Last week, Chairperson of our Board of Directors, Albert Roches and I accompanied Leon and his team to two very remote villages in Alta Vista – beyond Coban, inhabited by Ketchi Maya. These villagers have started to use the ONIL stoves promoted by the Maya Relief Foundation. I was amazed to see how easily the stoves are assembled and used by farmers once the various components are available. I observed that stoves work efficiently, use less firewood and there was surely no smoke nor sooth in kitchens so obviously this project contributes to families’ health. I was happy to know that less trees are cut as a result of the use of these stoves!

 

I also learned that water filters were distributed in these remote villages where water is collected in very creative ways from house tops. There is an urgent need for these filters to have clean drinking water in these communities. Apparently, the program recently expanded by distributing corn seeds to various families to increase yield. I learned that the stoves, water filters or corn seeds are free as farmers make small contributions towards paying for these services and I was told that villagers were able to may regular payments. Nothing is free!