Life Is Steep in El Injerto - Eco-Stove Project Update                                  July 2013

At long-last, the Stove Project has resumed, thanks to support from grants from Ronald McDonald House and Georgetown University Environment Initiative, continuing material support from the office of the Alcalde Carlos Miranda, and gifts from donors.  After months of planning and piecing together support, we have initiated this phase of the project in the village of El Injerto.  Once we have completed the planned 54 eco-stoves in San José del El Injerto, we will move on to the villages of Santa Rosa de Buenas Noches and El Pacayal (46 and 25 stoves, respectively). 

I traveled to Honduras on May 31, to work with Nelson Martinez to initiate the 2013 phase of the project.  Over my first week there, Nelson and I visited with each of the material suppliers in Comayagua to do everything in our power to push the process along.

Ceramic Tiles for Fireboxes Drying before Baking in Kiln

Workers Placing Ceramic Tiles in Kiln Where They Baked for 24 Hours

Nelson Helps Load the Brigade Pick-up with Ceramic Tiles

Steel Planchas at Fabricator’s Facility

On June 5, we cut sufficient ceramic tile for the first 25 stoves.  The next morning, Nelson shepherded the Salúd Pública truck and driver to each of the suppliers’ facilities (each type of material coming from a different source) to load sufficient materials to begin the construction phase in El Injerto.

Nelson Cutting Tile at the Comayagua Club de Leones

El Injerto, where 54 eco-stoves are in various stages of construction as of this writing, is a small village built on the flanks of a steep mountainside.  Because the terrain is so steep, transporting the cement, block, bricks, rebar, sand, steel and ceramic parts up to the houses was a laborious task.  On June 6, delivery of materials to the point closest to El Injerto reachable by truck began, followed over the next couple of weeks by numerous other truck deliveries.  From there, villagers organized themselves to carry materials up to a central distribution point part way up the mountainside, and from there up to their individual homes.  Men, women and children all did their part to carry the heavy loads. 

Villagers Unloading Salúd Pública Truck

The Heaviest Loads Were Carried by Mules

Young and Old Did Their Part

School Children and Nelson Carrying Last Pieces for School Kitchen

Family Receiving Its “Package” of Materials to Transport Home

The next day, we held a community-wide meeting to formally introduce the construction phase and to introduce the team of masons who would be living in El Injerto and spending time in each of the homes there.  The community meetings function as an important part of the Project, to educate the people about how the project will proceed, the steps involved in building the stoves, and to renew community commitment to work together on this and other projects.  The meeting also allowed us to identify the community member (Simeón Vasquez) who would act as the masons’ apprentice.  A key part of the Project this time around is to ensure that a permanent member of the community is thoroughly trained in the construction and repair of the eco-stoves, so that he may be a continuing community resource.  Moreover, the apprentice will learn valuable skills that will help him and his family.

Community Meeting in the Church

The next morning, the masons began construction of the first stove, as a part of the El Injerto school.  Our program is to build the first stoves in common areas – the school kitchen and the church -- where all who are interested can stop by, observe the construction, and ask questions.  Construction of the first stove also affords the opportunity to resolve any design questions that may arise.  In this case, we were working with bricks of a different size that the larger bricks used for the Project in Planes and Playitas.  In addition, were had intended to work with a modified design promoted by the Honduran agency ADHESA.  After trying out the modified design, we decided to revert to the design we had followed in Planes and Playitas, as it seemed superior. 

The photographs below show the various steps in constructing the eco-stove at the school.  A steady stream of visitors, all ages, male and female, stopped by to check on progress.  Construction of the table on which the eco-stove sits takes a day.  The table must sit for a couple of days while the concrete sets before construction of the eco-stove can commence.  All told, construction of a stove takes about 4 days, although the completed stove must remain unused for about a week while the concrete and mortar continue to dry and cure. 

Although I stayed in El Injerto through June 11, we were not quite able to finish the first stove before my departure.  However, the photographs below show all but the very last steps.

Life Is Steep in El Injerto – View from the School Classroom Door

Masons Sieving Sand for Concrete Mix – School Kitchen in Background

                                                            

Concrete Footer and Block Table Legs

Building Form and Setting Rebar for Table Top

Mason Edilberto Zelaya and Apprentice Simeón Vasquez Begin Placing Brick for Stove

Aligning Chimney to Identify where to Cut Lamina Roof

Placing Mortar around Chimney Hole

Nelson Checking Placement of Ceramic Firebox (“the Boot”)

Completed Firebox – Note New Design Features: Wire and Brick Supports

Edilberto and Simeón Level Form for Concrete Surface above Brick

Completing Placement of Concrete Surface to Surround the Plancha

Completing Placement of Concrete Surface to Surround the Plancha

Mason Edilberto and Apprentice Simeón Finishing Concrete Surface

As of July 8, 2013, 48 of the 54 eco-stove had been completed in El Injerto.  Once the last of the eco-stoves is completed, the team will move on to Buenas Noches to begin work there.  As we begin the project in Buenas Noches, a new dimension will be added to the Project.  Led by Dr. Wolfgang Rennert of Georgetown University, we will begin a longitudinal study measure the health impacts of the eco stoves.  The first step in this study will be to conduct interviews and assess lung function of residents of a sample of homes with traditional stoves.  Over a period of time after the project has replaced the traditional stoves with eco-stoves in these same homes, we will conduct comparative studies.