From Nicaragua: First Impressions

It took a car, two planes, two taxis, and a bus to get to Sabana Grande in northwestern Nicaragua.

Our first view was of the Solar Restaurant, which is situated right on the side of the Pan American Highway. This open air building was our first introduction to the community. It is staffed by the "Solar Women of Totogalpa" and located next to the Solar Center where engineering students work on renewable "Solar" technologies.

From the restaurant, Sabana Grande is about a 15-20 minute walk on dirt roads. We lugged our gear up the main road, dropping people off at their homestays. Each home was different, but there were lots of similarities. Some had electricity, some had running water- all had a family that was ready to let us into their homes.

All of the families had animals of some sort- cows, chickens, cats, dogs, pigs and horses. Some had few animals, some had many. From our first introduction, it was easy to see how intertwined human and animals are in the community.

Sabana Grande is more spread out than I was expecting. We did a lot of walking. It is made up of two smaller areas- La Frayle and Palmera- that are separated by fields where we saw cattle being used to plow. When we first arrived, the fields were just beginning to be worked.

Our first morning, we met with Susan Kinne, Mayra (a local human health worker), and Hilario (an animal health worker) to plan out our week.

Between our workshops and the things that Mayra and Hilario wanted to show us, our schedule filled up fast. Talking to them, it was clear that not only were they proud of the work that they have been doing but that they were excited for us to be present in the community.

Molly Liepnieks, graduate student, Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis

Comments

Welcome to the UC Davis Blum Center Blog!

Here you will find updates on our organization, and blog posts written by each of our Blum Fellows about their experiences abroad. Make sure to check out our website at blumcenter.ucdavis.edu, and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/UCDavisBlumCenter to get regular updates and see our upcoming events.

Visiting the New Roots Farm, By Stella Sappington

At this point in my project I have incorporated my supervisors notes into the first draft of the survey, asked questions regarding his changes, and begun to survey clients. Many of the changes he made were for the purposes of brevity and clarity. He removed the questions I had in place regarding favorite foods and whether the interviewee was the primary shopper, as well as an experimental question about community meals. He also managed to consolidate the multiple questions I had regarding food insecurity that were separated whether they interrogated price, unavailability or distance. I questioned these changes as I was concerned about the knowledge gap between shopper and interviewee that one report mentioned and elucidating rich responses to all aspects of food security. However, I ultimately incorporated each of his changes. At this time I have called 80 numbers intending to administer the survey with only 10 respondents. Their answers are so far similar in nature and offer good gu...

Sky-High Natural Dyes by Jennifer Hoover

In June of 2014, I was bracing myself for my last few days in the Himalayan village I had come to call home. I had spent 3 months there, befriending a few women with whom I worked on various textile projects. As we wrung out the last of our skeins of yarn over a dye bath, Nirmala commented, “You will always remember the time you had only two students.” “No,” I countered, “I will remember the time I had two teachers.” “Three students, three teachers,” we agreed. This, to me, is the power of participatory action research: we are all students, and all teachers; all researchers, and all research subjects. And so I am thrilled to be back for further collaboration, with the support of the Blum Center. I am here in Kullu Valley working with some participants in a women's self-help group (www.whims.in) who produce textile goods as a way of generating some independent income and preserving traditional craft skills. Although the women have started working with the acrylic ...

UC Davis Blum Center for Developing Economies

Search This Blog