Sponsored by the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade and with the support of Mayor Carlos Miranda of the municipality of Comayagua and the Lions Club of Comayagua, the Justa Stove Project is working in remote villages in the Montaña de Montecillos area west of Comayagua, Honduras to replace existing wood stoves in rural homes with "Justa stoves." These stoves are designed to burn wood in an enclosed chamber, generating heat much more efficiently than traditional open-fire stoves, and routing the smoke out of the house through a chimney. It is a very simple concept, but this one simple change can improve life for the rural poor in a very profound way.
Donations for the Honduras Stove Project may be made at:
http://hondurasstoves.blogspot.com/p/justa-stove-project-montana-de.html
http://hondurasstoves.blogspot.com/p/justa-stove-project-montana-de.html
Checks should be made payable to "Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade" and sent to the address above. By including the notation on your check "For Honduras Stove Project," you can ensure that your gift will be directed to the Project. Should you wish to make a donation to the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade for the Brigade's general purposes, simply omit the notation. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent permissible by law. Your gift will be put to good use and will be very much appreciated!
Some Traditional Open-Fire Stoves in Planes:
Justa stoves have been installed in a few other villages in Honduras, and the same design has been used in many poor communities in other communities. Justa stoves have a proven track record of virtually eliminating indoor smoke exposure and reducing wood consumption, thus slowing deforestation.
Examples of Justa Stoves in Another Village:
The Places to Be Served
The Justa Stove Project will begin with installation of Justa stoves in Planes and Playitas, two remote villages which together comprise 60 houses in the Montaña de Montecillos area. The Village Project (“RVP”) of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade has considerable experience in Planes, Playitas and other communities in the area, having built, supplied and operated medical clinics in three villages, and having built and operated a potable water system serving Planes and eight other villages in the area.
Once the stove installation in Planes and Playitas have been completed, the Justa Stove Project will proceed to other remote villages that rely on wood for cooking fuel that are included in the potable water system, including El Ingerto, Buenas Noches and El Pacayal. These communities encompass approximately 190 additional houses.
Materials and Support Required
Some of the materials, including brick, concrete block, cement and rebar, will be furnished by the municipality of Comayagua. The more costly materials, including the specially fabricated steel cook-top, ceramic fire chamber, and chimney parts, will be provided by the Remote Village Project (“RVP”) of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade. The RVP will also cover the costs of hiring the mason who will lead the initial construction effort, and for transporting the materials to the end of the passable road. Finally, the people of the communities themselves will furnish sand, insulating ash, and much of the manual labor necessary to carry the materials from the end of the passable road up to the village and to build the stoves.
An essential part of the Project plan is to train several community members in the masonry and carpentry required to build Justa stoves. With that expertise, these community members will be able to build Justa stoves for new houses that are built and to help maintain the existing Justa stoves. This will further the Brigades objectives of empowering the communities and build their capacities for improving community health.
