CELL Nicaragua - Sustainability Through Community

During the last two weeks in February, CELL is partnerning with Grupo Fenix, a non profit community based organization in Nicaragua building the capacity of local people to help themselves: to become economically, socially, and environmentally self-sustaining. We are working with the beautiful community of Sabana Grande nestled in the mountains of the Totagalpa region near the Honduras border. People in Sabana Grande are learning how to start their own businesses, install simple solar systems to light their homes, build solar cookers, install solar pumps to water their crops with drip irrigation systems, etc. We are learning how a poor, rural village is striving to achieve ¨sustainability through community,¨ to support each other in overcoming their many challenges, and to free themselves from the need for external support.

Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the western hemisphere, and Grupo Fenix is assisting poor rural communities in developing sustainable lifestyles fueled by renewable energy technologies. Their guiding principles are community participation, respect for the environment, and human dignity.

Grupo Fenix is working to achieve its mission through the creation of a center for research, innovation and sustainability and through facilitating a knowledge cycle between universities and the rural community. Through a dynamic exchange of ideas, sustainable practices are brought from the university to the community where the ideas are applied and tested against the reality of daily life. The ideas and processes of the university are perfected in the community by local people in conjunction with outside researchers and volunteers. Once the ideas and processes are improved, they return from the community to the university where they interact with other ideas to form new understandings. These new understandings return to the community once more to be tested and continue along the knowledge cycle – improving the lives of people and increasing their commitment to sustainability. A key emphasis is on renewable energy.

CELL is working with Grupo Fenix in Sabana Grande for two weeks on the following activities:

· Building solar ovens that will enable local families to cook meals using clean renewable solar energy and reduce their dependence on wood resources. Cutting trees for fuel for cooking is resulting in severe erosion problems in the Totagalpa region of Nicaragua. So the work we are doing building solar cookers is having a direct impact on preventing soil erosion and reducing the negative health impacts of rural women breathing harmful smoke from open-flame wood fires in poorly ventilated kitchens.
· Installing a photovoltaic solar power system for a rural family that has never had electricity.
· Making adobe bricks that will be used in the construction of a water pump house powered by a solar photovoltaic system.
· Building solar powered battery chargers.
· Living in homestays with local families.
· Learning about the rich culture and history of this beautiful region of Nicaragua.

Below are some student reflections on the land, environment, and people of Sabana Grande.

Carmen: Sabana Grande is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. It is very inspiring to see all that is going on here to help the people of this community. The well at my house was just put in 6 years ago as part of an aid effort. My host-dad´s brother lives just up the hill, and his house was built by aid groups that have also built other houses for families in the community. They do it on a need basis, so that families struggling with inadequate shelter get the help first. The interesting thing about bringing about change in the U.S. compared to Nicaragua is that in the ¨first world,¨ the need isn´t (always) as obvious to people as it is here. When you are working with people in rural communities like Sabana Grande, you are working with people who have to live with the effects they have on the environment on a more intimate level. If they cut too many trees, they have to live with the effects of erosion. They are breathing in the smoke of the open-flame fires in their kitchens. Yet still, it can be very difficult to get the people to change their practices because one of the greatest challenges is to change people´s mindsets.

Living with a host family here has definitely gotten me out of my comfort zone because of the challenges of communication and interaction. But there is something about getting out of my comfort zone that I love because I can feel how it is making me a stronger person. Also, you can´t beat where my family live – up on a hill: I get to eat breakfast and dinner looking out over the hills and valley of Sabana Grande. At night, cool fresh breezes come through the hills. My family doesn´t have a TV, but they listen to a lot of radio, so there is almost always music on the porch. If I didn´t stick out as such a foreigner, and if there wasn´t still danger of land mines (supplied by the U.S. during the 1980s Contra War), I might consider moving here someday!

Sarah: First day - We all piled off the sardine-packed yellow school bus into the desert-like surroundings of Sabana Grande. As the bus roared its engine and pulled away, I looked across the road to a white adobe building and my attention was immediately drawn to the ubiquitous vibrant blue painted solar cookers sitting outside the Solar Center building. As our feet crunched the gravel in the pathway, sun rays glistened off the shiny glass of the solar cookers. When we reached the building and turned around, the beautiful mountains of Sabana Grande greeted us. It was not lush and green (this is the dry season in Nicaragua), but it was a distinct beauty of its own.

