Nancy Sanford Hughes | |
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![]() Hughes in 2013 | |
Born | |
Nationality | American |
Education | Whitman College |
Known for | StoveTeam International |
Website |
www |
Nancy Sanford Hughes (born January 8, 1943) is the founder and president of the non-profit StoveTeam International. [1] For her work bringing improved cookstoves to Latin America, Hughes has been honored as a United States White House Champion of Change, [2] and a CNN Hero. [3]
Hughes was born in Claremont, California and graduated from Whitman College in 1964 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. [4] She married George "Duffy" Hughes in 1971, with whom she has three children. [5]
While volunteering with medical missions in Guatemala, Hughes saw the health effects of open-fire cooking firsthand. [6] In response, Hughes contacted experts in the field of improved cook stoves to design a stove for Latin America and founded StoveTeam International in 2008. [7] The charity is a non-profit organization that works to bring improved cook stoves to people in Latin America through its use of public donations, which directly fund the development of stove-building factories, owned and operated by local entrepreneurs. [8]