Many Guatemalans face health risks every day, in their own homes and schools. The open fires traditionally used for cooking inside homes lead to devastating respiratory problems and severe burns. At especially high risk are children under age 5, for whom acute respiratory infection is the leading cause of death. Meanwhile, with sixty percent of disease in Guatemala waterborne, millions lack access to clean drinking water.
That’s why we are working across Guatemala to improve infrastructure with a line of high-quality, cost-effective products designed and tested to meet the needs of rural families. The ONIL cook stove is a safe alternative to open fires, removing smoke from the home and reducing firewood usage by 70%. The ONIL water filter achieves 100% removal of parasites and 99.99% removal of pathogenic bacteria.
Dozens of volunteer teams install thousands of fuel-efficient ONIL stoves and water filters in homes and schools each year. Families who receive a stove and water filter set contribute a portion of its cost and work alongside the volunteer team to install it.
HELPS’ Community Development program participants are dramatically reducing their incidence of respiratory illness and other health problems and cutting the time they spend collecting firewood. That means more time in school and earning income, especially for women and girls.
Program Impact
300,000+
ONIL stoves have been installed, positively impacting homes and organizations.
165,000+
ONIL water filters are used in schools and homes throughout Guatemala.
3.5+
million trees have been saved. This represents 21,600 acres of forest.
US$ 102
million is the estimated economic impact of the program
2.04+
million people have smoke-free environments as a result of using ONIL stoves.
"When the house is full of smoke, it gives you a headache, it irritates your eyes, and when you breathe, it gets in your throat and hurts your lungs. My ONIL stove took away the smoke and brought happiness to my home."
