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Session 17. Diagnosing and Repairing Malfunctioning Cookstoves[edit | edit source]

PART ONE: DIAGNOSIS

Total time: 1 hour
Objectives: To diagnose problems with malfunctioning stoves
To discuss cultural values which influence diagnosis and repair of malfunctioning stoves
Resources: Attachment II-17/1, "Cookstove Role-Play Situations"
Evans and Boutette, Lorena Stoves, pp. 76-75
Materials: Malfunctioning cookstoves, fuel, pots for cooking
Trainer Notes

This session requires preparation. You will need several malfunctioning stoves. If necessary, sabotage the stoves so that each has a different problem, i.e., a fallen firebox bridge, cracks, poor draft, poorly fitting potholes, a clogged chimney or tunnel, etc. Before the session begins, select three volunteers from among the participants to take part in the role-play. The role-players should consist of a woman villager and a visiting man-woman team of development workers involved in a cookstove program. Brief the "Village Woman" apart from the "Development Workers" to promote more spontaneous and genuine responses from the role-players. Distribute Part A of the Attachment IT-17/1 to the "Village Woman" and Part B to the "Development Workers." The role-players should be prepared before the session begins.

Procedures:

Step 1. (5 minutes)

Review the session objectives and explain the activities.

Trainer Notes

Explain that this is a two-part session: Part One will deal with diagnosing problems with cookstoves, and Part Two will deal with repairing them. When you mention the role-play activity, ask that participants watch for behaviors among the role-players that reflect cultural values.

Step 2. (15 minutes)

Have the volunteers perform the role-play.

Step 3. (15 minutes)

Have participants discuss the role-play.

Trainer Notes

To stimulate discussion, ask the following questions:

  • How did the role-players feel during their performances?
  • What did you notice during the role-play that might have reflected the development workers' cultural values? The villagers cultural values?
  • What issues were brought out regarding diagnosis and repair of malfunctioning stoves?

Step 4. (20 minutes)

Guide the participants to each of the malfunctioning stoves and have them diagnose the problem with each.

Trainer Notes
  • Have the participants suggest ways to repair each stove.
  • It may be necessary to start fires in some of the stoves to diagnose the problems.

COOKSTOVE ROLE-PLAY SITUATIONS

Part A: The Village Woman

You are the woman-of-the-house in a small rural village. About six months ago, a team of development workers from the Ministry of Community Development convinced you that you needed an improved cookstove. They built the stove and briefly showed you how to use it.

You used the stove successfully for a few weeks when it ceased to function properly. You were unable to find out why, so you returned to cooking on an open fire.

You had heard from a village official that a new development team was in the area, and that they might be able to repair the stove. You have invited them to stop by your house.

When they arrive, you will be cooking on an open fire next to your non-functioning sand/clay cookstove. To make the role-play more realistic, you are encouraged to improvise a costume and, if possible, be preparing a hot beverage for your visitors.

Part B: The Development Team

You are a female health worker and a male technical stove worker assigned to the Ministry of Community Development. You have recently arrived in-country and have just begun your field assignment. This is your first visit to a village and you are very eager to make a favorable impression.

You have been asked by one of the village officials to visit the house of one of the village women to examine her improved cookstove that is not functioning properly. You have been told by the official that the stove was built about six months ago by another team of development workers.

PART TWO: REPAIR

Total time: 1 hour
Objective: To repair malfunctioning cookstoves and/or improve existing ones
Resources: Evans and Boutette, Lorena Stoves, pp. 74-75
Materials: Damaged or poorly constructed stoves, sand/clay mix, water, spoons, machetes

Procedures:

Step 1. (55 minutes)

Have the participants form work groups and repair or improve a malfunctioning or poorly constructed stove.

Trainer Notes
  • Assign each work group one of the malfunctioning stoves.
  • Circulate among the groups and assist them by pointing out specific problems and methods for repairing them.
  • Mention the importance of improving stoves through better baffles, different kinds of dampers, better firebox sizes and shapes, etc.

Step 2. (5 minutes)

Reconvene the groups and have them read pages of Lorena Stoves before the end of the session.

