Protect Guatemalan Forests with Clean Cookstoves

As we come to the end of the year, we take this moment to reflect with gratitude on the work accomplished alongside the communities we serve. This year was defined by stronger relationships, deeper trust, and a continued commitment to environmental protection, women’s health, and community-led change.

One of the most meaningful initiatives this year was the continued development of our Forest Walks for Women program. Through this initiative, we engaged 54 women in guided forest walks that combined environmental education, physical activity, and emotional well-being. These walks created safe and welcoming spaces where women could reconnect with nature, with one another, and with their own leadership. In collaboration with El Hospitalito, we reinforced the close connection between environmental health and women’s overall well-being, emphasizing that caring for the land is also a way of caring for ourselves.

Before each series of walks, our team carried out community outreach visits, speaking directly with women in their homes and community spaces to invite them to participate, listen to their concerns, and build trust. In total, we completed 20 outreach visits to encourage women’s participation in the Forest Walks, ensuring the program was inclusive, accessible, and responsive to their needs.

To close this cycle, we organized a community convivio with the participating women. This gathering was a moment of celebration and reflection, where participants shared experiences, strengthened bonds, and recognized their own growth throughout the year. Today, these women continue their journey as our Environmental Champions, sharing knowledge and promoting sustainable practices within their families and communities.

Alongside these activities, our team remained committed to continuous follow-up, education, and technical support. From January to December, we maintained a strong presence in the community through regular household visits, ensuring the proper use, maintenance, and long-term success of improved cookstoves and water filters. This consistent engagement enabled us to address challenges, provide timely support, and strengthen the overall impact of our work.

This year also marked an important collaboration in San Pedro La Laguna, where we worked alongside Comunidad Educativa Taa Tin ONG to install improved cookstoves. This partnership helped us extend the benefits of clean, efficient cooking technologies to more families, reducing indoor air pollution and

 strengthening inter-organizational collaboration at the community level.

Throughout the year, we installed 120 new Q'aaq' stoves. Each stove means less coughing, fewer respiratory problems, and a healthier home for women and children. We conducted 13 promotional activities and completed 61 visits to improve cookstoves. We completed 375 maintenance visits and 384 household visits, including repairs and reinstallations as needed. Educational outreach remained a priority, with 53 educational visits and 121 site visits completed. We also supported access to clean water by installing four Utz-Ja’ water filters and replacing four filter candles. In addition, we held eight Forest Walks and educational meetings related to the program.

This year reaffirmed the importance of combining environmental action with education, health, and women’s leadership. The progress achieved was made possible through the trust of the communities we serve and the continued support of our donors and partners.

As we move into the new year, we invite you to continue walking this path with us. Your ongoing support allows us to expand our programs, reach more families, and strengthen women’s leadership in environmental protection and community health. Together, we can continue building healthier homes, empowered communities, and a more sustainable future.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

At Tu’ik Ruch’ Lew (TRL), we may be a small team, but together we are carrying out big work. Our mission is to help families in Santiago Atitlán breathe cleaner air, cook safely, and care for the environment that sustains us all. Thanks to your support, this year has already been full of meaningful progress, and we are honored to share it with you.

From January to August 2025, our team has:

• Installed 65 eco-stoves, giving families an alternative to smoky open fires. Each stove means less coughing, fewer respiratory problems, and a healthier home for women and children.
• Made more than 690 household visits. These visits include follow-ups, maintenance, education, and site assessments to make sure that every stove is being used effectively and continues to improve family life.
• Completed 4 repairs and 5 reinstallations, ensuring that no family is left behind when a stove needs attention.

But the true story lies beyond the numbers. Every installation means a mother no longer cooks over an open fire that fills her kitchen with smoke. Every follow-up visit brings reassurance that families are cared for and supported. Every demonstration shows that change is possible, practical, and life-giving.

Much of this work in the field is carried out by Candelaria and Isa. They walk alongside families during installations, offering patient guidance and care and demonstrations, explaining how the stoves work and why they matter, often with a warm smile that makes neighbors stop and listen. Meanwhile, the rest of our staff serve faithfully behind the scenes—coordinating, planning, and ensuring that each day in the field runs smoothly.

Behind every number is the effort of a united team. Each of us has a different role, but together we share one mission: to improve lives while protecting the forests and the land we all depend on.

We are grateful for your continued support, which makes this work possible. Your generosity is not only bringing stoves to homes—it is bringing health, hope, and a cleaner environment for future generations.