[Stoves] The Ultimate Stove Test

[ken goyer]

Dear friends,
      We shouldn't lose sight of why we are making stoves and for whom 
we are making stoves. The ultimate TEST of the stove is whether or not 
it is accepted and used. The woman must be able and willing to use the 
stove.  The best stove in the world will  go for naught if it is 
rejected by the consumer. One half of the people in the world live in 
cities. They don't go out and cut their own fuel. Their fuel is offered 
to them in the marketplace.  Most people are unimaginably poor, and at 
their wits end. Fuel is chosen because it is expedient.  Many places 
lack industrialization and infrastructure such as transportation. Even 
in the country, people need to burn what they can find and often don't 
have much choice. It seems to me that a woman  who hauls fuel on her 
head, sometimes for miles, would prefer to maximize it's use rather than 
haul the charcoal back to her fields. What we can do is to present 
choices. But if these choices are to see fruition,  we need to think 
through the whole equation.  How much does it cost?  Is it practical?  
Will it help? As well as  "is the combustion and heat transfer in my 
stove better than the combustion and heat transfer in your stove?"    
Let's remember that the customer is always right (whether they are 
paying or not), and they have the final vote  :-).
Best regards,  Ken Goyer