Our group made a visit to the village of Zodzilchen to check on some of our past water projects and to see first hand how the eco ovens that we are now sponsoring work.
We were invited to the small school to meet the students from the village.
First stop was to check on some of the water filters we had helped secure in our previous work in 2016 & 2018.
The water in the Yucatan is not dirty… it is instead VERY hard! The water comes up from aquafers and travels thru thick deposits of limestone. Very much like our water in this part of Wisconsin, this hard water causes havoc with pipers, waterlines and heaters. It is so hard here that it can actually do physical harm if untreated water is drank for a significant period of time. That is why these water “filters” are more water softeners. It removes much of the hardness making it healthier to drink.
We were next invited to see their classroom and their Library. Smiles all around as we were able to say hello. These students not only speak Spanish, but they also speak their native Mayan language – helping keep their culture strong.
After our visit to their school, the Rotarians of the Valladolid Magico club (our hosts) and members of the village took us into the village to see how the installation of the eco stoves were going.
These traditional homes are made of branches placed virtually with a small door and a thatched roof. There is no roof ventilization.
The Smoke from the open fires collects at the top of the house – creating poor ventilation and poor air quality.
The picture below shows the soot that quickly builds up.
The hospitality from the good people of Zodzilchen was hard to put into words. Everywhere were smiles, happy children, and offers of food. At times we felt we surprised the villagers and they were apologetic for not having been prepared for us. Their hospitality found deep places in all of our hearts.
And the smiling (well – most of the time) Children were a constant joy. By looking at the pictures, I think you can see there was one particular favorite… 🙂
I almost forgot our purpose for the visit… the Eco Stove. 🙂 Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide still use traditional stoves for cooking and heating, making improved cookstove initiatives increasingly important in developing regions. The most effective stoves meet technical and safety standards with high combustion quality, minimal smoke emission, ergonomics, and structural stability.
Clubs like the Rotary Club of Valladolid Magico are working to promote their adoption within area villages. These stoves use about 70% less wood (lowering greenhouse gas emissions), while putting less pressure on local forests and wood resources.
The baffling system inside helps force direct the smoke into the flume pipe, heating it to create the vacuum to move the air outside. No new wood sources are required – as it more efficiently burns what they normally burn.
Above is the latest install. Each stove costs around $400. It is made of a cement mixture with a local cactus that makes the outside cool to the touch.
Despite the potential benefits, widespread adoption of improved cookstoves faces significant challenges. Few report comprehensive strategies for engaging all household members – men in particular don’t seem to appreciate anything that is not traditional. Success has been had in Zodzilchen by working closely with the mothers and grandmothers to show them the benefits for the health of their children. It was a slow start… but now their is a waiting list to get a new stove. 🙂
While visiting with the villagers, one could see the pride they have in their children, and how keeping true to their traditions while offering their young opportunities were important – and they were constantly working to keep these two items in balance.
More chickens = more wealth.
It was wonderful to meet these wonderful villagers. We share their hopes for the future of their kids – and are proud to work alongside the good folks of the Rotary Club of Valladolid Magico to partner and help.
After our visit, we stopped at a local restaurant for some lunch:
After returning back to our VRBO for a needed map (at least by me… 🙂 ), we headed out for a wonderful dinner.
