Our Mission

The Guatemala Stove Project (GSP) is a group of North American volunteers that began working in response to a request for help from CEDEC, an indigenous non-profit group working in Guatemala's Altiplano (Western Highlands). CEDEC had identified the need for masonry cookstoves in the communities they serve, but residents lacked the material resources to build stoves for themselves. The Guatemala Stove Project was born out of this need. Currently the GSP works with 3 Guatemalan NGO's. Other activities include emergency relief, sustainable projects promoting nutrition, education, and micro-loans. Because the stoves burn more efficiently family wood consumption is reduced by about 50%. Guatemala loses 2% of its forests annually, mainly to the need for cooking fuel firewood. The Guatemala Stove Project documents its work extensively, photographing each stove and the receiving family. It costs CND $225.00 to provide a stove for a Maya family.