Children International Provides Stoves that Save Lives in Latin America

Protecting Women and Children While Reducing Wood Consumption and Air Pollution

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Apr 22, 2013, 11:58 ET

KANSAS CITY, Mo., April 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Children International, a leading humanitarian organization, is providing fuel-efficient Ecocina cookstoves that can save lives among poor families in rural Honduras. The stoves are also better for the environment because they reduce wood consumption and harmful pollutants – a great reason to celebrate on Earth Day. In stark contrast to modern kitchens where burners can be turned on and off at will, "kitchens" in rural areas of the developing world often consist of open flames inside highly flammable primitive homes.

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Cooking over open flames presents many dangers. It presents a burn and fire hazard for the women who cook as well as the children at their feet, exposes the families to pollutants that can contribute to bronchial and lung problems, and also puts children, often young girls, in danger as they search for firewood alone in the forest.

Children International operates community centers in areas where extreme poverty is the norm. "Inside our community centers, children experience things similar to what you might see in the United States – tile floors, restrooms, chairs and desks. They receive health and dental care and participate in programs with caring adults, all designed to help them escape the traps of poverty. Working in those communities, however, we see the very real dangers the children and their families face in their own homes. Cooking over open flames is one of those dangers. These Ecocina stoves make a life-saving difference, and we are glad to be able to help these families," says Jim Cook, president of Children International.

The Ecocina stoves are manufactured in Honduras by E'Copan, a StoveTeam-sponsored factory. StoveTeam has been awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Partnership for Clean Indoor Air Award for Developing Local Markets for their innovative approach to creating local employment, improving health and reducing air pollution.

To sponsor a child living in poverty, visit www.children.org.

To make a contribution for a family living in poverty, visit Help a Family.

Established in 1936, Children International is an award-winning humanitarian organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International delivers services through more than 80 community centers. The organization's programs benefit approximately 340,000 children and their families in 11 countries around the world, including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States and Zambia.