There are approximately 300 homes in the Chaudabis River Valley of Jumla, Nepal. This project is a three-year effort to equip each household with a smokeless metal cooking stove and a pit latrine—at a cost of $600 per family—to improve health and overall quality of life.

Our goal for 2026 is to support 80 to 100 families. To date, $25,000 has been donated, providing stoves and toilets for 40 families. For every family supported by an individual donor, a matching donor will duplicate the gift and support one additional family.

Smokeless Metal Cooking Stoves

In these remote mountain villages, families traditionally cook on open fires or locally made tin stoves. These stoves typically last about three years, leak smoke into the home, and require large amounts of firewood. Many households use around 75 heavy loads of firewood per year.

RIDS-Nepal’s Smokeless Metal Stove is the Nepal Government recommended cooking stove. It is highly efficient, reduces firewood use by approximately 50 percent, and has a lifespan of up to 25 years. The stove vents smoke outside the home and includes an attached water tank for hygiene, as well as a slot for cooking traditional Nepali bread.

Cleaner kitchens help reduce lung, ear, eye, and skin infections, and reduce the time and effort required to collect firewood.

Pit Latrines

RIDS-Nepal also constructs hygienic, odor free pit toilets for village households. These toilets replace open defecation practices and help reduce intestinal infections and parasites. They are simple, durable, and appropriate for the local environment.

Project Impact

Providing a smokeless metal stove and a pit latrine to each household improves daily living conditions, supports environmental protection, and promotes better health across the community. We thank you for your support!