SoyNica
It was an amazing time. I traveled to Nicaragua with 4 other Cornellians on a quest to learn more about solar ovens. We hooked up with a group called Grupo Fenix, run by Susan Kinne, who are affiliated with the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria. Grupo Fenix works on sustainable solar energy initiatives around the country. The town we spent most of the time in was Saban Grande (SG), a sleepy town on a dirt road off the PanAmerican Highway. SG has about 400 families all of whom live in adobe houses with either clay shingle or sheet metal roofs. I stayed with a family of three, all women; my mom Marta and my two younger sisters, Fanny and Ilsa.
During the day, our group would build with community members solar cookers they currently use. We'd also visit womens houses in the community who use solar cookers and listen about their experiences with the cookers. Solar cookers can be a viable alternative to odobe ovens, helping reduce firewood consumption. Cooking with wood can lead to respiratory problems. Also, wood is oftentimes unavailable. Nicaragua has been heavily deforested due to ranching and farming. People are not allowed to cut trees for cooking but must find fallen wood...this as you can imagine is not easy. The hardest hurdle to overcome regarding solar cookers is the social transition that must be made. The cookers are quite able to prepare a variety of foods: chiken, beans, soy, rice, soups, eggs, cakes but using cookers changes how people eat and how they prepare food. Two things that are integral to a culture and socail behavior. Many of the families we stayed with do use the cookers to cook rice and beans but mostly the cookers are used to dry coffee. Much work will be needed to fully integrate the cookers. If nothing else the cookers will somewhat reduce the amount of wood needed. A staple of the Nicaraguan diet is tortilla, something the box cooker cannot make.
The first day we spent in Nicaragua we went to the Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya (Masays Volcano National Park). It was spectacular...a volcano you can actually stand at the rim and look down into. I had never seen this before...apparently there are only a few active volcanos in the world where this is the case. After a full day hiking around the volcano we went to the town of Masaya for a trip to the market and a true Nicaraguan meal, Indio Viaja (Old Indian), along with some beans rice and fried plantains...tasty. That night we bunked up with our families in Managua...there were four in my family, Mom Dad and two little siblings. Alonso, my dad, is a geologist who works for the Managua water department (i think...my spanish is rusty). The kids were happy to play with us and did some great choreographed dances to Nicaraguan pop music...at one point an 8 year old boy was grinding on a nine year old girl....i think they get Latin MTV.
The next day we visited Grupo Fenix on the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria campus and met with a couple researches...namely Leondro and professor whos work is in chemistry and drying foods. He came with us to Saban Grande as well to learn more about how they use the cookers and solar driers.
My nights in Saban Grande mostly consisted of a meal (usually rice, beans, vegetables, and possibly and egg and fruit juice)...a shower under the stars, and either talking on the porch with my sister Ilsa or watching La Tormenta with my mom and sister Fanny. I tried to speak as much spanish as I could with them...
During the day, our group would build with community members solar cookers they currently use. We'd also visit womens houses in the community who use solar cookers and listen about their experiences with the cookers. Solar cookers can be a viable alternative to odobe ovens, helping reduce firewood consumption. Cooking with wood can lead to respiratory problems. Also, wood is oftentimes unavailable. Nicaragua has been heavily deforested due to ranching and farming. People are not allowed to cut trees for cooking but must find fallen wood...this as you can imagine is not easy. The hardest hurdle to overcome regarding solar cookers is the social transition that must be made. The cookers are quite able to prepare a variety of foods: chiken, beans, soy, rice, soups, eggs, cakes but using cookers changes how people eat and how they prepare food. Two things that are integral to a culture and socail behavior. Many of the families we stayed with do use the cookers to cook rice and beans but mostly the cookers are used to dry coffee. Much work will be needed to fully integrate the cookers. If nothing else the cookers will somewhat reduce the amount of wood needed. A staple of the Nicaraguan diet is tortilla, something the box cooker cannot make.
The first day we spent in Nicaragua we went to the Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya (Masays Volcano National Park). It was spectacular...a volcano you can actually stand at the rim and look down into. I had never seen this before...apparently there are only a few active volcanos in the world where this is the case. After a full day hiking around the volcano we went to the town of Masaya for a trip to the market and a true Nicaraguan meal, Indio Viaja (Old Indian), along with some beans rice and fried plantains...tasty. That night we bunked up with our families in Managua...there were four in my family, Mom Dad and two little siblings. Alonso, my dad, is a geologist who works for the Managua water department (i think...my spanish is rusty). The kids were happy to play with us and did some great choreographed dances to Nicaraguan pop music...at one point an 8 year old boy was grinding on a nine year old girl....i think they get Latin MTV.
The next day we visited Grupo Fenix on the Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria campus and met with a couple researches...namely Leondro and professor whos work is in chemistry and drying foods. He came with us to Saban Grande as well to learn more about how they use the cookers and solar driers.
My nights in Saban Grande mostly consisted of a meal (usually rice, beans, vegetables, and possibly and egg and fruit juice)...a shower under the stars, and either talking on the porch with my sister Ilsa or watching La Tormenta with my mom and sister Fanny. I tried to speak as much spanish as I could with them...
posted by Hungry at 7:42 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home