Cerro Wawashang: A Model for Makengue

With just over two weeks left until we board our plane for Managua, I have become increasingly anxious to make more headway in our research. While we have certainly come across a lot of interesting and pertinent information so far, I am now ready, more than ever, to get into the nitty-gritty.

After I met with the rest of the science group yesterday evening, I began some new research that was inspired by my macroeconomics class earlier that day. In class, we had been learning about how global warming undermines development efforts in the third world, and this got me wondering how Nicaragua has been affected.

I began with an article from The Nicaragua Dispatch, Oquist: Nicaragua can’t wait on climate change, where I learned that the average temperature in Nicaragua has increased by 3˚C in the past fifty years and, since 2006, Nicaragua has been losing $200 million a year in agricultural production because of the climate change. From there, I read another article, Can eco-battalion save Nicaragua’s energy revolution, that addressed some of the solutions Nicaragua has been seeking, including the “Ecological Battalion,” which is comprised of 580 soldiers, who, unfortunately, lack funding. This Ecological Battalion did succeed, however, in obtaining 111,800 feet of illegal lumber in the Cerro Wawashang reserve, which is located in the municipality above Río San Juan, Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur. The problem of “timber trafficking” in Cerro Wawashang is a problem that is evident throughout all of Nicaragua, apparently. To put it in perspective, the 864,868-acre reserve could be reduced to nothing in just twenty years, if this rate of deforestation is not stopped. A country that was 63% primary forest thirty years ago is now 41% primary forest, and by 2030, it could be just 25%.

The implications of this deforestation reach even further than I ever imagined. For instance, the plan by the Nicaraguan government to switch to 50% hydroelectric energy in the next five years could become obsolete before it even succeeds, especially if there isn’t enough forest to produce the needed rain for the hydroelectric plants.

While I have not finished all of this research, I thought it was a fascinating start. Judging from what I have seen so far, it will be important that in the future the Makengue Project not only preserves the trees on its own land, but that it shares the harms of deforestation with the local Nicaraguan landowners. Oftentimes, “timber traffickers” pay the impoverished locals to form the networks that cut and haul the trees; so educating the public of the costs that are involved is an important step in discouraging these partnerships. Cerro Wawashang and Fundación para la Autonomía y el Desarrollo de la Costa Atlántica de Nicaragua, a organization that operates on the reserve, are great models to learn from and base our research on.

Miriam Lazo Laguna

I always find it astonishing when two subjects that I am learning about coincidentally overlap, although as an International Studies major and a Spanish student, I probably shouldn’t have been so surprised when this occurred. I was, perhaps, a little too enthusiastic when the Nicaraguan revolution came up in my reading outside of the Makengue Project in one of my Spanish textbooks, Tradición: Lecturas Sobre La Cultura Latinoamericana Contemporánea. Although I did not have the chance to share my excitement with my Spanish class, I figured this blog would be a great place to share what I gained from the reading, a series of interviews with Miriam Lazo Laguna spanning from 1985 to 2002.

Miriam Lazo Laguna is a Nicaraguan, who was a professor at the Universidad Nacional when the Sandinista revolution succeeded in 1979. Despite not being a Sandinista herself, she was passionate about the social goals of the revolution and was religiously motivated to help. After serving as the Director of “Cooperacion Técnica y Financiera del Instituto de Seguridad Social y Bienestar” (Social Security and Welfare) during the Sandinista government, she became the Director of Programming for Casa Ave María, a center for rehabilitation. This series of interviews asked for her perspective on the issue of social class during the revolution and post-revolution era. I will touch on some of her answers now.

After beginning the interview series with background questions on Laguna’s upbringing, the interviewer asked Laguna about her time as a student and later a teacher in Managua. Miriam explained how her time in Managua was critical to her awareness of the social issues that plague Nicaragua. While she taught every age level, from elementary to college, she witnessed the poverty in Nicaragua, as well as discrimination between the social classes. She realized the inequality of opportunity that exists when she saw how the wealthy attended the Universidad Católica, while the poor could not even afford breakfast or a school uniform and attended the public university. She dreamed of improving the 60% illiteracy rate and transforming the social situation of the country.

