The San Diego-based Sempra Foundation donated nearly $500,000 to an organization based in Tijuana in an effort to improve energy access and reduce emissions in Mexico.
Officials said Thursday the funds will allow Fundacion Mozcalti to provide cleaner cook stoves to vulnerable and indigenous communities.
The donation is slated to benefit 28 communities, with around 2,400 households receiving stoves in the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Morelos, Nuevo Leon and Puebla.
“At Sempra Foundation, we strive to advance social progress and economic inclusion by supporting energy access for those who lack vital resources,” said Mitch Mitchell, director and vice chair of the foundation.
The foundation was founded by Sempra Energy.
According to the foundation, the cook stoves will replace three-stone stoves or U-type stoves that openly burn firewood. The new stoves are expected to reduce the consumption of firewood by about 9,000 tons per year, which could help reduce smoke and indoor air pollution, a hazard for people who spend more time in the household.
The stoves are portable and can serve as a source of income by being used to prepare food to be sold at local markets, according to a foundation statement. They also can be used as heaters during the winter.
Fundacion Mozcalti already has delivered nearly 1,500 of the stoves in three states. The organization’s mission is to “empower vulnerable communities in Mexico with a focus on education, health, basic needs and social entrepreneurship.”
“We are so happy to work with Sempra Foundation on this project that will have direct, positive impacts on the lives in our most vulnerable communities in Mexico,” said Martha T. Malagamba C., the organization’s executive director.
– City News Service
