Improved Cookstoves

Health volunteers in the Dominican Republic are strongly suggested to work on secondary projects, such as stoves, latrines, or flooring, following the completion of their youth and women’s health education groups. Stoves were most appropriately needed in Tierra Prieta. As a result, about two months ago I participated in an improved cookstoves training. I traveled to this training with a mason from my site. We were trained on how to make stoves in our community. These stoves are aimed to replace the stoves that my community members cook with now. These “stoves” are housed in little tin huts in the back of my community houses and consist of wood and rocks to cook food. These cement stoves will have ceraminic pieces to place pots, will use less wood to cook, and will contain a chimney to funnel the smoke from cooking outside of the hut, preventing smoke inhalation.

These 30 improved cookstoves will improve the health of 30 households in Tierra Prieta, specifically affecting the women and children of these households who spend the most time in these kitchens. In Tierra Prieta, there is a high incidence of respiratory illnesses. By implementing improved cookstoves, thereby reducing smoke inhalation, the rate of respiratory illnesses is expected to lower. Due to the improved efficiency of wood-burning of these improved cookstoves, this project will also decrease the amount of deforestation in this region.

The 10 trained members of Hogares Saludables will evaluate the households in the community to determine which households have the greatest needs for improved cookstoves. These members will also help to educate the community on the benefits of improved cookstoves and the importance of preventing respiratory illnesses. The selected local mason will attend a training to learn how to properly make an improved cookstove with the Peace Corps volunteers. Following this training this mason will construct 30 improve cookstoves with the help of the Peace Corps volunteer and community members. Meeting the necessities or needs of the community members may be a challenge as there is only a limited number of resources. Additionally, household with the most needs for improved cookstoves are also often the most impoverished. Paying the necessary cost to construct a cookstove may be difficult for some families. To alleviate this problem, community fundraisers will be planned to help the families with the cost of the cookstoves.

I hope to start construction of these stoves in the next couple of months, hopefully then completing approximately 1 stove per day. 30 stoves will be constructed and hopefully improve the lifestyles of 30 homes in the community. I have also been assigned to head the stoves committee in the future year and will hold a future training. As funding and training structure is being reevaluated with this stove project I hope that the future of stoves construction in the DR with the help of Peace Corps will continue to grow and improve.