In February 2018, GRID Alternatives installed a solar-powered drip irrigation system on the small farm of the Cruz family in the rural community of La Rinconada, Nicaragua. Participant Bob Pashos, a Solar Educator at StraightUp Solar in St. Louis, MO, reflects on his experience installing the project while immersed in Nicaragua for a week with GRID. Here, he shares his daily diary.
Day 1 & 2: When we landed in Managua, the experience started by meeting my fellow traveling participants at dinner Saturday evening. After a nice filling breakfast Sunday morning to get our engines running, we then had an orientation meeting led by GRID staff covering many helpful topics from the culture and history of Nicaragua, to the technical aspects of the solar-powered drip irrigation project we would be installing, to some important safety considerations to keep in mind, especially while at work on the project. The day continued with a tour of Managua, the 3 hours plus trip into the mountains of Jinotega, and a very insightful and thought-provoking handout and reflection to get us thinking deeper about our role in this international development work.
On Day 3, we embarked on the final legs of the journey to the rural community, La Rinconada. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly - very warmly - by the main family of farmers on whose property we would be working this project, and by many of the other villagers - who would, in multiple ways, also be benefitting from the solar project.
We assembled in chairs in a big circle and listened to our hosts, Maria Luisa and Freddy Cruz, share about themselves and their gratitude. The rest of us then shared more briefly - who we were, where we were from, and WHY we were there. All in all, some inspiring stuff from both ends!
We were next treated to a Nicaraguan lunch of beans & rice, a non-meat spaghetti, tortilla, and mango - along with a delicious oat drink of some sort (all made using the purified water supplied by GRID Alternatives). We had lots of good fuel for our afternoon of hard labor.
Before we started, we were well motivated also by seeing the project on the family farm next door - a previous solar drip irrigation project of GRID Alternatives - successfully completed a year ago, and resulting in a full 50% increase in yield for the farmer, along with tremendous benefit for his family, and help for those he was able to hire to help on his farm. An inspiring success story - proof that what we were about to do had a proven track record.
By the end of the day we were able to complete digging most of one trench across the fields. Definitely some hard work, but it felt good by day's end to see what we had accomplished together.
Day 4 of the trip was our second day on-site, working on the project. We were able to complete both trenches, lay the electric cable in the one from where the solar panels would be mounted over to the well pump, lay the piping from the well to the elevated water storage tank, fill in both trenches, and then complete the placement of the solar panels on their pre-built structure.
Day 5 was my favorite so far! We spent the first hour and a half in a Q&A with the Cruz family. I had my share of questions, along with the others, and Kelsey, from GRID Alternatives, did a good job interpreting back and forth between us. Very interesting, informative, culturally enriching, and inspiring.
While most of the group then headed to the job-site field, a few of us stayed back at one of the houses in the community to watch how bread was made in their traditional stove and oven. Turned out the parrots stole the show, when one of them jumped into the big bowl right in the middle of preparation, and then danced around energetically in his effort to get back out!
Back on the job site, we made good progress with the well pump installation onto the galvanized piping, as well as the connections between the solar panels and the controller and interrupt switch. We got close to having the solar all connected, when we had to leave the site about 5PM for the next exciting event - our piñata celebration with the children of the community.
What fun and pure joy to see the looks on the little ones' faces! I was even recruited to take a try. I think I did more dancing to the lively music than swinging at the piñata, but the crowd loved it, so I wasn't too worried. When the piñata finally broke open, the kids were all over the candy that spilled out onto the ground below! I believe I can safely say that those moments of the kids' joy and excitement were some of the highlights of the trip for all of us.
On Day 6 of the trip, after final assembly, tests, and system training for the Cruz family, the solar drip irrigation project was now complete, up and running successfully and ready to significantly increase the crop yield for the family. This will make a long-term difference not only by increasing the family's food supply, but also by increasing their income. This will in turn benefit the rest of the farming community with employment opportunities, less pollution, and more stability.
It was so nice to hear the well water being pumped into the large elevated storage tank for the first time, seeing that the electronics of the controller had all checked out, and everything was working as it should! What a good feeling to have been part of such a worthwhile project - making a real difference for these people we spent the last few days with, and had the privilege of starting to get to know. Before leaving, we were treated to lunch by the family and had a final sharing on the part of the family and a few of us with the project. Much gratitude was expressed, along with some more inspiring final words.
Day 7: Our day of sightseeing after the project went very well. One of the highlights was a very interesting and impressive demonstration of Mayan pottery making at a location that employs numerous local artisans and produces a tremendous amount of beautiful handcrafted work. Perfect opportunity to purchase some souvenirs for the trip.
Another highlight was a boat trip on Lake Nicaragua showing off the magnificent beauty of that lake and its many small islands. Such a great variety of wildlife - birds, monkeys, and the like - and a truly impressive immersion into the "innards" of the natural world. We also went to a beautiful lookout over Lake Masaya, a volcanic crater lake not far from Granada. Such magnificent scenery reminded me that even with all the challenges our world faces, what tremendous beauty we have to appreciate.
Day 8: On Saturday we had the opportunity to go to Tio Antonio Centro Social, where we watched a demonstration of the hammock making process that has been made available for blind and other handicapped people to be able to earn a living as they artfully create some beautiful hammocks. Saturday afternoon we went to the Laguna Beach Resort where we could swim, kayak, or just sit and take in the gorgeous scenery, the sound of exotic birds in the forests all around us, and the sight of spider monkeys playing in the nearby trees.
Having come all that distance from our various original destinations throughout the U.S., I was very grateful we took at least a little time to see a few sites and enjoy some of the exquisite natural surroundings in the beautiful country of Nicaragua.
That evening, while waiting for our food at dinner, the group took time to individually reflect on what the trip had meant for each of us. Taking such time on several occasions to share thoughts and feelings about different aspects of what we were about was, for me, another reason I appreciated the way GRID Alternatives - and in particular Roberto and Kelsey, our two GRID Project Leaders - managed the trip from day to day. This dynamic of more in-depth sharing and communication - both among our project team and with the farm community - added an enriching quality to the whole project experience.
I'm sure I'm not speaking only for myself when I say this will be a trip I will remember for the rest of my life. I know my StraightUp Solar co-worker Marquis and I were grateful for the opportunity to take part, and would much encourage others to consider jumping at the opportunity!
Get hands-on with renewable energy and make a lasting impact in Nicaragua or Nepal. You'll work alongside community members on a GRID project, while experiencing full immersion in rural life and local culture. See upcoming trips!