Narratives of House Visits in the Three Communities of Salinas, Dom Orione, and Ponte Nova in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil 12-20 June 2006
"Tapping the Potential of Proalcool for the Household Energy Sector” Shell Foundation Project # 21316
Gaia Brazil 01Cheryl O’Brien The Stokes Consulting Group, for Project Gaia Research Studies July 30, 2006
James Murren and Cheryl O’Brien of The Stokes Consulting Group/Project Gaia visited Minas Gerais, site of Project Gaia’s 100 CleanCook (CC)stove pilot study in Brazil. While there, under the direction of Project Gaia/Brazil Director Regina Couto, they visited the three project communities of Salinas, Dom Orione, and Ponte Nova. To determine user reaction to the CC stove, they visited with families in their homes and carried out casual conversations with family members. A few questions guided the conversation: “How would you compare the CC stove with your LPG stove,” “How long does your LPG canister last,” “How much does the LPG canister cost,” “Do you gather or buy wood,” “How long does it take you to gather wood,” “How much does wood cost,” etc. The stove users were willing to share their thoughts and suggestions about cooking with ethanol, about the CC stove itself, and about the use of LPG and wood to meet daily cooking needs. The team took notes to ensure that the final translation from Portuguese to English would be as accurate as possible.
Thirty-two narratives (from homes and one child care center) and campground interviews were collected from 90 locations that are using the CC stove in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The following is a detailed account of 14 home visits and campground feedback. Notes taken by James Murren, Cheryl O’Brien and Regina Couto (the team) have been combined to give a more thorough understanding of the use of the CC stove in the homes and people’s feedback on cooking with alcohol, wood and LPG.