I, Zeb  the Duck and the human volunteers are going to a village to build stoves.   In Malawi, the women gather wood to burn.   There is usually no electricity, so the cooking is done on wood burning stoves.   This is the three stone stove the women were using to cook.

Three stone stove, using much wood

The new stove, the changu changu moto, uses about one third the amount of wood.

Changu Changu Moto stove

Saving wood is important, and the time it takes women to gather wood is also reduced.    This lady is getting the bricks ready to build the stove.

Selecting bricks for stove

The changu changu moto is three bricks tall with two burners.   The last layer of mud, often called plaster, is being applied to a new stove.

Putting final mud, or plaster, on new stove

The stove must dry for about a week before it is ready to use.   The women also put the pot rests on the stove.   This enables the pots to cook more evenly as there is air between the fire and the pot.   This lady is cooking on her new stove.

Cooking on new changu changu moto stove

The stoves and cooking area are usually in a separate structure, a short distance from the main house.   We visited two different villages to help build the changu changu moto stoves.   This is a typical back yard in the village.

In back yard

Some people have chickens.

Chicken in yard

The chickens are kept for their eggs; some to hatch and some to be eaten by humans.   When the chicken is older and not producing many eggs, the chicken is also eaten.   This lady, holding her baby, is very happy to have a new changu changu moto stove.

Mother with her child by her new stove

The five other human women all live near Washington D.C. and belong to a group called Dining for Women.   Dining for Women raises money for projects that help women and girls around the world.   It was through this organization that the other volunteers learned about the changu changu moto stoves.   These women decided to volunteer with Ripple Africa in Malawi, Africa.   Mom and I, Zeb the Duck, learned of their plans and we joined their volunteer group.   For more information about Dining for Women, visit http://www.DiningForWomen.org  We all agree that these stoves are a great help to the women of Malawi.