COVID has forced families inside their homes in India during the lockdowns, which means many people are living in close proximity to each other in tiny spaces. If their only option for daily cooking is an unventilated stove, upper respiratory infection from the toxic smoke lays a heavy health burden on top of the respiratory risks of COVID.
 
With schools shutdown, businesses closed and travel restricted, the number of hours the average family spends in the home has increased dramatically to full days and nights of compromised ventilation.

This family was lucky. A group of students from Kodaikanal International School installed one of our new cookstoves just before the lockdown went into effect. You can see the stove installation in progress behind their legs while they finish it with a smooth coat of cement. Space is tight. The work continues.

Last week a new truckload of pipes ordered by Selvam arrived in Kodaikanal transported all the way from the factory in Trichinopoli. The police at the check posts let them through.

The village potters who support our smokeless stove production are able to continue, the advantage of using “low tech models” and local resources that fit the needs of the people we serve. A new order was placed this week.

Selvam and Sheela with their two children on their family motorbike. This is our team out there putting your donations to work even now as the restrictions lift. Quietly and consistently saving lives of children at risk, they need your support.