Session 18. Other Responses To Fuel Scarcity[edit | edit source]

Total time: 1 hour
Objectives:
  • To identify and discuss possible responses to fuel scarcity in the developing world (other than fuel-saving cookstoves)
  • To discuss and examine a retained heat (haybox) cooker
Resources:
  • Aprovecho Institute, Helping People in Poor Countries, pp. 98-100
  • Aprovecho Institute, Retained Heat Cooking
Materials: Two retained heat (haybox) cookers, basket or box with lids, hay or other insulation material, cookpot with lid, soup, rice, beans or stew, newsprint and felt-tip pens
Trainer Notes
  • In this session, the retained heat or haybox cooker will be demonstrated. You will need to prepare a pot of food to be cooked in the haybox. (For more information, see Helping People in Poor Countries)

Procedures:

Step 1. (5 minutes)

Review the session objectives and outline the activities.

Step 2. (10 minutes)

Have the participants identify and discuss possible responses to fuel scarcity in the developing world (other than fuelsaving cookstoves).

Trainer Notes
  • List the responses on newsprint.
  • Some possible responses include: reforestation, solar energy, biogas, retained heat cookers, kerosene, charcoal, etc. (See Phase I: Session 14, "Global Energy Issues," for more information.)
  • Explain that this session will focus on one of these responses: the retained heat or haybox cooker.

Step 3. (40 minutes)

Demonstrate and discuss how the retained heat (haybox) cooker works.

Trainer Notes

Begin by bringing a pot of beans or soup to a boil. With the lid on, put the pot into the haybox. Do not open it until the food is cooked (about one hour and 15 minutes for rice or three hours for beans). Encourage the participants to examine and ask questions about the cooker. Stimulate discussion by asking the following questions:

How does the retained heat cooker work?
What heat retention principles does it employ?
What are the fuelsaving advantages of the cooker?

Points to cover when explaining the haybox cooker include:

Stop the air flow (convection) with a lid on the pot and with a tightly enclosed box, bag or basket
Stop conduction and radiation with insulation (straw, sawdust, feathers, etc.) packed tightly around the pot. Approximately four inches of most insulating materials will be sufficient. Stress the use of locally available insulating materials.
The haybox does not work for small amounts of food. There must be sufficient mass of food for it to store enough heat to work properly.
The haybox does not work well at high altitudes. The initial temperature of boiling water at high altitudes is not enough to store adequate heat.
The foods for which the haybox is most suitable include those needing long, slow cooking periods (such as beans, grains, root vegetables, tough meats, stews, soups, longcooking sauces, etc.).

Step 4. (5 minutes)

Have a participant summarize the advantages of a retained heat (haybox) cooker.

Trainer Notes

Mention that a cooker can be an effective first step, alternative or complement to introducing cookstoves to a village and that it can serve to establish the credibility of a development worker.

Session 19. Charcoal Production and Stoves[edit | edit source]

Total time: 1 hour
Objectives: To discuss how charcoal is produced

To identify and discuss advantages and disadvantages of charcoal as a fuel To discuss ways in which traditional charcoal cookstoves could be improved

Resource: Aprovecho Institute, Helping People in Poor Countries, pp. 132-137
Materials: Wood for fuel, retort (see Trainer Note, Step 4), examples of traditional charcoal cookstoves, newsprint and felt-tip pens or chalkboard/chalk
Trainer Notes

This session will require preparation of a charcoal retort. You will also need to have an operating charcoal stove for demonstration purposes (see Trainer Notes, Step 2).

Procedures:

Step 1. (5 minutes)

Review the session objectives and outline the activities.

Step 2. (10 minutes)

Have the participants identify and discuss the characteristics of a charcoal fire, as compared with a wood fire.

Trainer Notes

Ask the participants if they have ever cooked on a charcoal fire and if they noticed how it burned differently from a wood fire. List their responses on newsprint, and encourage questions and discussions. If they are not identified by the group, add the following characteristics to the list:

Little flame
More even heat
Mostly radiant heat (pots need to be closer)
Few hot gases (not suitable for stoves with tunnels)
Needs more evenly distributed air (burns best on 25% - 35% grate)

For demonstration purposes, it is best to have a functioning charcoal stove on hand during the discussion.

Step 3. (10 minutes)

Briefly explain how charcoal is produced

Trainer Notes

Describe the earthen mound system, external fire charcoal retorts and internal fire charcoal kilns. Discuss efficiencies of each type (wood in - charcoal out) and the energy content of charcoal and wood.

Step 4. (Optional, 10 minutes)

Have the group begin the charcoal-making process by loading and firing a retort.

