A New Stove
A few months ago, Marķa Sanchez
told her social worker that her eyes were always stinging
from making tortillas over an open fire and that her right
arm hurt from lifting heavy things while cooking.
 María and her husband, Apolinario, are
the parents of 9 children. Four of the children attend school
with Common Hope's help. María works in the home
and sells snacks in the morning in her village. Apolinario
is a mason. They have taken advantage of many of our programs.
They have a temporary room where the children sleep, and
they have also earned a sink. They have used the clinic
a lot and also received help from Common Hope for a hernia
operation for one of their sons.
Marķa's social worker knew that our
Stove Program could help alleviate Marķa's problems and
keep the whole family healthier. The social worker put in
a request for a stove for the family. María and one
of her sons worked 10 hours at the project and within a
month Common Hope installed the stove for them.
María says
she really likes the stove because there is no smoke hurting
her eyes, and she doesn't burn her hands anymore. She can
cook more than one thing at a time, and her arm doesn't
ache as much. María says that before the stove she
spent 10 quetzales on wood everyday, but now she spends
only 7 quetzal on wood for the stove. That is a savings
of 84 quetzales (about $12) in one month, a significant
amount for this family.
back to top | 
