Helps International

TOLUCA, MEXICO--June 17, 2009. The first Lady of Mexico, Mrs. Margarita Zavala de Calderón, visited the HELPS ONIL Stove Factory. The purpose of her visit was to show support for the ONIL stove project and to see the factory first hand. Mr. Stephen W. Miller, President of HELPS International, said "It was an honor to have her in the installations." Shell Oil was a major donor for the construction of the factory, and we were very fortunate to have the Country Manager of the company, Marta Jara, accompany us during the celebration.

In his welcoming speech, Mr. Miller commented that it took less than two years for HELPS to have a factory built and running in Mexico. Since the inauguration of the factory, over 10,000 ONIL Stoves have been installed in Mexican homes, preventing children from falling into open fires, and allowing over 60,000 Mexican people to breath clean air.

Two years ago, when Mrs. Zavala de Calderón first heard of the project, HELPS was scheduled for a five-minute interview. In the end, the First Lady gave Mr. Miller 90 minutes of her time. The more she heard about HELPS, the more she wanted to learn. After the exchange, Mrs. Zavala de Calderón promised HELPS International support in the future. On June 17, this promise was celebrated inside the new factory, as an ONIL Stove was lit, and everyone enjoyed some handmade tortillas cooked on the stove that is already changing lives all across Mexico.