Our Partner
The Betsy Elizabeth Trust (BET) is named for an American woman devoted to the rural poor of southern India. The BET is a recognized non-profit NGO operating in Palangi and the surrounding villages in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The BET operates on the premise that education is the key to community development. In April, 2002 the organization established a creche, a combination health center, school, parent seminar program and day care for 25 children, 3-5 years old. The creche offers basic health care, three meals per day, shelter, and education by trained teachers.

Our Projects
Indoor air pollution from cooking on open fires indoors is a leading killer of children in the developing world. Indoor air pollution-related illness kills between 1.6 and 2 million people each year, primarily in the form of respiratory disease in children under five. To combat this grave public health problem, the IHF Smokeless Stove Project installs ventilated stoves in the homes of villagers in rural southern India.

This year marks the IHF’s sixth year of partnership with the Betsy Elizabeth Trust (BET) in India. While we continue, as always, to install new stoves, the partnership has also been focusing on a comprehensive program of monitoring and repair to make sure that the 500+ stoves already installed continue to function in top shape. With the exception of a few chimney cowls that had been damaged by the frequent monsoon rains, we found that all stoves were in excellent condition—no small feat considering some are entering their sixth year!

The Smokeless Stove project is also working to expand into broader health-based initiatives for community members. Our network of stove-using families and our respected relationship within the villages has served as a natural springboard into a more comprehensive health improvement program.

How to Help
Donate to support the IHF Smokeless Stove Project in Tamil Nadu, India!

The following are examples of what your donation can accomplish:
  • Installation of one stove $25

    "Community-sized" twenty-stove set $500

    Stove maintenance kit $50

    Preventive health check-up for one family $20

    Respiratory illness treatment, medication, and follow-up care:
    - For one person $10
    - For twenty people $200

To learn more about how your donation can make a difference in Kodaikanal and other communities around the world, check out the IHF's Catalog for Change!

Trevor Jensen meets with community members in Kodaikanal