When was the last time you gave thought and consideration to the condition of the water you drink or the sanitation system of your home, and your general comfort, especially at this time when you transition from your heating system to air conditioning with just the push of a button or the sliding of a switch?
These wonderful conveniences that are all too-often taken for granted here in America, certainly were vivid in the minds of seven members of the St. George Rotary Club during their recent trip to Guatemala where they participated in one of their international humanitarian service projects.
The activities were centered in the mountain villages where the combined efforts of Rotary and other foundations cooperate and partner to build schools, restrooms and sanitation systems, water systems and stoves. The focus of our team was upon the stove project.
Even though one might think there is plenty of ventilation in the little huts and homes for the occupants of these wonderful Mayan villagers since they are commonly put together with cane stocks or bamboo, some with mud formed into adobe blocks, with corrugated plastic or tin for roofs and some walls. The primary health problem for these people is upper respiratory illness. It is customary for all their cooking over a little open fire inside the dwelling place much of the day. Many children die or are maimed for life from falling into the fires. The little walls and ceiling area around and over the stove or fire area are back from smoke and coated with creosote from the burned wood which is their fuel source. Think of your last campout or hunting trip and working over the open fire and smelling the strong, burning smoke and contending with the flying ash; this is the constant condition for the occupants of the house, but particularly the woman.
Our cooperative project entails the building of stoves with cinder block foundation with a fire box lined with fire brick and a smoke vent to the outside of the house. The result is greater efficiency in the use of the fuel, with a controlled fire contained in the fire box and a cook top that provides much more work surface and virtually the elimination of harmful and damaging smoke inside the home.
It was very exciting to see the beauty of that country and to try to play into the antiquity of their early culture, but to observe the great joy expressed by these people for the gift of a better life was the greatest reward of all.
St. George REALTOR® Jim Coleman is Associate Broker and Partner/Owner of ERA Brokers Consolidated. He Specializes in Residential, Investment and Commercial Real Estate, holding National Designations of Accredited Buyers Representative (ABR), Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Resort and Second Home Property Specialist (RSPS), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS), GREEN Property Specialist, and Certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource Specialist (SFR). You can contact him by e-mail at Jim@JimColeman4Homes.com. Call: (435) 627-5411; or write: Jim Coleman, 201 East St. George Boulevard, St. George, Utah 84770. This and other columns are available at www.WinningTalk.com/articles.