1500th wood-burning stove in Guatemala

Together with the austrian organisation SeisoFrei, ÖkoFEN is putting an end to fireplaces that are harmful to health

In the villages in the highlands of Guatemala, open fireplaces are used for cooking and heating in the huts. The flames soot the living spaces, the smoke damages the health of the inhabitants and the flames endanger the children.

Together with the organisation SeisoFrei, for which ÖkoFEN managing director Stefan Ortner is an ambassador, a project was initiated to take joint action against the harmful heating and cooking methods in Guatemala.

The ÖkoFEN employees enthusiastically optimised the plans for a cooking and heating station made in Guatemala. The result was simple but efficient wood-saving stoves - masonry stoves with an iron plate and flue. Young men were then taught on site how to build these stoves and have now already been able to install the 1500th wood-saving stove, thus helping many families.