April 2025 newsletter

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2x3 CleanStoves: Cooking Health, Hope, and Sustainability in Namasigüe

The kitchen is the heart of every home, but for many families in rural Honduras, that heart has long burned under smoke, physical strain, and health risks. At FUNDESUR, we believe real change starts at home. That’s why, in partnership with Proyecto Mirador, we’ve begun building 339 improved 2x3 cookstoves—also known as ecostoves—in the communities of Tionostal, Los Prados 1, Los Prados 2, and El Obraje, in the municipality of Namasigüe.

These stoves are engineered to cut firewood usage by at least 50%, which provides immediate financial relief for households where firewood can consume up to 11.25% of a family’s monthly income. In communities where every cent matters, this means more food on the table, more access to education and healthcare, and less reliance on environmentally harmful practices.

But the benefits go beyond economics. The 2x3 stoves eliminate up to 90% of the smoke inside the home, drastically reducing chronic respiratory illnesses, especially among women, children, and the elderly. The health improvements are immediate: fewer coughs, less eye irritation, and better breathing for entire families.

What’s more, the reduction in firewood use eases pressure on local forests, helping slow deforestation and protecting the environment. This is technology that brings together environmental protection and human well-being, and it’s changing lives one household at a time.

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A Water Well for the Regional Health Lab: Restoring Dignity Through Access

In the main diagnostic center for southern Honduras—the Regional Health Laboratory in Choluteca—water, ironically, has been a scarce and fragile resource. For years, the lack of water limited the lab’s core operations, compromising cleanliness, safety, and efficiency.

In April, FUNDESUR responded to this urgent need with a L 111,157 investment, used to fund the drilling of a water well, along with the donation of a submersible pump, a Rotoplas storage tank, and a distribution tinaco. This comprehensive solution was made possible through the technical partnership of Living Water.

The impact of this intervention goes far beyond pipes and tanks. It’s measured in safer medical procedures, improved workplace conditions, and restored confidence in a facility that is vital to the public health of the region. A lab without water is a risk. A lab with clean, stable water is a symbol of resilience and care.

This initiative also underscores the power of partnerships—when resources, knowledge, and willpower come together, broken systems can be rebuilt and dignified.

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Cleanliness Saves Lives: Immediate Support for the Southern Regional Hospital

The Southern Regional Hospital in Choluteca serves thousands of patients each month. Recently, it faced an urgent crisis: a shortage of industrial cleaning supplies that threatened to shut down its laundry facility, which handles all sanitation of hospital linens and uniforms.

At FUNDESUR, we understood this was more than a logistical issue—it was a matter of health and safety. We responded quickly, donating L 132,250 worth of essential cleaning products, enabling the laundry area to continue operating without interruption.

Hospital laundry services are often unseen but absolutely vital. They ensure that every patient bed, surgical gown, and medical uniform is clean and safe. Proper laundry operations reduce infection risks, protect medical personnel, and maintain sanitary conditions in emergency rooms, operating theaters, and recovery wards.

This donation was not scheduled months in advance. It was a timely, empathetic, and effective response, because in healthcare, every second counts—and help must arrive when it’s needed most.

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Doña Tomasa: 82 Years Old, a New Stove, and a Transformed Life

High in the hills of Namasigüe, in the community of Tionostal, lives Doña Tomasa, an 82-year-old woman who has spent her life caring for her home, her husband, and her son—who gradually lost his sight over time. For years, she walked long distances under the sun to gather heavy loads of firewood, just to cook in a traditional stove that filled her kitchen with smoke.

That smoke wasn’t just unpleasant—it caused eye irritation, persistent coughing, and difficulty breathing. Sickness became part of her daily routine. But that changed when she received her new 2x3 improved stove, built by FUNDESUR and Proyecto Mirador.

Today, Doña Tomasa uses less firewood, cooks faster, and no longer breathes in smoke. Her kitchen is cleaner, her air healthier, and her body less strained. She no longer carries huge logs or spends hours preparing meals.

But this stove does more than cook beans—it cooks peace of mind, relief, and health. As she puts it: “Now I can breathe. My eyes don’t burn anymore. I’m not suffocating when I cook.”

Her story reminds us that behind every project number is a human being, a story, and a reason to keep building a better future.

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Llano Grande Moves Forward: 85% of the Water Distribution Network Complete

The community of Llano Grande, in El Triunfo, is experiencing a transformation. This month, we achieved 85% progress in the excavation of the water distribution network, a monumental step toward ensuring every household has access to clean water.

This achievement was not easy: it required long hours, scorching heat, and physical labor. But it was made possible thanks to the dedicated leadership of the community—especially the women, whose determination, coordination, and spirit have propelled the project forward.

This initiative is supported by the Humanitarian Foundation of Spanish Rotarians, the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, the Rotary Club of Choluteca, and the Municipality of El Triunfo. Together, we are not only building water infrastructure, but also strengthening civic organization, community empowerment, and gender equity.

Water does more than quench thirst. It empowers, connects, and transforms. And in Llano Grande, that transformation is already flowing through every trench and every hand that dug it.

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Agua Caliente: A Community’s Dream of Water Is Becoming a Reality

The community of Llano Grande, in El Triunfo, is experiencing a transformation. This month, we achieved 85% progress in the excavation of the water distribution network, a monumental step toward ensuring every household has access to clean water.

This achievement was not easy: it required long hours, scorching heat, and physical labor. But it was made possible thanks to the dedicated leadership of the community—especially the women, whose determination, coordination, and spirit have propelled the project forward.

This initiative is supported by the Humanitarian Foundation of Spanish Rotarians, the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, the Rotary Club of Choluteca, and the Municipality of El Triunfo. Together, we are not only building water infrastructure, but also strengthening civic organization, community empowerment, and gender equity.

Water does more than quench thirst. It empowers, connects, and transforms. And in Llano Grande, that transformation is already flowing through every trench and every hand that dug it.