I just got back to Managua, after spending 10 days on the road building stoves, painting a mural, laughing with the village kids, horse riding to lookouts, swimming in the Pacific, and napping in hammocks.
It has been great joking and practicing my spanish with the local children, seeing my stove design come to fruition (5 out of the 9 stoves we built were of my design), working/collaborating with the rural community, exploring Volcano islands (Ometepe) with new made friends, and enjoying the hot and relaxing beaches of Nicaragua.
I am back now at the office of Asofenix (the Nicaraguan non-profit I'm partnering with), where I live, work, and prepare to implement the next batch of Improved cook stoves. I imagine myself spending more time in "El Campo" (rural Nicaragua) working on projects and getting to know the communities than spending time in the busy base camp of Managua.
People of Nicaragua are extremely nice and welcoming and always seem to be laughing or making jokes about something. I love it here. I'm happy. heathy. doing well.
Building stoves.
With family and first completed stove.
Some of the stove recipients.
Magic tricks with the kids.
Rocks collected on the beach.
The beach
Gringo cowboy
Looks like a great start to the projects. Those stoves look familiar but more refined than what we built in Fiji 30 years ago. So familiar. What a great experience.
ReplyDeleteGB Richard,
ReplyDeleteThe stoves and the photo album are beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sending them along and I am hopeful that more may follow.
(I'm trying to visualize the inside of the stove, but to no avail... if I took a vertical cross-section (say a view of the stove from the front), what I would see?)
Best wishes to you,
Victor
Hi Victor,
DeleteHere is a video that explains it a little better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-rA1L5o9K4&context=C3142fe2ADOEgsToPDskI6e3rEbLqeJ8PIw9_pwOPz