StoveTeam International

Today, we celebrate Día de los Muertos, a day to honor loved ones who have passed and to reflect on the beautiful traditions of Guatemala. Our team in Guatemala joins in the vibrant celebrations, filled with flowers, colorful altars, and offerings in remembrance of those who came before us. This Día de los Muertos, we also celebrate the strength and resilience of the communities we work with. Our Justa stoves represent more than just a safer way to cook—they are part of a healthier, more sustainable future that honors the rich cultural heritage of Guatemala. Thank you to our dedicated team in Guatemala and to all who support our mission to bring safe, clean cooking to families across Central America.

Every stove we install comes with a unique plaque showing its identification number and the year it was built. This makes it easy for our team to verify each stove’s location and check in with families during follow-up visits. During these visits, we document the stove’s condition and gather feedback through surveys, helping us improve and track the long-term impact of our work. Want to see our impact in action? Check out our updated stove map on our website, https://lnkd.in/gCQXZjSZ! Together, we’re creating lasting change, one stove at a time.

Last week, I had the privilege of attending Cross ERG Events at Microsoft's Silicon Valley Campus and its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It was an incredible experience representing StoveTeam International and sharing our mission with Microsoft employees. StoveTeam is grateful to have the support of several Microsoft Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), including chapters of the HOLA ERG and Sustainability ERG. Companies like Microsoft create unique opportunities for employees to engage in philanthropy, empowering them to support the causes that resonate most with them. Through donation matching and volunteer hour contributions, Microsoft amplifies the impact its employees make in the community. We are incredibly fortunate to have the support of employees who understand the urgent need to address the global crisis of open-fire cooking and recognize the meaningful difference our stove projects are making in rural, indigenous communities across Central America. A huge thank you to my wonderful hosts— Karla A., Patricia Ropelatto, Emmanuel Victorio, and Gloribel Mondragon—for making these events possible and for your continued support of StoveTeam's mission! Your dedication helps us broaden our reach, raise awareness, and grow our community!

Filomena Borges lives in the rural community of El Roblar, Nicaragua. She’s the mother of four adult children and a proud grandmother of eight. With a smile, she shares that three of her grandchildren live in Spain and two in the United States, and they care for her deeply. A year ago, they gifted her a butane gas stove so she wouldn’t have to cook over a traditional open fire anymore. Still, Filomena prefers to make her tortillas, beans, and soups over a wood fire. Most of her meals are prepared on a makeshift stove—a simple stack of pavers, much like the open-fire setups commonly found throughout the region. Even with a gas stove, she, like many families, continues to cook traditional meals over an open flame. But the smoke and soot filled her home, and the long hours spent cooking caused pain in her joints and fingers. When Filomena heard that StoveTeam was bringing smokeless stoves to her community, she eagerly asked to be added to the list. Recently, she received her stove. During the build, she was actively engaged, asking questions and absorbing all the knowledge the stove builder shared about proper care and maintenance. Our stoves are driving lasting change, not just offering temporary solutions. We understand the importance of culturally intuitive designs that truly meet the needs of families across Central America. By providing low-smoke, fuel-efficient wood fire cookstoves, we're offering more than just an alternative—we're delivering a sustainable replacement for open-fire cooking.

Today is International Day of The Girl! In rural Central America, women and girls are traditionally responsible for preparing meals for their families. For many, this includes collecting firewood, tending fires, and cooking over smoky, open flames. This daily exposure to harmful smoke affects their health and the amount of time spent tending to fires limits their opportunities for education and personal growth. At StoveTeam International, we’re changing that. By providing clean, fuel-efficient stoves, we reduce toxic smoke, prevent burns, and create safer homes where girls can thrive. Join us in supporting safer homes and better futures for all! 💙 #DayOfTheGirl #SafeHomesBetterFutures #EmpowerGirls #StoveTeamInternational

The day Yeceri Masís used her stove for the first time, she was so excited that she even decided to make a traditional Nicaraguan dessert she had never made before: corn atol. "I was thrilled, I made the atol, and it turned out delicious," she says. It's only been a few weeks since the atol's debut, and Yeceri remains just as satisfied and happy with her stove. Yeceri (42 years old) lives in the Mombacho neighborhood in the municipality of Camoapa, northern Nicaragua. She lives with her grandmother, who is over 90 years old, and two uncles, all of them elderly. She takes care of them, and one of the biggest challenges she faced daily was dealing with the health issues caused by the smoke from her old stove. Her grandmother, one of her uncles, and Yeceri herself suffer from asthma, and every time she cooked beans or wanted to make soup, the smoke would enter the rooms, causing coughing fits. "Not anymore. We haven’t even coughed because the smoke is gone. I am so grateful to everyone who made this project come here," she says. El Porvenir: Water. Life. Future.

Check out our newly updated Justa stove map! We’ve tracked the GPS coordinates of every stove installed since 2020, showing where we’ve helped families across Central America. These stoves, built by local technicians, improve health, reduce firewood costs, and protect the environment. Explore the map to see our growing impact! https://lnkd.in/gCQXZjSZ #SustainableImpact #CleanCooking #JustaStove #StoveTeamInternational

This month, we proudly welcomed Juan Maldonado to our new factory and training center in Nuevo San Carlos, Retalhuleu, where he completed his stove builder training. Juan, a dedicated member of a local community in the department of Retalhuleu, will be joining our team as a stove builder, building stoves that will benefit his own community and beyond. StoveTeam International is deeply committed to strengthening local economies by providing fair wage employment opportunities, ensuring that skilled workers like Juan can contribute meaningfully to their communities while supporting their families. Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association of Canada SumUp CHRISTADELPHIAN MEAL-A-DAY FUND OF THE AMERICAS INC

Catchup with our team in our most recent newsletter! https://lnkd.in/gjffG2H8

We'd like to introduce you to Silvia, an extraordinary woman from Retalhuleu, Guatemala, who has become a vital part of our mission. Two years ago, Silvia came to us seeking an improved cookstove for her home. At that time, we hadn't yet launched a project in her community, so we asked if she could help us identify other families in need. Silvia went above and beyond, compiling a list of households still cooking over open fires and eager to transition to a safer, more efficient stove. After visiting these homes and confirming they met our criteria, we began installing stoves—starting with Silvia's. Since then, Silvia has played a key role in helping us reach over 120 families across Retalhuleu. Her dedication to her community shines through as she continues to identify families in need and shares her personal experience with the stove. Silvia's commitment to her neighbors and her enthusiasm for our work make her an invaluable community advocate. She is eager to see our efforts expand in Retalhuleu, knowing there are still many more families who could benefit from a Justa Cookstove. Silvia's message to us is clear: we need to keep "echándole ganas"—giving our best—to help as many families as possible. CHRISTADELPHIAN MEAL-A-DAY FUND OF THE AMERICAS INC Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association of Canada SumUp