¡primera cocina!

We are finally progressing to the next step of the project, the actual construction of stoves! I contracted a consultant who is an expert in “cocinas mejoradas” (improved stoves) from the city to come to our community to support with the construction process. She trained the master builder and a group of fathers in the construction process. We made a stove model and the following week all of the mothers came to see it and get trained in use and maintenance of the stove.

The women were all very enthusiastic and excited to have a stove in their homes. It will definitely be quite an improvement for these families. The majority of families in the community cook over open fire. The design of the improved stove removes 100 % of smoke from the kitchen (preventing respiratory infections, lung cancer, eye infections), diminishes the use of firewood by 40% (minimizing deforestation), produces 45-65% less greenhouse gases than open pit fires, and encourages mothers to maintain a cleaner, more hygienic kitchens.

I have witnessed countless families suffering from cooking, three times a day, over a traditional open fire inside the house. Often, mothers with children on their backs, and other children running around the house, cook over these inside fires. The risks are many: pneumonia, bronchitis, emphysema, cataracts, cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, low birth rate and many accidents, especially with children. In Peru, the leading cause of infant deaths is due to upper respiratory infections, often a result of exposure to smoke from open fire cooking. In addition, because this model dramatically decreases the use of firewood, deforestation will be minimized.

The community members are very enthusiastic about this new model. Although I still have a lot of work ahead (1 stove down, 50 to go!), it is exciting to see in their eyes their eagerness to have improved kitchens that will be with their families for years to come.

visitas domiciliarias y capacitaciones sobre viviendas saludables

The Improved Kitchen Project is progressing along. We have now finished all of our health workshops for the mothers. Every weekend, mothers learned about ways to improve the health of their families and homes, including nutrition, consumption of unconatminated water, handwashing, breastfeeding, diarrhea, respiratory infections, spread of sickness, hygiene, and how to use, clean, and maintain the new stove model. Attendance to the workshops was required in order to receive materials for a stove. During the health workshops, I gave mothers various materials, such as a healthy cookbook, a pitcher to store boiled water, and a bucket, towel, and tub for handwashing to improve the health of their families. The next step of our project included visiting the homes of the 51 mothers in the project. I visited each home with one of my health promoters to evaluate the health habits of the families. We were checking to see that the families have changed their habits and could tell us about and demonstrate what they had learned in the health workshops. For those families who didn’t “pass” the home visit, I will be doing follow-up visits to check that their families are practicing healthy habits before they can receive materials for building the stove.

charlas sobre salud bucal

Being a community health volunteer, one health issue that I had not yet attacked was dental health. The closest dentist in my community works about 2 hours away. Almost none of the children in Pampa Elera have ever been to the dentist. Some have toothbrushes, if their parents have decided it is a worthwhile investment. Last week I visited all of the students in the primary school and taught them about dental health. We talked about cavities, good and bad foods for teeth, brushing teeth, dental floss, etc. Last year I wrote a letter to my dentist back home to see if he could donate toothbrushes to the cause. He donated toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss. Thanks to Dr. Starnes’ donations, more donations from my parents, the transport of everything from Charlottesville to Peru by Dave, all of the children in my community now have materials to maintain goood dental health. Thank you!