It was a contrast meeting the people of Sabana Grande after traveling through the bigger cities of Managua, Granada, and Leon. I have found the people here in the country to be quieter and more reserved. At first I was having trouble communicating with my host family – finding them very quiet and shy. Tonight, however, I was able to penetrate through my host sister´s shyness with lots of hand motions and universal card games. No matter where we go, laughs and smiles and the love we have in our hearts can communicate. Most people here have family members or friends that are land mine victims – land mines that were funded by the U.S. government during Nicaragua´s civil war in the 1980s. Marco, a Grupo Fenix employee, lost his leg to a U.S. funded land mine and struggled for many years feeling useless and unable to work or help others. Through the work of Grupo Fenix, Marco has become interested in solar power installation and is now the community´s solar technician earning a regular salary and helping others. When Marco first met us, he smiled and greeted us warmly, not caring that we were from the U.S., a country that had funded the land mine that had caused him so much pain. I love how the people of Sabana Grande are not biased against the U.S. even though the U.S. has done so many awful things to the people and country of Nicaragua. I have found people so loving and accepting which has moved and inspired me to be aware of how I accept and judge others. When approaching people in life it is so important to love and accept them for who they are as individuals and leave behind social, cultural, and geographical baggage that can get in the way…

Max: The first reflection I can make about Sabana Grande is the stark contrast between the landscape here and any other place we have been. The sharp bluffs contrasting with the smooth hills. The pine trees seem to pierce the wet, heavy clouds giving this place a unique charm and presence. The diversity of all life, and the ways in which they survive are truly a testament to the name ¨Sabana Grande.¨ I have seen plants hold on in blistering heat. I have experienced the black smoke pour into my lungs and eyes that my (homestay) mother cooks with every day. I have experienced smells and textures that my body has been yearning for. The ability for all life to exist in this place makes me think a little more critically about my own. The sun shines the same all over the universe, the intensity may change, but fundamentally it is the same. And what I have seen the sun produce has been nothing short of amazing. The same sun that shines in the U.S. has given people here in Nicaragua hope. It has given them a reason to organize and take charge of their lives. The Solar Center is a testament to the ingenuity and faith of humankind. Here I have seen more people smile than anywhere else I have been in Nicaragua, yet the hardships they face surpass those of others. It is time for people of the world to reexamine their role in the daily processes of our dynamic planet. We need to see the possibilities, live simply, know our neighbors, learn the flowers, and respect all life.

Dave T: My first thought of being here in this community is: This is how most of the people live in Nicaragua. I no longer feel like a tourist seeing the historical and cultural sites of the cities, national preserves, beaches, etc. I am now living as real Nicaraguans do. My barnyard of a front yard exemplifies this perfectly. Jonas and I have a flock of chickens, 2 ducks and ducklings, a pig, a cow, a donkey, and turkeys. Not to mention 3 dogs and maybe a cat (not sure who it belongs to). I have been welcomed in and have already built trust… The people here are strong in a way we as Americans don´t even know: little girls carrying 40 pound buckets of water on their heads, and everyone is able to do so much on so little. This area is so beautiful. I really enjoy the pines, they remind me of home. Not to mention there are mountains to climb in my backyard. Yesterday, I climbed to the top and sat on a rock out-cropping overlooking the pines in the valley and listened to the birds sing and fly about. It really showed me how unique this area really is and all it has to offer, like the bat cave. While running, I´ve noticed how friendly everyone is, saying ¨adios¨ with that farm town feel. And tonight how people were outside watching the lunar eclipse. I just felt like there was a connection still found here between the natural world and society. The natural curiosity of humans with the great unknown. Even though this process (eclipse) is understood now, it still has a lure of exotic and strange (here in Nicaragua). The community of people at the Solar Center are so nice and so welcoming. I´m so glad to be a part of Grupo Fenix. I feel like we are really making a sincere difference in the world by being down here.

Jonas: I´m very glad to be in Sabana Grande because the people are so friendly. People seem genuinely happy to be saying ¨adios,¨ a greeting everyone says when passing each other on the dirt roads and paths that weave their way through this village. Many people here are quite shy like I am, but some seem glad to have a chance to talk with us. I love seeing the different ways of living. Everyone wakes up very early in the morning which makes so much sense – taking advantage of the natural light. You can get so much more accomplished and feel better about it. I also love how people come and go (spending time just sitting and chatting). I definitely feel that we have lost too much of our sense of community in the U.S. Another thing I have noticed while here is the difficulties faced by organizations trying to help these communities. Changing the ideas, beliefs, and customs of people is difficult. (This is what needs to change, however, if people are going to learn to live sustainably). I am very glad to be here because it makes me feel like this is the type of path I would like to choose when I graduate from college. I love being able to help people; it gives me so much pleasure!

