Adobe Stoves

"HELP International has the perfect amount of structure to give you lots of support if you need it, and yet enough autonomy to feel empowered in making your own decisions and creating your own experience. I loved HELP International because through them I discovered what I could do as an individual to make a difference in the world, and then they helped me do it. Because of the training and leadership we had, we were prepared to be culturally sensitive and good examples of Americans, and the people of Mukono thought very highly of us. HELP isn't a huge organization and it doesn't have a ton of resources, but I was impressed at how well they organized this experience and it inspired me to return next summer."

-Kindra Clemence, Uganda 2007

"Once anyone allows themselves to let go of the walls they have created, and allow their true heart to be exposed, the joy and the growth both for the giver and the receiver is unequal to anything else. While in Guatemala, I was able to experience honest love between me and the people I was serving. Never have I been apart of something so pure and beautiful. I thank HELP International for the opportunity to change my life, and in the process, bless others. I shall never forget the lessons learned and the experiences had while in Guatemala."

- Kate Hubrich, Guatemala 2007

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Adobe Stoves

Indoor solid-burning fires that fill homes with smoke kill nearly one million children a year. Living in a home with an open solid-fuel burning stove is comparable to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. It is the fourth greatest risk factor for death and disease in the Third World.

2008 HELP International Volunteer Team in Guatemala

In the countries we serve, a vast majority of the population use these stoves, because they lack electricity or alternative means of cooking. Typically, women spend most of the day cooking indoor over these open fires, while simultaneously tending small children. This exposure is extremely dangerous for both mother and child.

HELP International trains communities to build adobe stoves. These stoves replace indoor fires, reduce adverse health affects, and decrease fuel consumption and cook time by one-third. Stoves are made from local materials. In Latin America we use mud, clay, straw, sand and tin cans while in Africa we use anthill dirt, clay, sand, banana fiber and banana stocks.

In 2008, HELP International participants worked with more than 20 communities to build 420 adobe stoves. The magic of this project is that we teach the method to large groups of community members and then mentor individuals, who become local experts to train others. With hundreds of locals trained in stove construction, this project will continue to flourish and bless lives.