In 2006, Lori (Hanna) McIlvaine traveled to Sabana Grande de Totogalpa, Nicaragua through the University of Dayton ETHOS prorgam. A sophomore Mechanical Engineering student, Lori was in search of a topic for her honors thesis. After a summer of testing solar cookers and interviewing local women on the use of solar cookers to roast coffee, she was introduced to the solar autoclave, originally invented by Dr. Richard Komp, a partner of Grupo Fenix.

Wanting to better understand the exact need for the solar autoclave, Lori returned to Nicaragua to conduct interviews with healthcare professionals at rural clinics.

Inspired by these interviews, Lori returned from Nicaragua and entered in the University of Dayton Business Plan Competition in with fellow UD students, Daniel Hensel, Anna Young and Lauren Dokes. The team collaborated to write the initial business plan for Salud del Sol. The business model created was one that partnered with Las Mujeres Solares, an entrepreneurial women’s group in rural Nicaragua, to research, produce, and distribute solar autoclaves to rural clinics. Salud del Sol would be a “Nonprofit, appropriate technology assistance provider” working alongside Las Mujeres Solares to develop their business.

In April of 2008, Salud del Sol was awarded 1st place at the University of Dayton business plan competition and became the first nonprofit group to win the competition!

Spurred by this, Salud del Sol developed further.  Among the accomplishments so far are:

• Travel to Nicaragua in 2008 and 2009, which included prototype testing, business classes with Las Mujeres Solares, and approval for the solar autoclave from the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health.
• Further research in the Engineering Design and Manufacturing Clinic at the University of Dayton.  A team of senior Mechanical Engineering students researched design improvements.
• Achieving 501(c)3 status as a non-profit organization.
• Supporting the Solar Center in Sabana Grande, such as through organizing a trip for the Wadsworth, OH Rotary Club.
• Research in the MIT Innovations in International Health Program and D-Lab Health.
• Placing as the Runner-up in the Development Track of the MIT 100K competition.

This “History of Salud del Sol” is really an introduction to our story. The work with Las Mujeres Solares has just begun, and we are looking forward to furthering our partnerships and making our mission a reality!

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