I came across this article about William Walker, the King of Nicaragua in the 1850’s. It’s an interesting look at history and events that not many people know about it. I also think it’s important to know the previous history of the United States in Nicaragua to hone our communications techniques in talking to local populations. To many people in Nicaragua, they know the intimate details of US involvement in their country. For us to ignore the historical background of the interactions of the two countries would put us at a significant disadvantage when talking to Nicaraguans. Rest assured, we are doing all the research we can on solar lighting as well as the culture and history of the country.
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Here’s an article translated from Nicaragua’s La Prensa newspaper detailing a recent decrease in the cost of butane gas used for cooking. This is to give some perspective on the price of gas used in the home. The house I lived in used a 25-pound tank to allow the cooking of three meals per day. It needed to be replaced about every month or so. Today: $1 U.S. = 19.0365 Nicaraguan Cordobas (source: www.xe.com). To read the article in its original Spanish, click here. Continue Reading
At Bright New Ideas, we have been talking about how to increase awareness of the problem and visibility of our organization. In other words, we think that it is very important for us to not only help those in Nicaragua, but also increase awareness of the problem of lacking a sustainable, healthy, and cheap lighting source. The problem that we face is this: how do we cut through the incredible amount of information on the internet? How can we make ourselves unique? Continue Reading
Category : Education & New Ideas for Education, New Health Ideas
Today we’re taking the topics of health, education and energy – squeezing it together with our hands into a sticky ball and seeing what kind of juices come out. It appears that we have screwed up so bad in providing children poisoned beef through a national school lunch program. According to Blomberg.com, “The Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., the supplier of ground beef to U.S. school lunch programs, recalled a record 143.4 million pounds of meat after the government said it was unfit for humans.” This was in reaction to a video posted online by a member of the humane society, shown in an AP Report.
Here’s the UNICEF At-A-Glance report on Nicaragua, third-poorest country in the Americas. I highlighted some telling stats and added comments below:
53% of the population is under the age of 18. That’s amazing. And yet looking back on my time in Jinotega – it was evident. There were always so many children about. Having upwards of 5, 6, 7, or more kids in a family is normal – even if you’re dirt poor. The extraordinary advantage this 53% represents is the potential for change if these youth get an education. HALF of Nicaragua is growing up right now. If they have access to knowledge, then they will have the power to re-invent the country’s future. If not, then an entire country remains stuck in arrested development. Continue Reading
Light Emitting Diodes or LED’s are touted as one of the most promising new technologies on the forefront of energy efficiency today. So why is it that when I walk into a local superstore, I don’t see the walls lined with LED bulbs? Here is a perspective from the Strategies in Light conference in Santa Clara, California…
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I think a lot of people don’t know about how life changes when you go without electricity and light. Because of everyone’s experiences with power outages, a lack of lighting seems like a minor inconvenience instead of a humanitarian problem. Patrick would do a lot better describing what he has seen in Nicaragua in the villages that he has visited, but I would just like to take a couple paragraphs to explain my own experiences traveling without light or electricity. Continue Reading
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Many people might look at the need for renewable energy in rural communities as lower down on the priorities of humanitarian work. Part of our job is to remind them that this is an issue that is intimately tied to poverty and empowering communities. One way to do this is by connecting the dots to other, similar programs around the world. Swogun is a group that promotes solar energy in Nepal. You should check out their organization as well if you’re interested in learning more about how renewable energy can be used to empower communities.
You might ask: Why is light at night such a big deal? After all, it’s romantic when the sun goes down in the countryside. What advantage could having solar lamps offer these Nicaraguan families?
Here are 5 ways that light enriches life: Continue Reading
Sweden’s national energy company Vattenfall has come up with an ingenious process for reducing air pollution, which recently won a prestigious award for one of the best technology projects of 2008 by a US magazine. Vattenfall’s project is a way to supercharge a process known as “carbon capturing.” What is carbon capturing you ask? Well it’s kind of like putting a big balloon over the tailpipe of your car.
