Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa (literally, The Solar Women of Totogalpa) have been working together since 1999 to promote renewable resource technologies and practices in their community and have recently finished construction of their Centro Solar.

Salud del Sol is working with Las Mujeres Solares to develop and test the solar autoclave as a product they can manufacture and deliver to rural health clinics throughout Nicaragua. During the summer of 2008, different solar women and their families hosted Anna Young, Daniel Hensel and Lori Hanna of Salud del Sol and will be hosting the field team during the summer of 2009.

Las Mujeres Solares meet once a week to discuss the operation of the Solar Center and the progress in the Solar Cooker enterprise. Volunteers are welcomed to participate in this meeting. Lori, Anna and Daniel of Salud del Sol attended these meetings during their time in Sabana Grande in the summer of 2008.

According to Lori Hanna, Executive Director of Salud del Sol, “The solar women are truly inspirational to the Salud del Sol team in Nicaragua. The thoughtfulness and energy they have been putting into Sabana Grande community development and use of solar energy is remarkable, and a model that would work anywhere in the world. We are indebted to have them as partners.” Enjoy these short stories about the solar women who have hosted Salud del Sol staff.

Adelina del Rosario Sánchez Cordero

Adelina is a Mujer Solar living in Sabana Grande. She is active in all of the community development activities of Las Mujeres Solares and is currently hosting Lori Hanna of Salud del Sol. Read more details about Adelina and her family, and her views on solar energy uses and benefits in rural Nicargua.
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María Antonia Centeno Velazque

María is a Mujer Solar living in Los Proyectos in Sabana Grande. She has been working with Grupo Fenix and hosting foreign volunteers for four years. During the summer of 2008, she and her family hosted Anna Young of Salud del Sol. Read more details about María and her family.
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María del Carmen Gomez

Doña Carmen is a Mujer Solar living in Sabana Grande. She has been hosting volunteers working with Grupo Fenix for three years. She and her family hosted Daniel Hensel of Salud del Sol during the summer of 2008. Read more details about María and her family.
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Reyna Isabel Lopez Rizo

Reyna is a Mujer Solar living in Sabana Grande. She and her husband, Simon, hosted University of Dayton ETHOS volunteer, Matt Wills. Read more details about Reyna and her family.
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Frederlinda Pérez López

Reyna is a Mujer Solar living in Sabana Grande. She and her family, hosted University of Dayton ETHOS volunteer, Peter Kolis during the summer of 2008. Read more details about Frderlina and her family.
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For the past 6 months, Las Mujeres Solares have been working with a dedicated team from the United Nations SEED award committee to create a strategic plan for the use of the SEED development support. This SEED initiative is a partnership of the IUCN -the International Union for Conservation of Nature- and the United Nations’ Commission on the Environment (UNEP) and its Commission on Development (UNDP). It recognizes projects for their excellence in presenting a model of sustainable development capable of repetition and inspiring others around the globe, SEED supports exceptional, entrepreneurial, nascent, multistakeholder partnerships for locally-led sustainable development. Read more about this update:
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On August 21, 2008, the United Nations’ SEED Initiative selected Las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa as one of 5 winners for the 2008 Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development. Las Mujeres Solares was selected based on their plan to continue to develop their cooperative business that produces and markets photovoltaics made from recycled solar cells and solar cookers adapted for local needs. While in Nicaragua in the summer of 2008, Salud del Sol staffer Anna Young worked with partner Grupo Fenix of Managua to develop the plan submitted to SEED on behalf of Las Mujeres Solares. Read more about this accomplishment:
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On May 16, 2008, las Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa were selected by the United Nations’ SEED Initiative as one of 15 finalists for the 2008 Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development. Their selection was based on their plan to launch a cooperative business that will produce and market photovoltaics made from recycled solar cells and solar cookers adapted for local needs. Read more about this accomplishment:
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In the summer of 2007, the Tienda Verde (literally, the Green Store) was officially opened for business. The store offers the Solar Women of Totogalpa (Las Mujeres Solares) a place to spend their “$horas” that are granted to them in exchange for their contributions to Grupo Fenix projects underway in Sabana Grande de Totogalpa, Nicaragua. Read more about the Tienda Verde: .

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