White Salmon-Bingen Rotarians help build 74 safe cookstoves in Guatemala

StoveTeam International is a nonprofit organization that provides safe, sustainable cookstoves to families throughout Central America, aiming to improve living conditions and ignite lasting change.

According to White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club International Service Committee Chair Tamara Kaufman, Cupo’s pitch was an instant hit with members. “They were immediately super interested in the project,” Kaufman said. “We’ve been doing a lot of work in Africa, so it was nice that this was something happening in our hemisphere.”

Since cooking in Central America is typically done over an open fire, often in an enclosed house or hut, it can create a suboptimal environment for inhabitants. Fumes accumulate without proper ventilation, posing respiratory risks for young children. They also demand extra time and labor, forcing the homemaker — almost exclusively women — to collect wood.

The replacements, “Justa Cookstoves,” made out of mud and brick, are built in the beneficiary’s home. The body of the stove is insulated, topped with a removable metal cooking surface (plancha) and equipped with a built-in chimney that vents harmful emissions from the kitchen.

Justa Cookstoves reduce smoke inside the home to nearly zero, use half as much wood and save up to 12 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere over their lifespan, equal to the total yearly output of the average American. “It’s like a big cinderblock, capturing warmth and energy, but it disperses the heat,” Kaufman said. “So if a child touches it, they aren’t going to get burnt.”

Each stove costs $250. Rotary partners pooled funds to cover the bulk of the total, while StoveTeam International donated its time and administrative support for project oversight. Each beneficiary family contributed roughly $33 toward their stove and provided sweat equity by helping to transport materials and assist with construction.

By June 2025, 70 stoves were completed. Later, from Oct. 30 to Nov. 8, 10 people, including Kaufman and three others from the White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club, traveled to Guatemala on a self-funded trip, where they connected with members of Club Rotario Retalhuleu and StoveTeam International, and met beneficiary families. Four more stoves were constructed during the journey, bringing the total to 74.

“The people were so kind and welcoming,” Kaufman said. “The ones we spoke to said it made their lives a lot easier, and they were less worried about children being around the stove.”

Moving forward, travelers are discussing a potential stove grant to continue work and expand StoveTeam International’s capacity. Rotarians are also working with Club Rotario Retalhuleu on other projects, chiefly addressing deficiencies in water and sanitation facilities within Guatemalan schools.

Kaufman encourages community members in the Gorge to pitch in for future endeavors. “Everyone can participate if they see and feel moved to do something,” Kaufman. “If they have knowledge, skills, or finances they’re willing and able to share, they’re more than welcome to do so without necessarily joining a club.”