This morning while heading into work, we dumped our garbage. Driven by our protected areas manager, Nat, two other volunteers and I assisted in the process by tossing bags and crates of rubbish on top of one of many exposed piles of trash along a road off the highway. Nat, jaded by his time in [...][...]
Posts Tagged ‘Central America’
Two Weeks into a Year’s Worth of Photography Classes
I’ll never forget watching my first group of photo students in Solentiname walk away from me to shoot some of their first pictures. I was standing inside of the poorly lit classroom with a massive smile on my face – I could hardly contain my happiness – and reminded them one las[...]
March 5th, 2010 - 2:33 pm § in Around Town, Nicaragua
I’m on a Boat: Joys and Sorrows of Pangas
A panga boat ride is similar to when your best friend takes dad’s Porsche out for a spin: fast, unnerving, uproariously fun with fist-clenching close calls. This is the Caribbean Coast’s main mode of transportation, and how blueEnergy can access our communities. Our two-hour panga ride on a rece[...]
When Microenergy and Microfinance Meet
Part of my role at blueEnergy is to manage our two loans through our local microfinance institution. Who would have thought a portfolio of a little over $1,200 would be so challenging? Earlier in 2009, blueEnergy received funds to subsidize individual solar systems for two communities: Set Net Point[...]
February 10th, 2010 - 5:40 pm § in Around Town, Nicaragua
Taking Your Time
Before I came to Solentiname, Nicaragua I was determined to arrive and get to work immediately. I imagined riding up to the remote archipelago in a long, thin wooden boat where children and families eagerly awaited my arrival. I would jump out of the boat, introduce myself with a smile, a handshake,[...]
How I Came to Be a Volunteer
I’d like to be straightforward with you from the very beginning and tell you that I’m no volunteering expert. In fact, I’m quite the novice. I’ve only volunteered once before and that was for one week during my freshman year of college. I had an incredible experience and left intending to do[...]
