On my really cool stoves project

Hey there copadres/comadres, 

As y'all well know, I am in the middle of an awesome and intense improved cookstove construction project. I currently am managing a generous grant from World Connect, an amazing organization in Massachusetts that sponsors and funds Peace Corps Volunteers' projects around the world. To give background information, here's a short summary that I wrote for my original grant application: 

Copey is a rural community located on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic with a population of 4,000 people and an average of five persons per household. Most women in Copey still use traditional cooking techniques that are detrimental to their and their families’ health. This project will lead to the installation of improved cookstoves in 40 Copey households. The project will be managed by a local stove committee, comprised of women heads of households and overseen by the Copey women’s center. Beneficiary families will be trained in the use and maintenance of their new stoves by local community health promoters, and will participate in cooking classes led by their local Peace Corps Volunteer. Project leaders will be monitoring use of the cookstoves over time and aim for beneficiary households to use the new, improved cookstoves for at least 90% of their cooking needs.

A house of a beneficiary family. 

Recap, these cookstoves are beneficial because: 

1) This project removes smoke from women's cooking areas, reducing the risk of respiratory illnesses for both women and children. Respiratory illnesses are the leading cause of death in developing nations. 

Helps kids like Oliver!

2) The stoves use less fuel than other models currently used in Copey. The stoves use firewood, but are so efficient that you can make a pot of stew for an entire family with just two small pieces of wood. This decreases the reliance on burning charcoal and is a safe, environmentally friendly fuel source.  

Eliminates this type of stove...a dangerous smoke producing three-stone fire.

3) These stoves are culturally appropriate, designed to give women the ability to cook rice and beans at the same time on burners large enough for big rice cookers. Women will use these improved cookstoves for 90% of their regular cooking needs. 

Check out those beautiful burners, one for rice, one for beans!

4) At least five of my women use their stoves to cook food or make tea and coffee to sell in town. This increases their economic independence and autonomy and allows them to have a means of making money. 

Margot making stew

5) The project was designed by our women's center, increasing sustainability and autonomy over the project and further follow up. Yes, I am the facilitator, but the women have made the majority of the decisions for how this project runs. 

These women are in charge!

So there ya have it, all the amazing benefits beyond just constructing environmentally friendly cookstoves. We've also sprinkled in some women's empowerment, economic development, and leadership and capacity-building. But that's not all, here's some interesting stove numbers: 

- 30: number stoves to be completed

- 14: stoves completed to date

- $8800 pesos ($250): How much a stove costs in total

- $1600 pesos ($40 or 20%): the amount a family has to give for the mason’s labor

- 3: bags of cement used for each fogón

- 24: ceramic parts used to build the stove

- 18: cement blocks used to make the table

- 8: hours total it takes to make a stove

- 9: feet of chicken wire in each stove

- 3: people who do the constructing, Lin (master mason), Pepe (awesome helper) and me (la jefa)! 

- $2,895: amount of my World Connect grant 

I really believe in this project and it's been a pleasure to take part in this with my community. 

Love and beans, 
Bronwen 

Before 

During

After!