Two new grants heat up stove project

New Castle Presbytery’s Guatemala Partnership says it’s thrilled to announce that the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has awarded two grants to support the Stove Project in Guatemala.

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AJPU, the manufacturer of these fuel-efficient stoves, received a $7,500 grant from the Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People to purchase new tools and machinery. These new, colorful upgrades to AJPU’s workshop will boost production efficiency by 25% and cut costs by 10%.

The second grant was given to the customer side of this equation. In September, PC(USA)’s Hunger Program awarded the Association of Mam Christian Women for Development a $10,000 grant to purchase 50 stoves from AJPU in 2026, which is half of the annual goal of 100 stoves! The association has been AJPU’s main client for more than a decade. Just recently, AJPU delivered the final batch of 2025 stoves, bringing the total to 800 now in use in women’s homes.

Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing during Lent made both of these PC(USA) grants possible. The Guatemala Partnership says it's also grateful for CEDEPCA, which serves as the in-country organization that awards and manages the SDOP grants in Guatemala for PC(USA).

To meet the association's goal for 2026 and beyond, CEDEPCA’s board decided to make stoves the Advent Project for this year. New Castle Presbytery’s Guatemala Partnership will be sharing more information about this holiday giving opportunity in the coming weeks here, so stay tuned!

Today, we offer our gratitude for the generosity and partnership of PC(USA) as we join together in this meaningful and heartfelt work. Thank you for helping change the lives of so many families in Guatemala!