The Dos por Tres improves the economic welfare of families.

  • These small branches of wood for a Dos por Tres will last a family 2 weeks instead of 1 and are a lot easier to come by.
  • A La Justa 2x3 means less wood to buy and carry.
  • Families say they buy more food with monetary savings from wood.
  • This is a very accessible project that improves the quality of life of the families. – Doña Cuellar
  • Not the best kept stove we ever saw, but it still works to feed the family.
  • This lady and her daughter make fireworks for a few extra pennies.
  • Coffee is the principal source of income for families and they roast their own with a comal like this one.
  • Keeping the stove supplied with wood is easier with a 2x3.
  • Families can burn agricultural waste in addition to wood.
  • When you don't need to collect so much wood there is more time for other things.

With a Dos por Tres, families benefit economically by consuming about half their normal amount of firewood or about a carga* of wood each week.  

This equates to substantial monetary savings or savings of time and effort spent gathering wood. Further, the stove can be made to run even more cheaply by supplementing wood fuel with agricultural waste such as corncobs and stalks.   

If a family buys wood, they will primarily use the savings to buy food.

As forests degrade, families must go further afield, causing them to spend about a half day each week on wood collection. The WHO notes that wood collection always has an opportunity cost, especially during busy agricultural periods. Also, women who must carry wood are especially vulnerable to injuries, such as fractures and miscarriages, both from falls and from carrying too much weight.

*NOTE: A carga is the typical measurement for a bundle of wood and is equal to 1 medium-sized tree or about 80 sticks of wood, 1 ½ inches in diameter, 30 inches or longer.