[Stoves] What poor means?

[Phil Hughes]

The $2/day number can clearly mean very different things in different
places. I live in rural Nicaragua and can offer some data that at least
fits here. And here is a place where fuel-efficient stoves really are
needed.

For those with work, $2/day is the going wage. There are lots of people who
seldom work so $2/day/family in this area as far as cash income is pretty
high. That said, most people have enough land to grow much of what they eat
and few have any debts.

The cash gets spent on batteries for radios, cooking oil, salt, sugar, rice
and minimally on clothing. That's really about it. But, having no savings
and living day-to-day on what they have is typical. That is, if they had a
good week they might buy batteries for the radio but, if not, just not
listen to it.

Health care and education are free so they are non-issues (for pretty low
quality for each). That pretty well defines rural life here.

Telling someone they can reduce fuel consumption by 50%, get rid of smoke
in the house and such is not going to compute if an investment is needed.
They will walk farther to cut wood for cooking and pretend the smoke is a
non-issue. Thus, these people are unlikely to get excited about "something
better" if an investment is needed.

What will work is if they can go to a workshop showing them how to make a
stove using mud and something that is available as scrap or given to them.
Beyond that, good luck.

-- 
Phil Hughes
nicafyl at gmail.com
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