the stove building

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February 4th 2010

Published: February 4th 2010

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Nancy L

stove building

Me working on our first stove

We have just finished 4 days of stove building in the village of Rancho de Teja, which is located high in the mountains north east of Xela. Jim and I were in a few different groups and completed 2 stoves and began a third. I found it very emotional when the stoves were finished and the lady of the house would thank us for her new stove. Our first family was a large extended family with the mother, father and three children, one of the daughters and her husband had a 2 chlidren of their own, a small son (about 4 yrs) and a infant daughter. The family worked sewing clothing on machines which were owned by the employer. They owned a few animals, a pig with piglets and a few turkeys as well as a sheep. The family were very happy to have a stove built and kept popping into the cooking building to see how things were going. We gave the little boy some toys and stickers which he was thrilled with. The family were also given toothpaste, tooth brushes, combes and hair ornaments. Each day we would all meet for lunch in a common room, which had been

Out side the home

Along side the home we were building in was the animals they owned.

prepared the evening before by a few of the group members. Peanutbutter and Banana sandwiches were premium fare along with cookies, and orange juice. In the evenings relaxing at Casa Argentina and then dinner in town. The group we are part of are fabulous we all work well together and are enjoying the time stove building. We travel back and forth in a mini van and two pick up trucks, at times it is crowded but it is how the locals get along. Evenings at the Casa are always interesting as the hydro in very unreliable and you can never count on the lights, always carry a flashlight is my new moto. Finding a warm shower is also a treat as we all want warm water at the same time and it really is at a premium.
Our second stove was built much higher up the mountain for a family of 5, the father we never met as he worked away and came home later in the evening. The mother was my age, 54 and had 3 children. The two daughters were at home and the youngest a boy of 14 was at school in the mornings. They were all

Matriarch of the family

The woman of the house outside the cooking building

very excited to have the stove built and were very happy to invite us into their home. In the afternoons the mother would start a fire in what they are currently using as the cooking room, it was an open fire and the room filled with smoke which drifted out across the court yard and into the building we were working in. They had a very small cat that was skeletal, and i just had to take food for it our second day there. I took some bananas for the family as well. Once the stove was completed we took pictures and said our good byes, I was just amazed at how happy the women were with the stove when I compare it to what I have at home. We are worlds apart and I am very glad to be able to help these people to have a better life. The eldest daughter was quite a stylish dresser and was always dressed up when we arrived. The family all dressed up for the picture with the stove and the son put on his new winter jacket.
This afternoon we started a stove for a much larger family, the elders with

Laying the fire box

Jim laying the bricks for the fire box in the stove

2 daughters and a son with their spouses and children. This family combined have a cow, some sheep and many chickens and turkeys.
We had to leave that stove to be finished by one of the local masons as we are off to visit a school tomorrow.

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