In almost all of the high Andean rural communities of Peru, homes are built with materials from the area and the preparation of the food is carried out inside the homes, by means of open fire stoves, which work with firewood or dung of South American camelids as fuel.
Cooking under these conditions represents a great effort for those in charge of preparing food for the family. Even so, this sacrifice is faced with determination and good cheer, what is undoubtedly a clear demonstration of love for your loved ones.
Unfortunately, the practice of using the open fire inside the house for cooking, brings with it numerous health damages and safety risks for people you are trying to protect and care for. It also has a negative impact on the family economy and the environment.
The danger of burns as a result of accidents or the improper handling of kitchen utensils, as well as unhygienic, messy and saturated soot contexts in the environment where food is prepared and consumed, mainly affect children. Likewise, the presence of combustion smoke inside houses has a serious impact on family health. Thus, many of these families have respiratory problems and eye infections; this problem is also directly linked to anemia and chronic malnutrition in children, as well as to the subsequent development of serious diseases such as cancer.
To all the above is added the inefficient consumption of fuel due to the great loss of energy that occurs as a result of cooking over an open fire. This negatively affects the family economy and the environment, since it is necessary to purchase fuel more frequently.
The Humanitarian Aid Program of the Wiese Foundation annually allocates a fixed amount of money to activate and promote various humanitarian aid campaigns, normally aimed at addressing emergency and disaster situations. However, this year 2019, we made the decision to invest the aforementioned fund in what is intended to be the beginning of a new multi-year humanitarian aid project, through which we will seek to summon people and institutions with a generous heart who wish to join our purpose of contributing to change the destiny of Peruvian families in a state of extreme vulnerability.
The initiative begins with the construction and installation of certified improved kitchens in 74 homes in the high Andean communities of Calca and Lares, in the Cusco region, as well as the training of families for their proper use and maintenance, the delivery of educational materials on good practices in food preparation and nutritious recipes based on the products of the area.
If you
want to learn more about how this initiative will transform the lives of these
74 first beneficiary families, click here.
At the Wiese Foundation we work for better citizens to forge the Peru of the future. If you want to learn more about the Humanitarian Aid Program, and our past campaigns, go to the following link: bit.ly/AyudaHumanitaria.
This kitchen design was developed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), an agency of the German Government for international cooperation, and occupies the first place in the ranking of certified kitchens in Peru.
The advantages and benefits of using improved kitchens
In the aspect of health
- Tearing, stinging and redness of the eyes during food cooking disappear.
- Throat irritation during food preparation reduces.
- The hands of the people who cook stop being blackened.
- There are no soot stains on the utensils when serving food, which caused discomfort in the family.
- The frequency of diarrhea in children decreases.
- The frequency of cough due to smoke effects decreases, especially in children, who are the most vulnerable.
- Mothers do not get tired of sitting long hours in front of the stove, poking the fire.
- It facilitates the comfort and proper posture of mothers during food preparation.
- It avoids possible accidents because it provides safety during handling
- There is greater hygiene and cleanliness inside the kitchen.
In the environmental aspect
- There is no smoke in the kitchen and other areas of the house during food cooking.
- Pots, walls and ceiling are not blackened with soot.
- Ventilation inside the kitchen improves; there is a clean and healthy appearance.
- The felling of trees and shrubs in the area is reduced.
In food preparation
- Better taste of food and water, which helps to be ingested with greater appetite and taste.
- Food cooking takes less time and simultaneously, allows to do other household activities.
- It guarantees a safe handling for the children, when they help in the household chores.
- It keeps food hot for longer.
In the infrastructure of the room for cooking
- The interior aspect of the house improves.
- The cleaning in the pots by the use of the improved kitchen, promotes hygiene and order in the rest of kitchen utensils, the room destined to the preparation of food, as well as in the other rooms of the house.
- The improvements in the physical environment that occur as an effect of the presence of the improved kitchen, make the room for food preparation a pleasant and conducive environment to gather family members and improve their communication.
Construction and sustainability of the experience
- Easy to build, making use of many materials and supplies in the area.
- It provides security to the family, because the model has a stable structure, without empty spaces and with thermo-insulating characteristics.
- It allows the development of capacities in the population of the area, while the families participate in the construction, under the assistance and supervision of qualified personnel.
In the economic aspect
- Less firewood is used, with an average savings of 30% to 45%.
- The clothes of mothers and every family member who cooks do not smell like smoke and stay clean.
