Although the earthquakes taking place in Nicaragua this week haven't been in the Wisconsin news much, they certainly have had a devastating effect on the population in Nicaragua.  This was the scene outside the W/NP Managua Office during the night this past week.  People throughout the city were advised to sleep outside their homes after several earthquakes this week, ranging in magnitude from 5.1 to 6.6  

 

After the 1972 earthquake that leveled Managua resulting in 10,000 deaths, it is understandable to hear of people being physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted this week as they are unable to find rest or peace thinking about the impact of a 6.2 earthquake in the past.  The difference this time was the length and location of the epicenter, two variables difficult to predict in advance. 

  

News Article Link: String of earthquakes puts Nicaraguans on edge 

Please join us in giving a warm Wisconsin welcome to Dr. Ronald Blandon and Elisa Estrada

Dr. Ronald Blandon, President of the Nicaragua Partners Chapter, has been an active member since 1998.  Formerly, he held the position of Executive Director and currently is the Country Coordinator of the Farmer-to-Farmer Program in Nicaragua.  The Board in Nicaragua continues to actively monitor projects in search of human development opportunities for Nicaragua and its people, through the intercultural exchange and experience with volunteers.  The Farmer-to-Farmer program provides cultural and experience exchanges between American citizens and small to mid-size agricultural producers in Nicaragua. Through the work of the Partnership, Ronald has been successful in promoting and publicizing the philosophy and objective of Partners with Nicaraguan governmental and non-governmental institutions.  He has worked on various W/NP projects including the Learning Centers, the Youth Ambassador Program and Small Business Development. Ronald's efforts have also established links between higher education institutions of Nicaragua and the United States including the National Agrarian University and the University of Wisconsin. 

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS:  Come join the fun, and RSVP to wnp@uwsp.edu if you think you can come so we can plan accordingly

Wood stove smoke is a problem for ladies and the rest of their families, especially children, in rural Nicaragua as well as in the large cities. 

 

For the past two years, W/NP has been working with a volunteer group from North Carolina on building a model of a wood stove that includes a chimney.  Last year the first model of this stove was built in Estelí.  In examining the results, this stove meets the need for cooking and improves the smoke situation for many ladies in Nicaragua.  The stove model was put into practice based upon suggestions that came from those who do the cooking and desire improved health for their families. 

  

Link to video of stove installation 

 

Link to document with more info 

"This past year, Lilly has been cooking with her new stove and has made some of her own modifications to better meet her particular needs. After her cooking was done for the day, she put a steel plate in the first burner in order to make tortillas with the residual heat that had built up in the stove. Even more surprising, she figured out how to convert the stove into an oven to further utilize the heat that had already built up during the day. She would scoop out the coals and put them in an empty pot which was then placed in the first burner on top of the stove, as she had done with the tortilla plate. Then she closed the air draft, and put her pan in to bake. In effect, she had turned her stove into a Dutch oven. Both of these functions add greatly to the efficiency of the stove since they use the heat of the cool down phase which was going to be lost anyway. Lilly, and all the women are keenly aware of how expensive firewood is in their community, so it is not surprising to see these adaptive uses come into play."   - Fred Scales, North Carolina

 

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS:  Sponsor a stove for a Learning Center $80