Trainer Notes

To make a simple retort:

Using a 60cm (2') section of stove pipe, load it tightly with wood, being careful to allow some air space.
Cap the ends of the stove with ferromud (fine mesh wire plastered with a clay/sand mixture).
Set the retort over an open fire.
Periodically check the ends for air leaks. Leave the retort on the fire for several hours (see drawing below).
[[File:]]
Figure

Step 5. (15 minutes)

Have the participants identify and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of charcoal as a fuel.

Trainer Notes

List the advantages and disadvantages in separate columns on newsprint. Add the following points to the list, if they are not identified by the participants:

Advantages Disadvantages
Low smoke Increased deforestation due to poor conversion rate (out of total wood burned for charcoal, there is a 65 80X energy loss)
Light weight for transport Gives off poisonous fume
Less volume (easy to store, especially in cities) Dirty
Used with low cost and portable stoves Carbon dust is health hazard
Easy to see  
Stores well for a long period at a constant moisture content  
Provides employment  
Explain that although charcoal causes more rapid deforestation, the demand for charcoal will continue. There will continue to be a demand for it as a fuel source in the cities. The need exists to develop more efficient charcoal production techniques and charcoal stoves.

Step 6. (15 minutes)

Present examples of traditional charcoal cookstoves and discuss ways in which they could be made more fuel-efficient.

Trainer Notes

Suggest the following improvements:

Insulate around the stove and under the grate area (leaving sufficient draft).
Install a damper.
Construct a ferromud chimney around the pot.
Recess the pot deeper into the stove.

Step 7. (5 minutes)

Conclude by reviewing the objectives.

Trainer Notes

Explain that everyone will have the option of building a charcoal cookstove in the second stove construction session, Phase II: Session 21. Encourage participants going to urban areas or countries in which charcoal is common to build charcoal stoves in Session 21.

Session 20. Custom and Food[edit | edit source]

Total time: 2 hours
Objectives: To discuss the role that custom and belief play in determining diets in the United States and in developing countries

To develop a sample, low-cost, nutritious diet using specific cultural guidelines

Resources: Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, pp. 1-17

Brownlee, Community, Culture & Care, pp. 1 73-21 3 Jelliffe,Child Nutrition in Developing Countries, Chapter IV Katz, Food, Where Nutrition, Politics and Culture Meet, pp. 8-10 Attachment II-20, "Planning a Low-Budget, Nutritious and Culturally Appropriate Diet"

Materials: Newsprint and felt-tip pens, notebooks, pencils or pens
Trainer Notes

Prepare copies of the Jelliffe and Katz resources for distribution during the session.

Procedures:

Step 1. (5 minutes)

Review the session objectives and activities.

Step 2. (55 minutes)

Distribute copies of the Jelliffe and Katz resource materials and have the participants read them.

Step 3. (15 minutes)

Have the participants identify the main points covered in the readings and briefly discuss them.

Step 4. (10 minutes)

Have the participants list (in their notebooks) and categorize ten of their favorite childhood foods and ten of their currently favorite foods.

Trainer Notes

Have participants associate each food with the categories described in the Jelliffe material i.e., cultural super, prestige, body image, physiological, sympathetic magic group. Ask why such foods have been or are favorites and encourage comments and questions. Explain that participants should keep their food lists in their notebooks for use in Phase II: Session 23.

Step 5. (10 minutes)

Have the participants list and categorize ten foods that are "typical" in the countries in which they will be serving as Peace Corps Volunteers.

Trainer Notes

Use the same categories from the Jelliffe book and ask the participants to save the lists for use in Phase II: Session 23.

Step 6. (10 minutes)

Distribute, review and explain Attachment II-20, "Planning a Low-Budget, Nutritious and Culturally Appropriate Diet."

Trainer Notes

Attachment I-1-20 contains an on-going assignment that is to be worked on throughout the program and completed in Phase V. Explain that: The participants have the option of forming small groups to work cooperatively on the assignment. The completion of the assignment will require additional information that will be covered in Phase II: Session 23, "Basic Nutrition." The assignment will be due and discussed during Phase V: Session 14, "Planning a Nutritional Garden."

Step 7. (15 minutes)

Have the participants begin working on their assignments.

PLANNING A LOW-BUDGET, NUTRITIONS AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE DIET

The following foods and their prices are typical of the diet in the Ecuadorian highland region. Plan a day's menu that provides sufficient protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and caloric requirements, and falls within the guidelines of available time or preparation and economic and cultural constraints.

There are six people in the family, including four children (ages 1 to 12).

Corn products are usually available and need not be purchased.

