Project Launch:

The community of Guaranal, Dominical Republic, is a rural community comprised mainly of families who are farmers and who rely on cocoa and fruit trees. As is traditional in rural areas of DR, families use fogones, or traditional cooking “stoves” that are comprised of three cinder blocks under which wood is burned. Many of these stoves are indoors and the constant smoke produced creates respiratory and other health problems for families, particularly women and children who spend the majority of their time in the home. They also require a significant amount of firewood, contributing to local deforestation, which impacts the productivity of local farming. This project will result in the installation of 50 efficient cookstoves in homes in the village of Guaranal, using the proven Norca model cookstove. It will also result in the creation of a network of young people trained in the installation, care and maintenance of these more efficient, healthier, and more environmentally friendly cookstoves.

The project will also work directly with fifteen households to launch a pilot waste management project. These fifteen households will be trained in how to separate organic and inorganic trash, and how to compost their organic waste and utilize it in their smallholder farming. Local leaders will be developing an action plan to deal with the inorganic waste, which is typically burned or thrown in the street. The goal is to convince the municipal government to install community trash bins and to arrange for trash collection in Guaranal for the first time.

 

Project Update

54 improved cookstoves have been installed, four more than originally planned. With help from young community members, three 50-gallon trash cans were painted and placed in front of three general stores, encouraging people to dispose of their inorganic waste properly.

 

Testimonials:

"Before the improved cookstoves, households could seldom stretch their $5 dollars for gas cooking over the course of a month.  Practically all meals were cooked over an open fire, including even making a cup of coffee.  Now families can safely and efficiently prepare their meals in a smoke free environment, with the money they save from gas going toward more important things."  - Andrew, Peace Corps Volunteer