When asked how her life changed after the revolution, Laguna explained how expectations changed. Since she worked as a Director of Welfare, she started programs to help the “campesinos,” or agricultural laborers. Seventy centers were opened in rural areas for the laborers’ children to attend, with ten teachers each. Additionally, public centers were opened for rehabilitation of prostitutes, alcoholics, and disabled veterans. For example, prostitutes could learn how to sew in order to reintegrate into society. Before the revolution, centers like this were private and, as a result, less common and more expensive. They did not provide many resources, like education for orphaned children, and stigmatized patients as “parasites,” instead of helping them to improve their lives. The revolution also created many new opportunities for women. Many women gained careers and leadership positions, like the one Miriam had.

I found the various changes that Miriam Lazo Laguna discussed to be fascinating. Reading this series of interviews has motivated me to do some more research on the current social situation of Nicaragua to see how it has changed under the current government.

Research: Pros and Cons

For this post, I decided to spare you all another rap. Instead, I want to focus on my current research findings. While looking for financing models, I found a Business Insider article entitled “Six Ways to Fund a Non-Profit, Without an Investor.” This outlined all of the different pathways we could take to fund the project, and has thus been the structure I have used to continue my research.

Here are the six ways author Martin Zwilling gave us to fund a non-profit:

1. Individual and institutional donations. 
2. Loans from a bank or other financial institution. 
3. Personal loans from individuals, employees and board members. 
4. Government grants. 
5.Private endowments. 
6. Bartering services.
Unless we can get a grant that is renewed each year, none of these options seem sustainable except for number 6. I had never thought of barter as a way to make Makengue work. The idea is that we would provide our goods and services for those of another. Now, this couldn’t fund us entirely, but it is definitely a way to fund specific activities. For example, in exchange for a loaf of bread, we could teach a local farmer how to be more sustainable. This loaf of bread would be something he didn’t need as much as the service, and it could help us to offset the costs of living for the people working at Makengue. It can also be used on a more corporate level: a business provides us with microscopes to study local plant life, and we promote them as a sponsor. These are just two of the many possibilities bartering can bring us. I am excited to continue to explore this method more and find non-profits who use it.

Now, the title of this article is called “Pros and Cons”, and so far I have only addressed the positives in what I have found. The negatives came from when I went searching to find what types of poisonous spiders live in the Nicaraguan rain forest. This led me to the discovery of Chagas Bugs. They live in and around houses, bite you, suck your blood, and then defecate in the same spot. As if that doesn’t sound scary enough, they are also carriers for Chagas disease. Now the disease at its best may cause slight inflammation.  At its worst, it can cause cardiac damage which leads to death. Also, there is no cure for it. I am sure the chances of encountering one of these insects is slim, and I am sure I am not going to get Chagas disease, but the possibility of it existing may keep me up at night.

Well that’s all for now! Until next time,

Alison

The Clock is Ticking

We are now entering our fourth week of working on the Makengue project and I am so excited about where we are going.  In my vision for the future of Makengue, I see it as being an extension of AU classrooms. This project would have to start out small with only gradual progress, but I believe that Makengue could become a huge advantage for AU students wishing to do research and gain experience outside the classroom. In my view, I see the science departments being the first on the scene, especially chemistry and biology, which could explore many natural aspects of Makengue. I would also hope to see the physics astronomy department able to set up telescopes while on retreat at Makengue in order to see the completely dark sky. However, Makengue could be used by more than just the sciences, I also hope that the videography and photography departments could use Makengue to explore properties of wildlife photography. This is only the beginning; Makengue could potentially spread to many other departments throughout AU and encompass the local community around Makengue. Many project members have discussed the necessity of giving back to this local community.  One way I would personally like to see this happen is through the establishment of sustainable energy, be it wind, solar, or otherwise. I think this would be a fantastic way of giving back.

