Give efficient stoves to 100 Guatemalan families

Thank you for continuing to support GuateBuena’s work in Guatemala through GlobalGiving and GRACE Cares.

For this reporting period, GuateBuena does not yet have new efficient stove installations to report. Wilfred shared that the team expects to resume work on efficient stoves during the final quarter of the year, with a small group of approximately 10 to 20 stoves planned at this stage. While stove activities are expected later in the year, GuateBuena has continued advancing related environmental and community wellbeing work through its broader ecological programming.

Thanks to the valuable support of GRACE Cares, GlobalGiving, and donors from the year-end campaign, GuateBuena has been able to cover part of its operating costs, including basic services, educational materials for workshops, and other needs that help ensure continuity across its programs.

This year, GuateBuena has prioritized strengthening its Ecological Wellbeing area through the creation of an experimental ecological space on land acquired earlier this year. This space was created to promote environmental care and foster a culture of respect for nature. It will serve as a place where children, youth, and families can learn, experiment, and reflect on the importance of protecting the earth, reducing pollution, and adopting sustainable practices that can be replicated in their communities.

The ecological area is being developed with several practical goals:

• Reusing recycled materials such as plastic, cardboard, and used tires to build different spaces within the ecological area
• Reforesting the land with a diversity of trees and plants that promote biodiversity and provide habitat for birds and other species
• Establishing a medicinal plant garden as a learning space about traditional uses and benefits
• Developing organic vegetable gardens to promote sustainable food production and environmental education

In recent weeks, GuateBuena has made important progress. The first steps have been built using recycled tires, posts have been installed to fence the land with wire mesh, and the planting of the first vegetables has begun. These include cucumber, amaranth, corn, beans, arugula, radish, cabbage, and various edible herbs.

The team has also started planting trees and fruit species, including banana, peach, and apple. Over time, these plantings will contribute to restoring the land, improving the local environment, and creating a healthier ecosystem.

This progress has been possible because of donor generosity. Your support has helped GuateBuena hire an ecological builder, purchase materials needed to fence the land, and continue developing a space that will benefit the community for years to come.

Although efficient stove implementation is expected later in the year, this ecological work remains closely connected to the same long-term vision: healthier homes, stronger environmental education, reduced pollution, and more sustainable community practices.

On behalf of GuateBuena, GRACE Cares, and the communities served through this work, thank you for believing in this mission. Each contribution helps invest in education, environmental care, and the wellbeing of future generations.

Links:

• GRACE Cares Website
• GuateBuena's page on GRACE Cares

Dear Supporters of GuateBuena's Efficient Stoves,

When we last updated you, 60% of the planned stove installations had been completed. We’re pleased to share that all 140 efficient, low-smoke stoves were fully distributed to families across rural Guatemala, finishing 2025 with a success.

Current Impact:

• 140 stoves installed

• 140 families directly benefiting

• 3 community workshops conducted on environmental awareness and preventive health

These workshops focused on reducing deforestation, lowering firewood costs, and preventing respiratory and eye illnesses linked to indoor smoke. Families are benefitting from improved air quality and safer cooking conditions.

The milestone of 140 stoves distributed is a transformation for the families and community at-large. Each stove reduces daily smoke exposure, cuts household fuel expenses, and protects surrounding forests.

Already Ramping Up In 2026:
In the coming year, GuateBuena will continue pairing stove access with environmental education, financial empowerment for women, and health promotion. The focus will be on reinforcing safe usage practices, expanding community awareness, and identifying additional families who can benefit from clean-cooking solutions. 

Thank you for helping turn practical solutions into lasting change.

Links:

• GuateBuena's page on GRACE Cares