[Stoves] Greetings from Armenia from Ken Goyer, forwarded by his brother, Warren Goyer (4)

[Warren Goyer]

Greetings from Armenia,

     Wilfred and I, and Cynthia from the Adana Rotary Club stove project  in
Turkey, have returned to Armenia again this year to teach the integrated
cooking method to the incoming Peace Corps volunteers. Peace Corps
volunteers are the brightest and the best and we have had a delightful time
working with them. We have also visited with old friends from both Rotary
Clubs in Armenia, The Rotary Club of Gumri and the Rotary Club of Yerevan.

     Our handout says "Armenia is recognized by the World Wildlife Fund as
part of a "biodiversity hotspot" (see www.cepf.net <http://www.cepf.net/> ).
Most of this biodiversity relies on forest ecosytems in the northern and far
southern regions of the country.  Since independence in 1991, clearing of
forests for fuel has intensified. Forests once covered more than 25% of the
countryside, but have been cleared back to 8 or 9% of total land cover. Over
70% of this wood has been used for home heating and cooking (see
www.armenianforests.am <http://www.armenianforests.am/> ).  Armenians care
about their forests, but have not identified a cheap alternative fuel
source. Natural gas is available in cities and large towns, but has proven
unreliable and expensive (in April 2006, the price of natural gas increased
by 10%). To protect what little remains of Armenian forests, we must promote
an economically-viable alternative to wood.

     A team of trainers representing the North Fresno Rotary Club will train
Peace Corps Volunteers to use the Integrated Solar Cooking Method. The
trainers have introduced this method to community groups in Africa,
Southeast Asia, and Turkey.  Peace Corps Volunteers will be working in towns
and villages all over Armenia where they can promote the use of these
techniques as a cheap and healthy alternative to traditional wood stoves."

     Teaching the Rocket Stove has been challenging due to the lack of
ceramics. Armenia seems to have lost it's ceramics technologies. Even
stoneware table service is imported to Armenia at great expense. We went in
search of a potter rumored to live in Southern Armenia in the village of
Shahumyan. We found him making small pots on a wheel, even though he had
lost one arm in an industrial accident. His sons who mostly run the ceramics
business have left, like so many others, to find work in Russia.  Our
Rotarian friend Raya will continue to search for a source of ceramics and
inform the Peace Corps of her progress.

     Tonight we are leaving Yerevan and heading for Istanbul.  

For me, next stop, Darfur.

Best regards, Ken