30 Stoves in 90 Days: 31 Stoves in 90 Days

Well, alot has changed in the eleven days since my last post. Due to decisions made by Peace Corps, my time left in Guatemala has been reduced from 5 and a half months to less than 2. Less than TWO! Two months to scramble to finish my work in Cunen. Two months to say goodbye to the friends I've made. Two months to make post-Peace Corps plans. And, most importantly, two months to finish the infrastructure projects I have been working towards since I arrived in Cunen in July 2010.

To back up a bit, my work here (the Healthy Homes project) has two phases. Phase 1: health education and training of health promotors. Phase 2: the building of infrastructure. In my case, I was planning to build a mix of stoves, letrines, cement floors, and water deposits, with a total of 56 projects. However, because I now have less time to work with, my counterpart and I have decided to scale back the project to 31 stoves for the families that I have been working with the longest. And, I will be staying in my site an extra month after I am officially done with Peace Corps to make sure that the projects are a success and are not rushed.

Why stoves? Most of the women I work with cook over open fires. The smoke generated by the burning wood causes eye problems and respiratory problems, especially in the children of the family. The stoves we will be building will improve the health of all members of the family by reducing the amount of smoke in the home. Additionally, the health education that the women will be receiving throughout the course of the project will hopefully lead to overall healthier homes and families.

So, 31 stoves in 90 days? It's going to be a crazy ride to the finish, for sure!