The Open Fire Problem

For centuries the indigenous population, the Mayan, have cooked their meals using open flame three-stone fires on the dirt floors of their one room homes. This traditional method of cooking is the cause of rampant medical and environmental problems throughout rural Guatemala. There are high instances of facial and hand burns due to children falling into these open fires while they were playing or learning to walk. The excessive smoke inhalation is the leading cause of death in Guatemalan children under the age of 5, according to the World Health Organization. The deadly gas carbon monoxide is twice the level considered to be dangerous. The inefficient burning of wood for three-stone fires requires the women and children to gather huge amounts of wood daily, contributing to Guatemala's deforestation at a level of 2% per year. The time lost to long treks to get the wood combined with the effect of carrying heavy loads has a detrimental health impact on women and their families.