Student receives grant to build stoves in Peru

Jen Dixon Contributing Editor

After spending the Fall 2004 semester studying abroad in Cuzco, Peru, Chris Freimuth ’06 will be returning to Peru this summer. With the assistance of a Burnam Fellowship, Freimuth will continue the work that he began last fall, assisting the NGO ProPeru’s Clean Burning Stove project.

Currently, the majority of families in rural Andean communities in Peru cook their meals over open fire in enclosed kitchens. This method is unhealthy for those doing the cooking, and the large amount of firewood needed for these fires has been very detrimental to the surroundeding forests.

ProPeru, founded by Richard Webb ’82, works to install clean-burning stoves in peoples’ homes in order to improve health conditions and decrease deforestation. The use of these stoves, constructed of adobe bricks and a metal top, improves air quality and decreases firewood usage by half. ProPeru is currently installing these stoves in the Sacred Valley outside of Cusco.

Freimuth plans to work under the auspices of ProPeru in order to expand this project to the highlands of the western Amazon rainforest, where the use of open fires for cooking has caused problems similar to those in the Sacred Valley. Freimuth made two trips into the area last semester.

“The reason I want to do this project in this region… is as a first step to introduce ourselves to the region,” said Freimuth. The stove project is part of a much larger project with the goal of sustainable development. “This isn’t the solution, it’s a small part of the solution,” he said.

In addition to the Burnam Fellowship, which is paying for all living and transportation expenses, Freimuth has asked all campus organizations, class years, and dorms to sponsor a stove for $50 each. He hopes to implement a project of 50 stoves, the purchase and installation of which will cost $2,500. Through his contacts with Vassar organizations and by writing letters to acquaintences, Freimuth has collected $500.

“It is an ambitious project, but the communities are all very excited about it. The motivation and set-up is in place for the project—now all we need are stoves,” he said in his letter requesting funding.

“No matter what, people in one area will get some stoves,” he said. “The fundraising effort is kind of like a bonus…I’m learning a lot about fundraising,” he said. Freimuth said that one of the reasons he decided to return to Vassar for the spring semester rather than staying in Peru was to fundraise for this project.

“They have the motivation, they have the resources,” he said. “The just need the financial backing.”

Freimuth will be leaving for Peru to begin work on the Clean Burning Stove project on Thursday, May 26. Those who would like to sponsor a stove before his departure can contact him at chfreimuth@vassar.edu.