About the Village of Xoxlac

The village of Xoxlac (pronounced SHO-SHLAC) was established in 1960 by a group of people from El Quetzal, Barillas. They were looking for land where they could live and grow their crops. The village continued to grow until 1980 when it was destroyed during the Civil War.

Before the conflict, the community had as many as 500 families. They were well organized but the war took its toll. Their houses were burned down and a lot of villagers were killed. Those remaining were forced to flee to the mountains and neighboring Mexico to save their lives.

In 1988 some of the people returned as life in the mountains was very harsh. They had to start all over because there wasn’t anything left of the village. The Fonapaz (Peace Fund) built a Center of Health and a school in 1994. A few years later, the school was partially destroyed by a mudslide.

During the construction of the school and Center of Health, the villagers helped by carrying materials for the projects. It was no small task because they had to carry project materials from the car where they were dropped to the village, which was a walk of over five hours each way. They also helped with the construction.

Stove Needs

The village of Xoxlac is typical of many communities in rural Guatemala. They have been lost in time. In many ways, they continue to do things like their ancestors have done for centuries. One example is the open fire they use for cooking and warmth in their huts.

There are a number of reasons why the Aller Stove is improving the lives of villagers. A key benefit is that the chimney takes the smoke outside so the family doesn’t constantly have to breath toxic fumes. The design of the stove is such that it is over 65% more efficient than an open fire so less wood is used to get the same results.

The Aller 7 has been designed with safety in mind. Often young children get burned with open fires so Hands For Peacemaking has paid special attention to the safety of the children. There is also a space under the stove where villagers can dry their wood. This is another much needed feature.

The use of open fires has a number of impacts that are particularly harsh on young children. Their tender little lungs are permanently damaged from the continual exposure to the smoke from open fires.

The ceiling reveals what gets in the lungs of villagers

The village of Xoxlac is requesting 100 highly efficient Aller stoves. Villagers are so impressed with the performance of the new Aller 7 stove that this request is one of the largest Hands For Peacemaking has received to date.

The latest version of the Aller stove takes about one hour to install and has quickly gained favor with the villagers. They are attracted by the performance of the stove as they are able to cook their meals and boil water much faster, which results in less wood being burned. Another feature of the new stove design is that it helps to warm the hut while keeping children safe from the dangers associated with open fires.