The Heart Initiative
JOIN US
More heat. Lower burden. Less Smoke. Better Health.
Join us in providing clean cooking to families in need through the Heart Initiative. This is especially critical to women and children who are the most affected by low-power, polluting open fires. Through the Heart Initiative, our BOLI team is dedicated to addressing this global crisis by providing a durable, long lasting solution allowing families to continue to use the only fuel available (wood or dung), cooking traditional foods, the way they want.
The Heart Initiative Project is led by Greg Rapier and Jose Martinez, who’ve collectively spent over 60 years developing and managing large utility and industrial combustion, and environmental projects worldwide. This experience allows us to tackle this persistent global problems using a different approach. One where sufficiency, durability, and dependability matter most in remote resource constrained areas.
Did you know that for an average family in Africa cooking over an open fires requires 63 KG of wood or dung each week? That’s 139 lbs. and takes at least 3 trips that can last 4-6 hrs each while covering miles, while carrying 46lbs. each trip?
Every day, families are sacrificing their time, safety, and health simply to cook for their family.
There has to be a better way.
Traveling miles from home, gathering and carrying heavy loads is dangerous and tiring work. Also, burning the fuel, they collect causes significant lung and health issues that not only harm the cook but their children as well. Many have tried to provide solutions to make a difference. Almost all have failed for various logical reasons. Our initial attempts failed to satisfy our own standards and would have certainly not proved to be beneficial to users. There have been multiple clean cooking stoves aimed at solving the problem, as our models have failed at certain stages.
We paused, we analyzed our failure and others as well and realized that we were providing what we thought they should have, not what they really want or need This path led to the development of the RHT- CO1 – Biomass Cookstove.
The need is Global however the impact will be felt community by community with the deployment of sufficient, reliable, and fuel efficient clean cookstoves. But it will take much help for both funding and deploying the cookstovess We are currently working in Pakistan, where over 1.4 million households are using open fires. India has 90 million households that will need clean cooking technology. We must help.
%
Cleaner Air
The Biomass Cookstove provides cooking energy without the need for unavailable fuels such as electricity, gas, and charcoal. The cookstove will provide 8,000-11,000 BTU/hr of cooking power, and improve household air pollution (HAP) by 90% More cooking power, 2/3 less fuel and gathering, and better breathing is our goal.
IMPACT
The impact of the initiative.
Fewer hours gathering wood and dung, more time to spend with family.
Insulated surfaces mean fewer accidental burns.
Less smoke and pollutants like CO, CO2, PM 2.5)
Less burden to collect fuel, More time for available for agriculture, commerce, trade, and education. Less pressure on the forests from wood cutting.
Building the Clean Cooking Stove
Local Engagement Model
The RHT clean cookstove will be planned with the community who will participate in meaningful ways as true partners not simply recipients.
What are the benefits of clean cooking?
Local Engagement Model
The community will participate to ensure a local fit.
Sustainability
The environment will be protected by fuel reduction.
Cross-Sector Benefits
Women’s empowerment, health, and economic development are supported.
Want to get involved?
Reach us by email:
heartinitiative@breathoflifeinternational.org