San Antonio Stoves for Health

Traditionally, Mayans cook over unventilated open hearths in their one-room adobe homes. This causes health problems — respiratory illnesses, eye infections, and burns to children — and massive deforestation. The Onil stove (which costs just over $100 US), developed and produced in Guatemala, is vented, smoke-free, and uses 70% less wood than open-hearth fires. We have installed almost 1,000 Onil stoves in just over 5 years, and there is a great need for more. Already, we are hearing from the health workers in these communities that health is improving dramatically.

As well as improving the health of families, these stoves also have a major impact on climate change.  Open-hearth fires are a major source of global warming. When you replace an open-hearth fire with a clean-burning Onil stove, you remove 3.4 tonnes per year of CO2 from the atmosphere.

An Open-hearth Fire – the Traditional Mayan way of cooking.
Note the soot on the walls – not good for eyes, lungs, or the environment!

The new Onil stove has arrived

For more information on the Onil stoves visit the Onil website at www.onilstove.com.

You can view below a video on these stoves made by ICO Team Member Kimara Brilling.