It’s been quite a whirlwind of visits, dinners, early mornings and lots of driving. For me, it’s been a perfect introduction to what my job will entail – boosting sales of factories and helping more communities, but also understanding the mechanics of each partner and looking for solutions to problems as they arise.
…Since that time Nancy, and all members of StoveTeam International, have been the pillar that sustained the dream to continue helping all families using fuelwood for cooking. I don’t believe that Nancy, nor I, nor the volunteers who first visited El Salvador [to help build the first factory], could imagine that we would reach this far.
They showed me their stoves, and how Eric invented two accessories to help the buyers: a set of wings on the side to rest pots and utensils (see below), and a stand for the Ecocina stove to sit upon. Also, he had reinforced the portaleña (metal piece that fits inside the front of the stove and holds the wood) for longer usage. In their words, “we have the materials and can start in a few days”. We drank coffee and ate toast with cajeta (dulce de leche) and parted ways.
I had the privilege to attend the 2020 ETHOS (Engineers in Technical and Humanitarian Opportunities of Service) convention last weekend! Engineers, stove scientists, and experts of all kinds converged in Seattle to share their latest projects and chat about their plans for the coming year. Now in its 20th year, this conference was first started by a group that included StoveTeam’s Executive Director Mike Hatfield!
