One of the highlights of our trip was participating in the stove installations in some of rural village homes. ENLACE and Kaiser have partnered to raise funds for the installation of over 75 stoves, reaching nearly all the village homes in the communities we serve. These stoves are beneficial for a number of reasons. First, they consume 80% less wood than the traditional stoves, saving families more money, consuming less natural resources, and producing less smoke pollution. Also, healthcare providers have already started to see a reduction in asthma exacerbations in home with the new stoves due to the chimney ventilation that reduces smoke in the homes. This is a major health accomplishment as reducing asthma exacerbation frequency can lead to reduction in chronic lung disease. Here are some photos that illustrate the process involved in installing the stoves:
Carry the very heavy concrete stove from the truck to the house
Place the stove in the kitchen
Carry in dirt and pack around the elbow where the fire will be lit
Continue packing and compressing multiple layers of dirt
Add layer of ashes on top of the compacted soil
Drill hole in roof for chimney if there is none already
Install the chimney pipe
Add the metal stove top and hammer into place
Light fire in the elbow
Wait a few minutes for the fire to heat up the stove
Splash water on the top and watch it evaporate quickly, indicating the stove top is hot
Place kettle on top to boil water!
-Christina Kinnevey, global health fellow
-Christina Kinnevey, global health fellow
No comments:
Post a Comment