 

And so it begins.

The trek through Makengue has already begun, starting with the day I decided to join forces with the Science Team. Together, we research, brainstorm and converse about the different ways American University and Makengue can not only benefit one another but benefit students as well. Not only will I have to learn a whole new field of research, I will have to interview chair members of each school within the university and find what idea works best for everyone. It is hard work, a lot harder than I first imagined, but I feel like in the end it will be worth it.

An exciting project I’ve started working on through the connections that have been brought to me from my work with Makengue is through Narita, a Catholic organization in San Carlos that host over 2,400 migrants, victims of human trafficking, sexually harassed and domestically abused women. I am a part of an organization on the American University campus called Restoration Ministries, a Christian organization that works to help those who have fallen victim to modern slavery. In fact, statistics show that slavery today is greater than it ever has been. I feel as if this opportunity has been opened for me to take part in another task within my trip to Nicaragua, and I hope that with the help of Restoration Ministries and through our Justice Week program, we can raise enough donated goods to send to Caritas. Then, on the first day of my team and I’s arrival, we will meet with the organization in San Carlos.

One of the things I am most nervous about when it comes to this trip is not having the time to gather enough research and materials. Nonetheless, my team has been working hard and we seem to be a step farther with every passing week. This trip and its purpose has been a new but rewarding experience so far, teaching me how to go outside my comfort zones, reach out to people who may want to get involved, and even help those who have been reaching out for years. Upon my research of this Central American country I will be visiting, I have been learning a lot about the political atmosphere that has taken place there throughout the years.  I had no idea Nicaragua and American had the ties that have existed throughout our political history. Through the author Stephen Kinzer, I have explored some of the political upheaval and riots, even murders, which have taken place to get Nicaragua at the place it is today.

I am excited, that much is for sure, but I am also nervous. It is one thing to have such high hopes for what you can do to help this land, but it is another to not be able to completely follow through with those hopes. Aiming high is a good habit, but reaching those aims is what I hope to see come out of my stay in Makengue come April.

Preventative Measures: Ensuring Women’s Health and Reducing Child Mortality

In 2009 the World Health Organization reported that only 6.3 percent of the population had insurance leaving those without it left with the burden of medical expenditures that further stratified their access to healthcare. With Nicaragua being one of the poorest Latin American countries (average income is $2 dollar a day), it is without a doubt that access to healthcare of any kind is beyond the grasps of many families within this country.

However, life goes on for the families of Nicaragua. Men and women go about their days, children go to school (if they are in a position to do so), and more importantly, pregnancies still occur despite the lack of accommodating medical care.

While some women in the country are able to carry their child to full term with little to no health defects, some women including their newborns face tremendously disastrous health issues.

The World Health Organization reports that in the poorest regions of Nicaragua, many infants are at risk to face a multitude health problems including neonatal sepsis.

Neonatal Sepsis is a blood infection that occurs within the first 24 hours of life, and has a lifespan of 90 days. It can be detected within the baby’s first week of living and continues to infect until treated or until the baby is deceased.

Sepsis is caused by things such as preterm delivery, a rupture of the uteri membranes (water breaking) that lasts longer than 24 hours before birth, or infection of the placenta tissues and amniotic fluid.

All of these causes are linked to an occurrence within a mother’s body called chorioamnionitis. This is the inflammation of the fetal membranes within the mother’s uterus that leads to the aforementioned infections. Over time, without detection and if not treated immediately, the condition can worsen.

Amoxicillin and gentamicin are medications used to treat chorioamnionitis in order to prevent sepsis. In the U.S. both are affordable to patients and are, in some regions, less expensive than the cost to visit a doctor. However, the cost of seeking gaining medical treatment and prescription drugs can exacerbate the already existent economic troubles that many families currently face in Nicaragua.

