The Full Story
About
This is your About Page. It's a great opportunity to give a full background on who you are, what you do and what your website has to offer. Double click on the text box to start editing your content and make sure to add all the relevant details you want to share with site visitors.
What Was Smoke-Free Homes?
Smoke Free Homes was a venture at UBC EWB from 2021 to 2025, who made custom, smoke-free stoves for people living in Guatemala. Previously, these people had open-fire stoves in their homes, generating as many cancerous fumes as up to 400 cigarettes per hour.
The Solution: Eco-Stove
EWB Smoke Free Homes addressed this problem by making a heat-efficient stove with a chimney. Heat efficiency means less wood needs to be burned, so less fumes are produced in the first place. The chimney sequesters toxic gases away from breathing air.
Empower
Growth
Guatemala Trip
In 2023, the venture took a trip to Guatemala, where they built 9 stoves for 9 different families. Observing the repercussions of open-fire cooking in Guatemalan families' homes, as well as watching the Smoke-Free stove design in action, allowed Smoke Free Homes’ engineers to gain knowledge for future improvements. During this trip, they were also able to immerse themselves into Guatemalan culture by exploring various cities, hiking a volcano, and learning about the rich history of Guatemala through a coffee plant tour and a chocolate creation demonstration.