El Salvador

Nahualingo, near Sonsonate, seemed to be an unlikely place to start StoveTeam International's first factory producing the new Ecocina stove. But it's the home of Gustavo Peña, the enthusiastic and multi-talented man who built the first factory by hand, selected the best workers and, with the help of StoveTeam, started production. The factory has produced over 6,000 stoves and employs 18 local workers…important in a country with unemployment approaching 60%.

Betty

Betty was the first woman hired. She is a single mother living in a squatter’s camp beside the river. She saw the Ecocina and was afraid she would not be on the list to receive one. She took the bus to the factory and asked if she could learn how the stove was made. She worked for two days and returned a month later asking for a permanent job. She wants to be sure every woman in her area receives a stove. She and her friend Ana now work producing Ecocina stoves for El Salvador. Her smile is its own reward.