Stove Distribution
In 2024, FIRE received specified funds to purchase and distribute ten stoves to families in need before winter. We worked with the Veloo Foundation and Asral, organizations we had worked with many years ago during our basic aid and winter clothing distribution project, for assistance in identifying the families. A contract was signed with each family, FIRE, and the referring organization to ensure the stove was not sold or loaned to a family member. The stoves were delivered directly to each family’s ger (yurts).
The stoves we purchased are not just regular stoves. They are highly efficient, smokeless stoves designed by Eco Resources, LLC with a patent at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and many Asian and European countries. Mongolia has some of the longest and coldest winters of any inhabited country in the world. Winter nights can reach -40º C/F for months. A stove to keep the ger (yurt) or cabin warm is essential for survival. It also usually serves as the only cooking source for all meals. A highly efficient stove helps reduce fuel costs for wood and coal while keeping the ger warm for longer, reducing the amount of times the stove needs to be refilled during the night. Having a smokeless stove also helps reduce exposure to pollutants and the resulting health issues, which are a chronic epidemic in Mongolia. Unofficial reviews of these stoves have shown that they reduce the amount of pollutants emitted inside the ger by as much as 90%. As part of our distribution and in support of this new technology in Mongolia, we will check on the homes and stoves periodically over the next few years to measure the air quality.
Eco Resources has rapidly developed its high-efficiency, smokeless technology over the last few years. In Mongolia, where stove pollution is the leading cause of pollution and a major contributor to health concerns nationwide, Eco Resources has donated over 5,000 stoves to provincial governments as part of the solution since 2017.
We appreciate the selection of FIRE and the detailed thought put into the specified donation. We also appreciate the opportunity to reconnect to the roots of FIRE’s mission and reach those most in need on their doorstep. We hope to continue this project annually as time and funding permit.