookstoves and open fires are the primary means of cooking and heating for nearly three billion people, according to the U.N. Foundation's Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

Exposure to the smoke kills nearly two million people a year globally and sickens millions more, said the alliance, which is working to help produce clean cookstoves and aims to have 100 million homes using clean and efficient stoves and fuels by 2020.

In September the United States committed $50 million over five years to the alliance.

Honorita Bernasor, a Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) emergency doctor at Kabul's Ahmed Shah Baba hospital, said winter in Afghanistan brought cases of burns and carbon monoxide poisoning. In December, the hospital treated nearly 100 cases of burns caused by heating or cooking.

"We will be expecting more cases when the temperature goes lower," she said. "Bukharis are normally in the middle of the room and the children run around and put their hands everywhere ... We see a lot of carbon monoxide poisoning as well."

Qudratullah Nasrat, an emergency room doctor at the same hospital, said some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches and dizziness were well known to Afghans.

StoveTeam featured in the Women's Rights in a Global World blog put out by the UO Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS).  Check out the blog post, written by StoveTeam Advisory Board member, Susie Hanner: Link to Blog

A Major Provider of Jobs and Economic Investment in El Salvador, HanesBrands also is Partnering with the U.S. Agency for International Development and Glasswing International on Education Programs to Serve At-Risk Youth

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)—HanesBrands Inc. today announced that is has renovated an ambulance, distributed 100 eco-stoves and is funding education programs for at-risk youths as part of continued efforts to improve the quality of life in several neighborhoods and communities in El Salvador.

“Improving access to health care, cleaner cooking technologies and education will better the lives HanesBrands’ employees, their families and the communities where they live.”

The ambulance, stove and education projects will benefit more than 25,000 people living in communities near San Juan Opico, about 20 miles northwest of the capital of San Salvador. HanesBrands, which has operated in El Salvador for nearly 20 years, has six apparel manufacturing and sewing plants providing more than 9,000 jobs in the country, including several facilities near San Juan Opico.

“Our employees identified health care and education as two key areas where our company can make a difference,” said Chris Fox, vice president of corporate social responsibility, HanesBrands Inc. “These new initiatives are a demonstration of our commitment to making a positive impact where our employees live and work.”

Eco-Stove Project

HanesBrands bought 100 eco-stoves for $5,000 and employees went into the neighborhood of La Argentina in San Juan Opico to deliver them to residents in need of the cleaner, more efficient wood-burning stoves for cooking. The stoves – called "Ecocinas" in Spanish – are made locally in El Salvador and are significantly more energy efficient and significantly reduce smoke and carbon emissions.

“HanesBrands’ support of the community is important because they understand the needs of our families,” said Guadalupe Avalos, a resident of La Argentina who received an Ecocina stove. “These stoves will not only save us money on firewood, but will also help us live healthier. We are very grateful to HanesBrands for their support.”

Many rural Salvadorans rely on wood-burning stoves to cook meals inside their homes, which often do not have sufficient ventilation. As a result, they suffer from a high occurrence of respiratory diseases due to constant inhalation of smoke. The Ecocinas use 60 percent less wood and emit 90 percent less smoke than traditional wood-burning stoves. The use of the donated stoves is expected to reduce the rate of respiratory illnesses, as well as the number of trees cut down for fuel.

HanesBrands Inc.

HanesBrands Inc. is a leading marketer of everyday basic apparel under some of the world’s strongest apparel brands, including Hanes, Champion, Playtex, Bali, JMS/Just My Size, barely there, Wonderbra and Gear For Sports. The company sells T-shirts, bras, panties, men’s underwear, children’s underwear, socks, hosiery, casualwear and activewear produced in the company’s low-cost global supply chain.

HanesBrands has approximately 50,000 employees in more than 25 countries and takes pride in its strong reputation for ethical business practices. More information about the company and its corporate social responsibility initiatives, including environmental, social compliance and community improvement achievements, may be found on the Hanesbrands Internet website at www.hanesbrands.com. Hanesbrands is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2010 Energy Star Partner of the Year and ranks No. 91 on Newsweek magazine’s Top 500 greenest U.S. company rankings.