How does Makengue play into this? Well, both of these drugs can be produced at a basic level and then with the help of trained team, harnessed in order to produce a most cost-efficient medicinal good.

Amoxicillin is an artificially created oral drug that originates from penicillin. Penicillin originates from Penicillium notatum. This is the green-blue mold found on food when left out for too long. While it is commonly said that this is bad, and it is for the food, the mold itself can be utilized for medicinal purposes. Studies and historical research has shown that this aerobic bacteria has been utilized for centuries starting with Native Americans in the United States. The tribal medicine man would venture out to find this mold and would wash the wound of whomever the patient was, apply the mold to the wound and apply a sterile dressing. Within a few days the wound would no longer be infected and the healing process would continue.

This is because penicillin prevents other bacteria from multiplying by prohibiting it from making the cell walls needed to reproduce.

However, for women with chorioamnionitis, the penicillin (amoxicillin) would need to be taken into the body rather than applied. In order for the penicillin mold to be taken orally, the mold would need to be ingested in some way by the patient-hypothetically speaking.

Hopefully, if a field station is set up in Nicaragua, a team of researchers could conduct tests to see what the best way to produce and distribute penicillin (amoxicillin) that is neither detrimental to the health or pockets of these mothers.

As for Gentamicin, this drug’s history is a little less astounding. But the way in which it can be produced in a situation where there are little resources is quite remarkable. A recent study was conducted in which a group of scientists rudimentarily produced Gentamicin using Egyptian Black Strap molasses through a fermentation process using a series of biosynthetic ingredients. The results proved that the Gentamicin produced by the molasses yielded remarkably stimulatory effects that resembled that of real Gentamicin.

What my research for this week has led me to believe is that if these medicines can be produced on a small scale with very little need for a specific climate or other variables necessary to produce medicinal herbs, then using a field station in Makengue to produce such medicines, and perhaps even more, to treat things like chorioamnionitis, sepsis, and other illnesses. It only seems right that we use our affluent resources to provide for the well-being and health of those who truly cannot access it without economically burdensome consequences.

The Beginnings of My Research

“What guides Sandinismo…is the conviction that our country, Nicaragua, has never been a country with real sovereignty or national independence.  Nicaragua has been an appendage of the United States.” (Kinzer 119)

Last week we broke off into our groups and started to discuss what each of us would be researching and in what time frame we would be doing it.   I decided to do research on Environmental Policy in Nicaragua and the history of US Foreign Policy in Nicaragua and how that has affected Nicaraguans’ perspectives of Americans.   So far most of my research is on the second aspect.

The first source that I have been using is the book that we are reading for the class, Blood of Brothers by Stephen Kinzer.  This book is amazing; if anyone is interested in Nicaraguan history this book is an excellent choice.  Stephen Kinzer is a journalist who starts his career in Latin America.  Eventually he worked for the Boston Globe and later for the New York Times.  This book covers his adventures in Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution and then the Iran-Contra Affair.  (That is the part I am up to now.)   Through his coverage he talks about his personal experiences in Nicaragua, along with interviews of locals who were involved in the revolution or people who were affected by the Contras.

As I am preparing to travel to Nicaragua, I find this book to be helpful because it is so important to know the history of where I am going.  History shapes the present and, to fully understand a country, one must be willing to start in the past.  So, even though this book is several years old (its first copyright is 1991 and the second 2007) and the environment has changed in some ways, it provides a valuable background to the current situation.

