Jan 5

Mo' Projects, Mo' Problems

Today we were grateful to be starting the day sleeping in until 6:30 AM planning on a 7:00 AM departure to the FUPROSOMUNIC farm located on the brim of Masaya. Cristian was the first to rise and began cooking a delicious breakfast with fresh eggs, toast, and the option of marmalade or peanut butter spread. Taxis arrived at 7:00 AM sharp and the team scuttled out to the taxis five minutes late.

During our travels to the site we passed a shop that creates outdoor art by re purposing old tires, carving them into beautiful replications of animals, and dressing them in paint. Upon arrival at the farm we could view a beautiful hillside which was featured in our header photo. We had many goals for today's trip as we sought to assist the FUPROSOMUNIC organization whose mission is to empower impoverished individuals with alternative and sustainable resources to protect family income, family health, and the overall environment. After a brief meet and greet we sat down in the canopied cafe to take notes on the organization's construction needs (there were many).

Many of the sinks at the farm drain towards a downhill water runoff. To provide water in dry seasons and drought the basin will eventually be converted into a pond. To protect the basin from contaminates the sink exits need a filtered water drainage solution. To begin solving this problem Zach and Trevor measured the dimensions of land around the sink outlets while Derek jotted down notes, recorded dimensions, and drew kindergarten landscapes for reference. With drawings, dimensions, and pictures collected the group convened to discuss beehives.

Nicaragua is home to many bee species. Although European and African bees are commonly used for pollination, native honey bees provide better pollination and scarce, valuable honey. Native bees however, lack stingers, are harmless to bee keepers, and require a smaller bee house. To help farmers in the region the teams fluent Spanish speakers, Professor Basha, Cristian, and Giselle discussed what was needed to create a blueprint and instructions to assemble new bee houses.

Next stop for the team was a flat piece of land that needs landscaped into a seed germination house. The team discussed the best place on the plot of land to create a covered roof house that provides shade and protection from bugs for newly seeded fruits and vegetables. A snack break was taken to munch down on delicious mandarin oranges fresh picked from the vine. With newfound curiosity about the farm, we then took a walking tour to round out the trip at FUPROSOMUNIC.

Immediately before taking a taxi ride home we found a ripe cocoa pod on the stem. The farm director suggested we pull the pod down and try raw cocoa. The raw bean is encapsulated by a white, gelatinous pulp. Each of us tried the pulps and enjoyed the flavor with mixed enjoyment.

After leaving the farm, we lounged at Casa Nica for one glorious, refreshing hour. After getting a little bit of rest, we ate lunch at the same restaurant as yesterday. Their full menu is rotated throughout the week so we were able to all try new dishes: Jalapeño Pollo, Carne Asada, and Filete de Pescado (Breaded Fish). We also got to try two different versions of plantains: Tajadas de Platano (crispy plantain chips that we had yesterday) and Madura (a soft textured, fried plantain).

Once we filled up on a tasty Nicaraguan lunch, we divided and conquered on some projects. Trevor and Cristian modeled the proposed bee hive assembly in Solidworks, Zach and Giselle started measuring holes for the new front trellis and new back clothesline, and Derek worked on the "repaired" cloth chair that broke the night before.

Later Zach and Cristian further planned out the french drain while Trevor and Giselle drilled holes for the new front trellis and new back clothesline. Once the holes were drilled, Giselle brushed oil on the wood to protect it.

After Dr. Basha and Derek took a trip to the hardware store and Trevor and Cristian cut a few more boards, we all started to assemble the security cabinet. Since we had no clamps we all had to manually hold the boards in place while Trevor drilled pilot holes and screws. After a lot of drill bit switching and board aligning we were able to get everything but the doors installed. When we stood the cabinet up, it was level!

We ended our day with a delicious home-cooked meal from Dr. Basha, ice cream, and some needed showers after experiencing a water shortage yesterday.