Dana: The people of Sabana Grande are completely amazing. Some of the men that I have observed do much less than the women. The women seem to hold this whole community together (with an exception of a few men like Marco and Maulro who are actively involved with the women´s solar cooperative and with other sustainable initiatives). It seems to me that the women do most of the work. My home stay mother is the first one to awake in the morning to make everyone food and the last one up at night chopping firewood. Through self-reflection, I see a lot of what I used to be in the people here, and a lot of what I would like to become. I used to lean on people all the time and expect them to do things for me, especially by family. I now see the full error of my past. The people here in Sabana Grande, having little, look to the future with anticipation and hope. No matter what the conditions are of the past or present, these people seem to be running uphill at full-speed (with hope and expectation). If I take anything away from this place, or these people, I hope it is this example!

CELL Sustainability Through Community

Dave O: CELL´s semester program in Central America focuses on a theme of sustainability through community. During the course of the semester, we visit a variety of communities striving to become more sustainable. Yesterday, we visited one of the world´s unique sustainable communities - Selva Negra - a sustainable farm, resort, and organic coffee estate nestled in a virgin cloud forest in the mountains of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. This ecologically focused farm is an inspriring example of how people can live sustainably with ecological, social, and economic balance. In 2007, Selva Negra was voted the most sustainable farm in the world by the SCAA, an association of sustainable farms and ecologically focused communities.

Selva Negra has been run by the same family for four generations. They own 400 hectares of cloud forest at an elevation between 4,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level. They have committed to preserving over 130 hectares of virgin forest, some of the most biologically diverse land in the world. To illustrate the richness of this land, one hectare in the cloud forest of Selva Negra contains more biodiversity than all the land in any one country in Europe.

What makes this eco-farm/village so unique? The short answer is their commitment to sustainablity. They are committed to maintaining the farm and the estate in as ecologically pure way as possible. They grow organic coffee under the canopy of a section of the cloud forest that is not in the preserve. They use only organically produced fertilizers composted onsite, no toxic chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers. They grow 100 percent of their own food organically: including all vegetables, poultry, eggs, pork, etc. They raise organic flowers for sale. They raise bees that polinate their crops and produce honey for the farm workers and for sale in their onsite tienda. They raise organically fed cows that produce all dairy products, including a variety of world-class cheese also available for sale in the tienda. They generate electricy from their own hydro power plant. They compost all waste and use the compost as organic fertilizer in their gardens and on their coffee plants. They produce biogas from the coffee pulp waste. They treat their workers with love and respect and provide schooling, clean housing, and health care for their families.

As Eddy and Mausi Kuhl, the husband and wife team who run the eco-village, say: We maintain a an ecological and social balance so that in 100 years this farm will be the way it is today. We allow the virgin forest to remain the way it is and it creates a micro climate, giving us the water of life necessary for our farm operation. This wouldn´t work, however, if we were just to protect the environment for itself. The land has to produce an income. It has to be productive in harmony with the environment. There are two basic ways that we produce income: 1) through exporting our coffee and other organically grown products, and 2) importing eco-tourism. It all works together to help us sustain ourselves: ecologically, socially, economically. We sell our coffee to Whole Foods in the U.S., and they pay a higher price for our product because it is grown organically and sustainably. But none of this would be sustainable if we didn´t produce a high quality product. You students come from the U.S. You can go home and teach your country how to live sustainably. (Eddy): I think the mission of the U.S. should be to live in peace with its neighbors.

We agree with Eddy and Mausi!

CELL Sustainability Through Community

The Center for Ecological Living and Learning´s (CELL) Central America study abroad program is a life-changing experience for students who believe that they can make a difference in the world and who aren't afraid to try! During this CELL program, you will explore sustainability through community in three of the most diverse countries in the world: Nicaragua, Honduras, and Costa Rica. You will get muddy hiking to the top of a volcano. You will help in the conservation of endangered sea turtles. You will learn about the human and ecological issues facing this region of the world. You will live in homestays with local families. You will visit many communities striving to become more sustainable. You will roll up your shirt sleeves and learn experientially and through service to others. You will learn about imaginative solutions to global problems and what is being done today to solve these problems. You will join a team of committed people who are changing the world.

