ECO STOVES

STOVE BUILD PROGRESS

VILLAGE	TOTAL STOVES	STATUS	PERCENTAGE COMPLETE
Casa de Piedra	14	14 finished	100%
La EnRamada	20	20 finished	100%
La Vigia	27	27 finished	100%
Nandarola	80	80 finished	100%
Por Venir	55	55 finished	100%
San Luis	24	0 finished	0%

Stove Project summary

COMMIT will be working together with Stove Team International to build up to 750 eco-friendly stoves over the next 3 years. These stoves are at least 50% more efficient in saving carbon and greenhouse gases and will improve the health of the people using them, especially the women and small children who are constantly around them. These stoves are referred to as Justa stoves- they employ rocket elbow technology and are insulated and have a smoke stack venting to the outside. They will replace the present open fire cooking stoves that are so inefficient and detremental to the health of the users.

Stove art designed by Clara Nascu

STOVE BUILDING TRAINING

Three Nicaraguans were trained by Stove Team interanational in Guatamala on how to build the eco stoves and teach the people how to maintain them for sustainability. These men will receive a salary based on each stove built contributing to the microeconomy of the village. Stove committees and a contingency fund have been set up to monitor the condition and maintenance of the stoves, as well as pay for any repairs or replacements. Our trained stove builders are Erick, Danilo and Edgar. Pictured here is Erick building one of his stoves.

STOVE BUILDING IN ACTION

Stove building involves multiple steps and many hours of work, plus waiting time in between while the mortar dries.

During our 2023 multi-project trip, we created hyperlapse videos to show various stove building steps. Enjoy!

1. Sift sand to remove stones and debris.

2. Mix three buckets of sifted sand with 3/4 bag of cement. When ready to start laying stones for the base, add water and mix vigorously!

3. Create a flat platform for the stove base. This may include digging out a rectangle in the existing hard packed mud floor.

4. Build the stove base - this usually takes about 2 hours. Wait 24 hours for the mortar to fully dry.

5. Pour the top of the stove base to create a completely flat surface upon which the stove will be built. Wait 3 days for the mortar to fully dry.

6. Repeat step 2 to mix additional mortar for the stove.

7. Build the stove. This takes about 4 hours to finish. Wait 8 days for the stove to fully dry.

Sifting the Sand

Mixing the Concrete

Breaking the stones

Making the Bases

Building the Stoves

VILLAGE RECIPIENTS

Each family receiving an eco-friendly stove will receive help to build the base with some financial help from COMMIT. They will also receive new pots and pans to use on their new stoves. The villages of Nandarola, Casa de Piedra, Por Venir, La Enramada and La Vigie have been chosen for the initial build. Already each family has received trees which they have planted as a reforestation project in conjunction with the stoves. These trees will contribute to the remaining carbon deficit and will ensure a supply of fuel going into the future.

THE NEED FOR ECO-FRIENDLY STOVES