Clean Up the Air Inside Out | Overview
Clean Up the Air Inside Out
Description and Impact
Indoor air pollution is now the fourth largest health risk facing the developing world today. Smoke from primitive indoor stoves kills 1.9 million people each year, mostly women and children from lung and heart disease.
Since 2003, ProWorld Peru has implemented the Cleaner Burning Stoves Project. The goal is to install alternative technologies of cooking stoves into the homes of rural Peruvians. Most families use the traditional wood burning stoves that often lack a chimney. As a result, the majority of the smoke remains in the kitchen and has a deteriorating effect on the health of the mothers, grandmothers and children, whom are constantly in the kitchen.
What is the overall goal of the project?
The overall goal of these stoves is to reduce the amount of firewood used by the family and decrease the amount of smoke inside the home while cooking. Benefits of the stoves include:
- Health Benefits- Less smoke in the house reduces pulmonary exposure and decreases the risk of asthma or chronic bronchitis. Also, eye irritation or headaches are often alleviated as a result of a smoke-free cooking area
- Economic Benefits- The ProWorld Peru stove model burns less wood due to a reduced combustion chamber, which saves families time and money purchasing or searching for wood
- Environmental Benefits- By saving firewood, we are also reducing carbon emissions and preventing deforestation.
Project accomplishments as of 2011 (if available)
With the help of community partners and volunteers, we have:
- Installed over 4,500 stoves in over 60 different communities in Peru
- The stoves have directly impacted the lives of about 4,500 families directly and over 27,000 people
What's Included
- Homestay with a carefully-screened Peruvian family
- Daily meals (you will receive three meals a day)
- Project funding and support
- Spanish classes
- Onsite transportation and airport pickup
- Health and travel insurance
- Cultural and adventure excursions
- 24-hour support from ProWorld Peru staff
- Access to Casa ProWorld Peru – unlimited filtered water, daily fresh fruit, wireless internet
What's Not Included
- Airfare and Visa
Experience Snapshot
Urubamba, Andes Mountains, Peru
Begin first Saturday of any month (excluding Dec.), Volunteer for 1 to 26 weeks
1 week: $1,545; $320/additional week
Quechua/Spanish
Cool, dry May to October; warm, wet November to April
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“I learned how people live, experiencing another community, you don't feel like a tourist. You feel properly integrated”. --Krystina Warrington May 2010
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“In order to really help people you have to do more than build things, you have to really get to know them to learn what they want/need”. --Michelle Roy, August 2010
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“I think going to the communities and seeing how they live has been amazing. Although they live in unsanitary or poor conditions, they're still quite happy”. --Kenneth Tay, July 2009
