Smokeless Stoves: Norma Elizabeth

Norma Elizabeth lives with her family in El Chipotón, a community in the department of Chimaltenango. She and her husband, a mason, have three children who are 15, 13, and 7 years old. Her oldest and youngest are in school studying and her middle child works.

When she learned about the opportunity to obtain a smokeless stove for her family from a local Habitat Guatemala volunteer, she knew that it was a good opportunity. Norma did not have a stove and so everyday she cooked her family’s food over a fire on the floor of her kitchen. Not only does this method use significantly more wood, but the smoke bothered her eyes and over time would have led to lung problems.

Norma says: “I save wood now. My eyes are being saved because smoke no longer bothers them. I want to thank Paulina, the local volunteer, and the foreign volunteers who supported me in this opportunity!”