In February 2004, a SHARE monitoring trip went to El Salvador and there we viewed a number of stoves that we had paid for in the past year. Stoves cost approximately $100 CDN to construct and are made of bricks and mortar. There is no electricity in these poverty-stricken villages and therefore the fuel source is, as you would expect, wood. One advantage of these new stoves is that they use much less wood. Using half the normal amount of wood means time-savings from collecting less wood, as well as a more environmentally friendly approach from using less wood.
The women we visited with new stoves were very grateful for SHARE's help. The stoves make a real difference in improving their way of life because so much time is taken up with cooking. Not only do the stoves allow a more even cooking temperature, but also reduce health related problems. Before receiving stoves, cooking was done over an open fire pit. The new stoves have a pipe to the ceiling to draw the smoke out of the cooking area. We are hopeful that these stoves will make a real difference in the health and well being of women in El Salvador.