July 22, 2008
In the past 8 weeks have been quite the experience. I am finally at a place where I feel comfortable and feel like I am truly living within the community. The first week here, it was easy to be taken over by the complexity of living in a new lifestyle, learning to speak a new language, becoming accustomed to the food, and how to be productive in the underdeveloped work environment of Nicaragua. What it means to be running on “Nica time,” always 30 minutes behind schedule. Because everything was new and different, everything seemed the same and very difficult to understand. In the time being here, I have come to understand Nicaraguan Spanish, a completely different dialect than other countries—for example, the Home Run Derby telecast with a Spanish-speaking commentator had to be dubbed with a Nicaraguan interpreter so viewers in Nicaragua would better understand. With much patience and practice, learning the language has also allowed me to get to know the people living in Sabana Grande. Even without completely understanding the language, it is very apparent that they have a welcoming personality.
Last week included another trip to Managua for meetings for Salud del Sol, with Dr. Orochena, the Director of Services Organization of the Ministry of Health for the Nicaragua (MINSA). The meeting went incredibly well and was very promising for the future development of the autoclave. Dr. Orchena reiterated our understanding of the need for the autoclaves within the clinic. It was encouraging to hear from the government how supportive they are with this project. Because the product is still in the research stages, he also gave directional support for what the next steps should be. It was a great start to the beginnings of a partnership with MINSA (read post).
Along with the approval from MINSA for continuing product research, we also met with student researcher, Onell Domingo Morales Cortez, from UNI (National Engineering University of Nicaragua) who has been writing his senior thesis designing an autoclave as well. It was fascinating to learn about how far his progress has developed. We also began the conversation with a chemistry professor about setting up a dual testing partnership with chemistry students from the UNI who are looking for a senior thesis. While the design clinic team at UD will be further refining the design of the autoclave, the students of Nicaragua will be researching an efficient way to indicate sterilization using local material. This is an important partnership for Salud del Sol to continue with the mission of researching appropriate technology for the autoclave project.
Along with meetings in Managua, I also had the chance to travel with Suni Solar, the solar panel installation company, to San Juan del Sur for a maintenance check for an installation. The installation was for a man from California operating a Sustainable Real Estate business on 450 acres of land in the mountains surrounding San Juan del Sur called NicaDev. It was very interesting to see the great efforts this man has taken to create a environmentally friendly real estate business.
The computer classes every Friday are continuing to be a successful. Many of the students are beginning to use this time to come and write emails that they can save to send at a later time. It’s encouraging that people are seeing the practical benefit of learning computer skills from the classes. Along with teaching basic computer skills, I have also been working with the women of Las Mujeres 
Solares to develop basic business skills in marketing and book keeping. Two women of Las Mujeres Solares, Frederlinda and Adelina, are involved with the sale of organic solar roasted coffee for Las Mujeres Solares (see photo of Adelina roasting coffee in a solar cooker). One of the best times for them to make these sales is during the Solar Culture Course which comes through twice per year. These two women organize the inventory, packaging and sales of any women who are interested in selling solar roasted coffee. The solar roasted coffee spends two days inside of a solar cooker, more depending on the amount of sun during the day. The women explained that roasting the coffee in the enclosed cooker keeps the excellent aroma and flavor.
This Friday, Lori and I were invited to the birthday party of Angel who was turning five years old. It was a perfect comparison to a 5-year-old birthday party in the United States, complete with a piñata, cake, pop, party favors, and a dozen kids hyped up by the sugar rush.
The volunteers that come through Sabana Grande are accepted as family by the members of the community. Since we have been here we have had the opportunity to work with two long term volunteers, CJ and Jenny Colavito who have been here for the past year. They have been incredibly helpful to work with, providing support for all of out projects and helping us to understand more of culture of Nicaragua. This past week was their last week in Sabana Grande, and was full of many good-byes. Part of the culture of Sabana Grande includes “Despedidos” or good bye parties full of music, dancing, games, skits, and tacos. It’s a great opportunity for everyone to spend an evening together and appreciate all of the work that everyone has done before the volunteers leave. It’s always fun to see how competitive the quiet host mom’s can be in the games.
This week the Solar Culture Course of Grupo Fenix will be coming to Sabana Grande, including my sister Kelsey! I am looking forward to the dynamics of having new people here to share in these same experiences.
- Anna
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