Along with this book I found an excellent journal article, entitled Americanisation and anti-Americanism at the periphery, by David Ryan from De Montfort University in the UK.  This article is great because it talks about US intervention in Nicaragua, the thought patterns that allowed the US to feel that it could intervene, and about the history of US involvement in the area starting with the Monroe Doctrine (1823) and the changes Theodore Roosevelt made in 1904, which (although it is not referred to as this term in the article) is the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.  An excellent quote from Roosevelt that shows the shift in American thought in the 20^th century “If a nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States. Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may in America, as elsewhere, ultimately require intervention by some civilized nation, and in the Western Hemisphere the adherence of the United States to the Monroe Doctrine may force the United States, however reluctantly, in flagrant cases of such wrongdoing or impotence, to the exercise of an international police power.” (Full quote from Our Documents)

After reading the excerpt from the quote in the article, I looked up the full quote because I found the mindset of Americans at that time to be intriguing and a valuable tool that helps to understand our actions. Americans set up this Us versus Them, or Civilized vs Uncivilized attitudes, and one can see how problems can easily develop when the US went into Nicaragua with this dangerous mindset. It is one of the reasons that we face backlash, as we did in Nicaragua.

Right now, these are the basics of my research.  I have background information and specifics, which are giving me a deeper understanding of Nicaragua and our past there.  It also leads me to think about our trip there and what our goals and thoughts should be when we are talking to people and thinking about the land.  We need to remember Nicaraguan history and understand that they deserve a say in their land.

Makengue!

My name is Adrian Romero and I am a freshman here at American University. I’m currently majoring in International Development and Pre-Med studies and I aspire to become a trauma surgeon and engage in neurological research. The opportunity to come on this trip is a treasure that I not only thank Professor Menke-Fish for presenting but also the owners of Mekengue for opening their home to us.

Aside from being able to see a new country, I view this as an opportunity for all of us to really understand what it means to invest ourselves into a project that we think can provide some sort of benefit to the world.

The girls selected to go on this trip are all amazing. With each containing their own unique, memorable personality I’m sure that what we produce will exceed expectations.

With ideas like establishing a field station, or conducting biomedical research to see what the plant life on Mekengue can produce for healthcare purposes, or even a place where students and women of the area can go for educational opportunities, floating around, I have no doubt that the Mekengue 2013 team will create something worth following.

 

Getting Down the Basics

Nicaragua is known as a “unitary republic” comprised of 15 “departments” and two regions. Makengue is in the department called “Rio San Juan” in southern Nicaragua, and the capitol city of this department is San Carlos. Nicaragua’s landmass is 130,967km^2 which is about the size of Alabama. Almost 1/5 of Nicaraguan lands are designated as protected areas including nature parks and reserves. Nicaragua lies on the Caribbean tectonic plate and because Central America is a major subduction zone, a vast majority of the Volcanic Arc is located within its borders. Nicaragua has three distinct regions: the Pacific lowlands, the North-Central Highlands, and the Caribbean Lowlands. Makengue is part of the 57% of the country that lies within the Caribbean Lowlands which is mostly rainforest and hosts several large rivers and has a very small population. Nicaragua is has an agriculture-based economy, which is about 60% of its exports that earns approximately $2billion. Popular cash crops include coffee, beef, and tobacco. Much of Nicaragua’s natural, domestic sources of energy are hydropower and, interestingly, geothermal power which hails from the volcano Momotombo close to Managua, in which roughly ¼ of the population lives. Unfortunately, unemployment is widespread with 48% of the population living below the poverty line, which must be drawn pretty low because 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. It makes sense, therefore, that Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the hemisphere and has amassed fantastically high debts. The currency of Nicaragua is the córdoba, which was released in 1912. Nicaragua is the first country in the Americas to make use of polymer banknotes over paper. Polymer makes the notes last longer, therefore reducing the need to reprint and is also more hygienic. Nicaraguan culture is heavily influenced by Spanish and European roots but still maintains some of its old, original languages, which are still spoken today, especially in the Caribbean. Religion is slowly becoming more diversified, but most identify themselves as Roman Catholic. Gallo pinto is Nicaragua’s national dish and is made with red beans and white rice, which are cooked together and then fried. I will leave you with the very interesting fact that the most popular sport played in Nicaragua of which there are several professional teams….is American baseball.

Hope you learned a bit, I know I did! 🙂