The improved cooking stove project is part of the renewable energy goal that the CEDE project promotes and aims to achieve at different poor rural communities scattered throughout the entire country. The implementation of the Improved Cooking Stove project at the community level contributes to reduce the pressure over the existing forests, and to promote a clean air environment inside the homes of poor rural families of the Dominican Republic that are using the traditional three rocks open fire in their kitchens.
Although this project is promoted as one that diminishes pressure over the existing forest of the Dominican Republic by reducing the amount of fuel wood that people use to cook their daily food, it also has other direct benefits, one of the most important being the reduction of respiratory and pulmonary illnesses of women doing daily cooking by eliminating the smoke from inside the kitchen, as well as of other families members, who in rural areas gather to socialize around the kitchen. It also reduces the risks of children getting burnt by the usual tipping of cooking pans.
Contact Information
Our Focus
Peace Corps’ Environment Sector has a long history of promoting renewable sources of energy at the grass root level. Our target population are poor rural families in all rural areas of the country.
Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas
To implement this project we use the following approach to achieve sustainability: 1) Capacity building (community based-based groups, NGO, etc.) 2) Promote project ownership among project beneficiaries 3) Promote opportunities for income generation among beneficiaries
It has occurred as a natural outcome resulting from the capacity building component mentioned above.
It is important to achieve standardization as it makes it easier to disseminate the technology. However, along with that we are also looking into reducing implementation costs of the prototype that we are promoting.
Although we are sure it improves the health conditions of women changing from open fire cooking to improved cook stoves, we have not done any documentary work in this aspect of the project, however this will be something that might be of interest for us to do in the future.
Relevant Publications or Studies
None noted
Our Contribution to the Partnership
Sharing field experience and best practices.
