Smokeless Stove: María Teresa Toh

Maria Teresa and her family of seven live in Xesuj San Martin, Chimaltenango. Before receiving her smokeless stove, Maria Teresa cooked in a small room with an open fire stove, where the smoke would be trapped inside despite opening doors and a small window. Now, the chimney pipe of her new stove funnels the smoke out of the house.

With her new stove, Maria Teresa can cook more. She bake her tortillas on her stovetop and can cook multiple at one time because of the large space. More than anything, Maria enjoys making her daily frijoles, “they don’t fall over into the fire.” She remembers too how the fire from the old stove burned her clothes and remarks how the isolation of the fire on the new stove protects her from any exposure to the fire.

Maria Teresa expresses her genuine excitement for her new stove and her gratitude to the volunteers who came to build with them. “Thank you, I will never forget you all for helping us.”