Smokeless Stove: Buenaventura Apen

Buenaventura lives with her husband Ernesto,  and their 12 children, Glendy (27), Dalila (26), Gerbert (25), Eizer (21), Nancy (20), Sulmy (18), Lesbia (16), Osman (13), Juli (11), Dorcas (9), Lester (7) and Suleika (3) in a small community in the outskirts of Chimaltenango. While Ernersto works in agriculture and is a Pastor, Buenaventura is a homemaker and weaves traditional clothes with the oldest of their girls.

Dalila (one of the oldest girls), explains how partnering with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala to implement a smokeless stove has improved aspects of their family’s daily life: “we used to cook over an open flame, it was small, so we had to be cooking everything one by one, first our tortillas, then the beans” she continues; “thanks to the new one, it is easier! We are happy, because we can prepare food for everyone at the same time.”

Dalila shares that all the family feels content with the stove and have saved wood too because it is designed to consume less wood and heat evenly.

She finishes by sharing a message to the volunteers: “Thank you for your support and for building our stove, we are happy using it now!”