The first few stoves are built


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Published: February 8th 2012
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Feb 6,2011



Today was the first day of building stoves; we broke into 4 groups with 3 masons. The day started with breakfast just down the road from our hotel, a variety of foods were offered from pancakes to fried chicken. What wasn’t eaten we packed up and it was given to the families where we were building stoves, they were very grateful for what they received. Jim, Dana and I were working in a very small room with a new mason Onesima, he was very efficient and knew what he was doing. The family we built for was very young, a mother Estephanie who was 19 years old with a young son Salvador who was 18 months and her husband who was 22, once the stove was build we had a picture taken with them and the new stove. The first day stove builders had different impressions of the day, from noticing how the families were so happy, to the children running about and the animals that were living in the families’ homes. The kitchens were black with soot from the cooking fires and it was very obvious how important the stoves with a chimney would be to these women and their children.



We had all finished our stoves by 3PM when Jose and Tom arrived at the site to take us back to the hotel. Our rooms had all been cleaned with new towels and soap put out. Jim, Dana and I changed rooms to a larger room which is divided into two sections and we now have more space to move around.



In bed and fast asleep by 9:30, we were all really tired from a day of building stoves, tomorrow we will be up and out to the village again building for another family.







Feb. 7 – Breakfast at the restaurant up the road again, fruit and pancakes are always a good way to start your day. Jose arrived at 9 to transport us to the village. It is about an hour drive from the place we are staying to the village along some very steep and winding roadways. The roads here are not what we are used to at home, the alternate from cobbled roads, to dirt roads and back. We drive through a number of villages spread across the mountainsides with quite a variety of housing structures. Beautiful coloured stucco, blocks and concrete to shacks of tin and adobe.



Jim, Dana and I lucked out today and had Marvin as our mason, he is a master craftsman and very eager to teach. The day went quickly, but we are tired and feeling the altitude. It is so important to remember to drink water and keep hydrated; this makes such a difference to the altitude sickness. The family we built for today was an older family with 4 older siblings 2 boys and 2 girls and a much younger baby under 3 years who is currently in hospital and very ill. Lunch was sandwiches and vegetables again today with pineapple and apples, enjoyed by all. After lunch we finished up the stove by 2 and walked out to the road to await transport back to the hotel. Everyone is feeling tired as we head back to the city and thing about dinner.



We were joined by the rest of the group as we went to an Indian restaurant for dinner. Then home to bed as we begin the whole cycle over again in the morning.


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