Safe Stove Family Interviews in Llanos del Pinal

Text and photos by Amy Scheuren 

On Tuesday July 21, 2015 we began interviews for the next group of Safe Stove Project families.  Carmencita, Carmelina, Amy, and Sarah, a current Pop Wuj Social Work Spanish student traveled to Llanos del Pinal to interview three potential stove families.

17-year-old Karina in her kitchen

Karina's 24-year-old sister-in-law, Maria Marleny, in her kitchen

What struck me most about the three families was that they were all young families.  Each family included a young mother and father with a young child, often temporarily living in their parents' or in-laws' homes.

Pop Wuj continues to reach out to families with small children because babies and small children are more likely to be in the kitchen with their mothers and therefore be exposed to more smoke.  The risk of accidental burns is also higher.

Elsa's son often plays near the fire

Little Jairo helps his mother harvest radishes in their "front yard"