A Stove That Changed Everything

Before ERI’s intervention, Maria and her family cooked on traditional open fires. The smoke affected their health, especially the children. After attending a mud stove training session, Maria built her own stove using local clay and manure. “It uses less firewood and there’s hardly any smoke,” she shared. The change was instant — cleaner air indoors, reduced pressure on nearby forests, and a safer cooking environment. Across the region, hundreds of homes are making this simple but powerful switch.