There is a scarcity of quinoa, a high-protein grain, and it is available only in limited quantities.

Fava beans must be purchased, since the crop has failed this year.

You have the equivalent of one dollar to spend for the day's meals.

Milk and cheese are available only in the city (an hour's walk away, or a 12-cent bus ride) and meat is sometimes available only in the city.

Wild greens are in limited supply, since the rains have not been constant.

There is squash available in the fields, but only in limited quantity.

The woman in the family suffers from "white discharge" and will not eat milk products, squash or pork because it may make her condition worse.

Two of the under-five children have diarrhea and will not be allowed to eat "cold" foods: squash, pork, oranges, papaya.

Guinea pig (cuy) is used for festive occasions (as is any other meat product, except for fat/lard).

The family has an income of approximately $60 (U.S.) a month, of which $20 must be spent on the children's education: bus, books, uniforms, fees, etc.

The rains have not come and grasses (at about 4 cents a bunch) must be purchased for the guinea pigs each day since there is no other food.

There are a few vegetables in the family garden, left over from a previous Peace Corps project, but they are withering rapidly from the lack of water and care.

Firewood must be brought down from the mountain (where the hacienda owner has his land), a job requiring two days. In addition, the family must pay with labor for the wood carried out.

The husband must be taken his lunch. He works at a construction site temporarily, in a city nearby which is accessible by walking or by bus.

Water comes from the community tap, but the nearest one is not working, so a trip must be made down into the village,

There is a fiesta to be held this weekend at the house of relatives. The family is expected to bring food and drink, so money must be put aside to buy extra potatoes, lard, beans and a bottle of trago.

The woman's breast milk is drying up, and the one-year-old is losing weight.

One of the children is expelling worms when he defecates. The mother restricts his intake of milk and other "cold" foods until the worms are gone.

Money must be kept aside for cooperative dues (20 cents per month).

The bean water (from cooking beans) cannot be used, due to the woman's illness (the white discharge).

The family is afraid of extremely "cold" foods, especially in the early morning or at night. Such foods are: cabbage, pork, squash, oranges, and any leftovers that have not been boiled.

The biggest meal is at mid-day and must include beans, corn, soup (with a corn or oatmeal base or a broth with potatoes and suet), and potatoes.

There are two other meals: early morning, where herb tea and sugar are drunk with a piece of bread or toasted corn or leftover soup; and the evening meal, where soup or leftovers from lunch are served.

Foods and Prices

Beans: 20 to 40 cents per lb. (Some may be available from crops.)

Lentils: 30 cents per lb.

Fava beans: about 40 cents per lb.

Quinoa: 30 cents per lb.

Cuy: 4 dollars per animal

Meat: one dollar per lb.

Suet (fat from meat): 50 cents per 1/2 1b.

Lard: 75 cents per 1/2 lb.

Vegetable shortening: 75 cents per lb.

Oil: 1.20 per liter

Bananas: 2 cents each

Oranges: 2 cents each

Onions (scallion-type): 12 cents for 5-6 onions

Rice: 30 cents per lb.

Lettuce: 20 cents per head

Cabbage: 30 cents per head

Watercress, other greens: 4 cents per bunch

Tomatoes: 7 cents each

Chili peppers: 4 cents for 5-6 peppers

Chicken: one dollar per lb. (only in 3-4 lb. quantities)

Potatoes: 12 cents per lb.

Milk: 25 cents per liter

Cheese: one dollar per lb.

Raw sugar: 10 cents per block (2 cups, more or less)

White sugar: 25 cents per lb.

Herbs: 1-4 cents per bunch

Papaya: 30 cents each

Canned tuna: one dollar per can

Noodles: 50 cents per lb.

Bread: 2 cents per loaf

Eggs: 10 cents each

Butter: one dollar per lb.

Spices: 4 cents per oz.

Soft drinks: 15 cents

Liquor (trago): one dollar per bottle

After completing the exercise, take time to discuss, in writing, the following:

  1. Name several economic constraints that limited the amounts or types of foods purchased.
  2. Name several social/cultural considerations you followed in planning the diet.
  3. What was the most difficult aspect of the planning (i.e., the economics, cultural factors, availability or scarcity of foods, etc.)?
  4. Which major nutrients are included (in proper amounts) in the diet? Which are lacking?
  5. Do you think that a rural family can eat nutritious meals based on the information included in this exercise? Explain.
  6. What would you add or delete from the exercise?
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Created May 14, 2022 by Irene Delgado
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