StoveTeam International

Our follow-up visits provide us with more than just information and feedback—they create a deeper connection between our team and the families we serve. Through these visits, we are building long-term relationships founded on trust, understanding, and mutual respect.

These meaningful connections create opportunities for us to make a multilayered impact within the community. We value every opportunity to learn from the families we support, and their experiences continue to shape and strengthen our work.

This is one of the most rewarding and special aspects of our Monitoring & Restoration Initiative.

Our work in Nuevo Palmar, Guatemala, continues with the delivery of stove kits to 10 families in the Monte Margarita community. Supported by our Rotary partnerships, these efforts contribute to sustainable community development and lasting improvements for local families. This project was made possible through the generous support of the Hillsboro Rotary Club of District 5100, bringing safer, more efficient cooking solutions to households in need. Hillsboro Rotary Club DG Susanne Holmberg, Rotary District 5100 Rotary International

A picture from the road. In rural communities of Guatemala, you will see individuals of all ages carrying wood, just like this. The majority, women and children, take on this tiring daily task.

By building fuel-efficient Justa Stoves in homes, we can reduce the amount of firewood families need, improve air quality inside homes, and help preserve the forests these communities depend on for future generations.

Christadelphian Meal a Day of Americas (CMAD) Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association SumUp

This season, there are many ways to support StoveTeam International and help us continue growing our impact in Totonicapán, Guatemala.

This week, Jonatan and Waleska visited stove recipients in Totonicapán to complete follow-up surveys and learn more about their experience with their Justa Stove. These conversations are an important part of our work, helping us understand how our programs are supporting families, improving health, reducing indoor air pollution, and making daily life easier for families.

We are determined to help more families in Totonicapán receive Justa Stoves, but we need your help. There are several ways you can help us expand our work in the region this summer.

🔥Donate today to help us expand our programs in Totonicapán and reach more families. https://www.stoveteam.org/donate

🔥Join our Embership program with a recurring monthly gift. Consistent support helps us plan for the future and invest in long-term, sustainable growth. https://www.stoveteam.org/embership

🔥Join our Legacy Society by leaving a gift in your estate plans. Legacy gifts help ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from clean cooking solutions and community-driven development. https://www.stoveteam.org/legacy-society

No matter how you choose to give, your support helps create healthier homes, stronger communities, and lasting change in the communities that need it most.

Waleska is in Totonicapán this week, visiting stove recipients with our local Surveyor and Field Coordinator, Jonatan. We love to see stoves like these during our visits to Totonicapán, stoves that have become more than an essential everyday appliance but a beloved part of the home that reflects a family's personality and style.

We are incredibly proud of the impact this work is having in Totonicapán, and none of it would be possible without the generosity of our donors and supporters. Thank you for helping us bring improved health, greater comfort, and lasting joy to families in need. Your support is making a real difference, one home at a time. https://www.stoveteam.org/donate

We are thrilled to welcome Steffanie Rivas Sorrells to the StoveTeam Board of Directors!

Steffanie first became involved with StoveTeam several years ago through Rotary, driven by a passion for supporting our mission. Her dedication and leadership led to a connection with the Rotary Club of Retalhuleu, creating a strong and lasting partnership that ultimately enabled StoveTeam to establish a permanent presence in the region.

Since then, Steffanie has continued to champion StoveTeam’s work through fundraising efforts, support from her Rotary club, and as a Rotary ambassador who has helped share our mission with additional clubs throughout her district. Her advocacy and enthusiasm have expanded awareness of our work and strengthened our network of supporters.

Steffanie serves on multiple nonprofit boards and fundraising committees, where she champions causes that improve the lives of those in need. We are honored to have her passion, experience, and commitment to help guide StoveTeam’s future.

On cold mornings in Quiché, Guatemala, families gather around their Justa stove, sharing warmth and time together before their day begins. During her visit, Waleska was honored to see how these stoves have become such an important part of daily life in so many homes. More than just a stove, each one helps create a safer, healthier space where families can connect and make memories together.

In Totonicapán, Guatemala, families rely on firewood every day to prepare meals and care for one another. But gathering wood is exhausting work, and smoke from open cooking fires fills homes with harmful pollution that impacts the health of mothers and children most.

The communities of Totonicapán are working hard to protect their forests through conservation, reforestation, and sustainable resource management, and we are honored to support those efforts.

By helping provide fuel-efficient Justa Stoves, we can reduce the amount of firewood families need, improve air quality inside homes, and help preserve the forests these communities depend on for future generations.

A single stove can transform a home. Your generosity can help transform an entire community. https://www.stoveteam.org/donate

Recently, Waleska and Jose completed a trip to Nebaj, where they visited the stoves installed in 2024 through a Rotary project led by the Palo Alto Rotary Club in California.

During their visit, they were welcomed by Manuela, who generously agreed to serve as their translator throughout the trip. Many of the families in the communities they visited primarily speak Ixil, making Manuela’s support essential in helping foster meaningful conversations and connections.

Throughout the visit, Waleska had the privilege of hearing Manuela’s story and learning more about her community through her perspective. Manuela is a single mother who works tirelessly each day to provide for her son. From Monday through Friday, she wakes up at 4 a.m. to begin preparing meals for more than 100 children at a local school before continuing with the many responsibilities of her day.

Even while helping during her days off, Manuela never complained about the long hours, the intense heat, or the nearly 10 kilometers walked each day between communities. Instead, she met every challenge with positivity, strength, and generosity. Her commitment to her community and her willingness to help others made this trip possible and reminded us that the true impact of this work comes from the people who walk alongside us.

We are excited to share more stories from this trip in the coming days. The families Waleska and Jose visited expressed deep gratitude for their stoves and shared that they continue to use them every day. Hearing their stories and seeing the lasting impact of these projects firsthand was a powerful reminder of why our work matters and how transformative a new stove can be for a family.

Doña Ceferina Agustina Yáx Yáx, 85, from Chiyax, Totonicapán, has spent her life cooking over an open fire.

In 2024, with support from EcoLogic Development Fund, StoveTeam International installed an improved Justa cookstove in her home. Today, it is used every day and is clearly well-loved.

After years of use, her stove now needs minor repairs. Through StoveTeam’s Enhanced Monitoring & Restoration program, we can restore it and extend its impact for years to come.

For Ceferina, this stove means dignity, comfort, and a healthier home. Your donation this month will help us continue this important work—building stoves for families in Totonicapán and restoring the beloved stoves that have become essential to everyday life. https://www.stoveteam.org/donate