When we think of cooking, we think of opening the fridge and taking out some meat and/or vegetables, cutting them on a cutting board on a countertop, spicing them, and starting the oven or stove. But, unfortunately, this is not how cooking works for 98% of the population in Afghanistan. In rural Afghanistan, almost 98% of the population live without electricity and running water in their house. Therefore, stoves and ovens are not a thing. Not only do women have to cook but they also have to forage for cooking fuel far from their houses and carry it back on their back. They look for trees, bushes, and any other material that burn to cook. Once they have gathered a handful, they then carry these items on their back. The journeys can take upto 2 hours and the load can be upto 40 kilograms (90 pounds).
It is also very common for women to take cow dung and pat them into circular shapes, dry them in sun, and then use as source of fuel to cook in the winter, when there is nothing else to cook with.
Only after all of the above is done, an Afghan mother can then cook. The cooking happens indoor and the whole house gets engulfed by smoke and the smell of cow dung. This has a devastating effect on their health, especially on children under the age of five. There is no kitchen. There is no running sink. There is no countertop. There is no stove. There is no fridge. There is just labor! Hard labor! Labor that will even take a toll on a man let alone a woman. It takes an average mom about 8 hours, every day, to cook for their family. I know this sounds ridiculous but I'm afraid this is just a sad and unfortunate fact of life for mothers in Afghanistan!
Sounds like a sad film? Yes, it definitely is. However, the good news is, unlike a film, this is real life and there is something we can all do to help an Afghan mother cook!
Mobil Oil Stove
We have been searching for different ways we can help a mother cook and, we think, we have found the best solution and best of all, it is made in Afghanistan by an Afghan company by Afghan engineers. It is a stove that works by burning used mobil oil and a battery to power the fan. The "all in one" appliance can be used as a stove, heater, and a water heater!
We like this stove because it needs no wood and, consequently, it will free the Afghan mothers from the intense labor of foraging wood and carrying it on their back. The other reason we like this stove is because it gives off no smoke so it is healthier. One of the many other advantages is it can act as a water heater and/or simply a heater to heat the room.
Gulbb's help a mother cook program
What is this program? Simple, buy a stove and change the life of an Afghan mother (and her family)! When you buy the stove, Gulbb will take care of all the rest. We will contact the company, we will purchase the product (on your behalf), we will locate a family in need, we will video record the delivery and then share the video with you!
This small gift can completely change the life of an entire family in Afghanistan; especially, the mother's life!