If you would like more information on our programs, you can visit our website a: (http://www.cellonline.org/), you can e-mail us at: info@cellonline.org, or you can call us at: (207) 230-4025. Below are student reflections about our Spring 2008 Central America study abroad program:

Dana: Before arriving in Nicaragua, I thought I knew about this country. But now that I have actually experienced Nicaragua, I know that I really knew very little. This is a perfect example of the power of experience. Nicaragua, in my mind, before this trip was a place of danger... I had an impression of Nicaragua that was formed through my government, the media, etc. I now know this image is false. I now see exactly how necessary experience is and how screwed one´s view can be without it. What harm can come from questioning everything except a greater truth? Many times in my life I have avoided doing things or going places because I was afraid of what I imagined might happen. My experiences in Nicaragua have put truth to the saying, ¨the only thing to fear, is fear itself.¨ I hope that in the future I hold this particular experience close so as not to perpetuate false truths.

Sarah: Prior to coming to Nicaragua, I really did not know much about the country. I knew Nicaragua was a very poor country and was suffering economically. I was a little worried about coming here because of the way the U.S. portrays this country. After being in Nicaragua for a week, my perception of this country and its people has totally changed. Often I feel ashamed to tell people I am from the U.S. because of what our government is doing and has done to the Nicaraguan people. However, everyone I have talked to has welcmed me warmly and separated me as a person from my government. I have found people to be very friendly and loving. Being in Nicaragua has reminded me of the importance of loving people for who they are and not for where they are from. what their religion is, what their government is doing, etc. I find it very humbling that my homestay father, and other Nicaraguans I have talked to, can forgive the U.S. after all the terrible things we have done and said about Nicaraguans. It is an important, humbling lesson of forgiveness I have learned from the people of Nicaragua. Not only has my perception changed about the people, but also about the land. The hikes we have taken on three volcanos have been absolutely gorgeous and Leon and Granada were beautiful historic cities. I am excited to see what else I can learn from these amazing people and from the land they call home.

Dave T: Before this trip started, I thought that Nicaragua was going to be a scary place. But once I arrived, I realized how wrong all of my preconceived percpetions were. At every place we have stayed, I´ve been treated with with so much respect and open arms... The country is beautiful with so much diversity in the landscape, plants, animals, people... Everyone in this country can afford food, and it is real food. In the States people often eat processed food and here people are eating real food and a variety of foods. People have lunch hours where they go home and eat a real meal: where they sit down and can enjoy it. In that way they are better off than us... They are so much farther along than we are back in the States...

Max: I guess I didn´t know too much specifically about Nicaragua (before I came on this study abroad). I feel the Nicaraguans are a very nice, generous, and spiritual people with a strong cultural look. They are resilient and resourceful. Overall, I have learned to experience a people, culture, and country, not just read about them and judge them. We have to experience more to know more. (There is a saying): ¨A person who knows but one culture, knows none.¨

Jonas: Before I went on this trip, I knew that Nicaragua was poorer than Honduras and Costa Rica. This made me believe that it would be the most dangerous of the three. However, since being on the trip I have learned that Nicaragua is one of the safest countries in Central America. I thought being a poorer nation would result in higher crime rates. However, now I know that I should not have placed that label on this country. Another thought I have about Nicaragua is how much potential it has. It is such a beautiful place, but things such as wasteful practices (not recycling pop bottles, for example) is destroying many beautiful areas. Hopefully, Nicaraguans will see their potential and begin to make some changes.

Carmen: At first, I did not know what to expect of this country... In some ways, maybe it was a good thing because I came here with a blank slate, ready to absorb everything I would be exposed to. One thing I never expected was how beautiful the land is here. Especially coming into the mountains of Matagalpa, I was overwhelmed by the views. This is truly a diverse land in termsof ecology and types of ecosystems. I also never realized there were so many volcanoes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I recognized a lot of plants from Mexico and St. Croix. Coming here, I was prepared to feel like an alien until I better learned my surroundings, but thankfully I was able to bypass that awkward alien stage, proceeding instead to the young child stage. Overall, I feel my perception of Nicaragua is still in the forming stage, and it probably always will be. But I feel that the perceptions I am forming are legitimate now that I am basing them on personal experiences. Having learned some of Nicaragua´s history and talking with people who have lived it, I have a much greater appreciation for all this country has been through. My perception of the Nicaraguan people is certainly a good one. They are friendly and I have enjoyed talking with everyone I have spoken with so far. However, one of the biggest qualms is all the trash everywhere. I realize that if they grow up seeing it, they don´t realize how horrible it really is. Solving that problem is going to take a change in perceptions on the part of the Nicaraguan people.