In 2024, while I was studying for my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, I had an ensemble role in a musical called “Edges.” This musical, co-written by the Tony Award-winning duo Pasek and Paul, has undeniable earworms for a show conceptualized and staged when the two were in college. During one of our rehearsals, my vocal instructor, Wendy Hillhouse, gave me a piece of sage advice:

“Breathing is where everything should start.”

The simple act of breathing sets up a strong foundation. If it’s lacking, a voice cannot carry power. If it’s forced, energy is wasted and may cause damage to the vocal chords. Wendy told me that the act of respiration shouldn’t be consistently thought of pushing, not dissimilar to filling a balloon with an air pump. Rather, it should be as easy as letting air in, so that each molecule of air finds space in every crevice of the lungs.

Without breathing, nothing can begin.

These words echoed in my mind during a recent trip to Sierra Leone in late September. This trip marked my third trip to West Africa. I traveled to conduct cookstove research with Sofia Montalbano, BDL’s Lab Manager.

After several months of developing and manufacturing Charcoal and Wood biomass stoves in collaboration with Westwind Energy, we planned to install multiple stoves across several Sierra Leonean households. While we have rigorously tested these stoves to use less fuel and produce fewer particulate emissions, we wanted to verify how long these stoves would last. By analyzing these results, we would better understand user satisfaction and stove component durability. But perhaps more importantly, I would be able to talk face-to-face with the families who cook on our stoves, seeing their organic reactions.

When I landed in September, the weather was transitioning from the wet season to the dry season. The dark grey storm clouds that covered the sky would quickly be displaced by the radiant sun. The humidity of the wet season unfortunately remained. I was sweating bullets. Sofia would tell me after 15 minutes in the humidity, I’d be drenched. I’d have to keep a pocket of Kleenex tissues to keep dry.

Still, knowing that I would get to see smiles from the people using our stoves, I pushed forward.

On my commute to Westwind Energy’s factory, I could not shake the fact that a strong smell of smoke filled my nostrils. With each inhale, I smelled something akin to the ash from a very large campfire. It mixed with the scent of diesel, creating an amalgamation of oil-ash fumes that seemed to stick to my throat.

Each particle felt like it was weighing on my lungs. I wondered how anyone could withstand this for a day, let alone a week or month.

Before beginning our deployment of stoves, Sofia and I confirmed our plan. We would introduce ourselves to the family cook, ask to see what stove they’re currently using, present BDL/WWE’s improved cookstove, and instruct the user how to load and ignite fuel. To capture stove pictures, I brought along my camera.

In the western zone of Freetown, we visited several families who were cooking on charcoal stoves. I vividly recall a woman cooking on a three-stone fire. In a little area covered with a curved corrugated metal sheet, she placed a pot on the fire. A plume of smoke flooded the area. I walked closer, my eyes watering from the fire’s smoke. The hot air radiating from the fire was causing her to sweat. I asked her what she was making.

She said she was cooking medicine for a coughing child nearby.

After introducing ourselves, Sofia and I helped instruct her how to use the charcoal stove. We wished her well.

On the way between houses, I met a group of kids playing football. Despite keeping with the 2026 World Cup scores, I unfortunately do not know how to play football. I watched them kick the fluorescent ball, running back and forth with speed. Just watching them was enough to make me perspire. Then again, after delivering 5 stoves, I was already drenched.

If there’s something I know about football – it’s a cardio-heavy activity. The endurance required to sprint from one side of the field to the other is almost superhuman.

As they darted around with the ball, I waved, exclaiming, “Hello!” The kids, with a heart-melting enthusiasm, shouted “Hello” back. I asked them if they wanted to wave “Hi” to my camera. With no hesitation, they started waving. I hurriedly twisted off my lens cap, set my camera to record video, and captured the energetic batch of kids.

There is nothing as heartwarming seeing a kid smile cheek to cheek – let alone 10 more kids sharing the same expression.

We exchanged names. I waved to signal a goodbye at this household. Funny enough, as we walked to the rest of the households in the area, a few kids came along for the ride. As they saw us setting up the charcoal stove, their eyes were laser-focused on our improved cookstove.

Once we placed our final stove, Sofia and I waved goodbye. One of the kids shouted, “See you soon!” I replied the same in earnest.

On my way back to the factory, I spotted a woman on the side of the road. She was cooking with an X-shaped charcoal stove. As I saw in the previous households, these stoves would produce a lot of heat while using a lot of fuel.

But after talking to the 14 families, I was reminded that these stoves would use less charcoal than their X-shaped counterparts. These stoves would make so many meals for less money with virtually no smoke.

We had 10 more charcoal stoves to deploy tomorrow. 10 more families to help.

Westwind Energy and BDL began a long time ago, and we begin again.

I took a deep breath.

And exhaled.