Tulum, Q.R. — More than 200 Mayan homes are being outfitted with ecological stoves. The stoves are part of an ongoing program to eliminate the use of open and unventilated wood burning practices.
On Thursday, around 250 Mayan homes were earmarked to receive the new stoves. The stoves are being delivered thanks to an alliance between the Tulum City Council and the Soriana Foundation.
The 250 stoves are being installed in homes in five Mayan communities around the municipality. Tulum Mayor Diego Castañón Trejo, who was accompanied by Mayan Deputy Silvia Dzul Sánchez, led the delivery of stoves.
“I thank the Soriana Fundación for the donation that it is providing today. Ecological stoves are important for sustainable development, but they also have the advantage that they respect the culture and traditions of the Mayan communities,” said Castañón Trejo.
The Director of Soriana Fundación, Claudia Aguado, reported that the corporation chose five communities in Tulum according to a diagnosis that was made to improve their living conditions.
“Today we are installing 250 ecological stoves with two main advantages. The first is a reduction of 60 percent in firewood required to cook and the second, to take care of the health of the people who cook,” she said.
The stoves were donated due to a request by the Tulum Mayor who asked the President of Soriana Fundación, Ricardo Martín Bringas, for support for his communities.
The ecological stoves are provided by the specialized company Fuego Limpio and are made of reinforced concrete. The stoves have a 3-millimeter-thick metal plate and removable rings so it can be used as a griddle.
The stoves require a lot less wood compared to traditional methods, which often requires hours of jungle hunting. The new stove also removes all toxic burning through three extractor tubes.
