They showed me their stoves, and how Eric invented two accessories to help the buyers: a set of wings on the side to rest pots and utensils (see below), and a stand for the Ecocina stove to sit upon. Also, he had reinforced the portaleña (metal piece that fits inside the front of the stove and holds the wood) for longer usage. In their words, “we have the materials and can start in a few days”. We drank coffee and ate toast with cajeta (dulce de leche) and parted ways.
I had the privilege to attend the 2020 ETHOS (Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service) convention last weekend! Engineers, stove scientists, and experts of all kinds converged in Seattle to share their latest projects and chat about their plans for the coming year. Now in its 20th year, this conference was first started by a group that included StoveTeam’s Executive Director Mike Hatfield!
…Like so many women in the developing world, Asunción and her mother-in-law spend all day tending the fire inside their home. Asunción's husband became concerned with the dangers of open fire cooking after seeing his mother suffer the effects of indoor air pollution.
“My mom used to cook this way… she said the smoke ruined her vision. With the open fire, [the women] are trapped with smoke", he said…
This past September, I spent two weeks visiting our factory partners in Guatemala and El Salvador. One especially memorable afternoon was spent in a small community called La Criba, outside of Santa Ana, El Salvador. Upon arrival, the community gathering space was packed with people and at the front of the room, I saw one of our cookstoves poised and ready for action…
