Day 7: "The giving hand will always be full"

Our travel team to San Juan de Oriente with program director Tim

On Saturday, the Duke Engage team split up into three groups. Two groups left Granada at six in the morning while Sarah, Maddy, Brian, Ander and I left a little bit later at 7 am and took a bus to San Juan de Oriente, an artisan village up on the side of the volcano. There, we met up with Duilio Jimenez, the artisan in charge of producing the highly efficient ceramic stoves we sell to rural communities in the region. 

Church in San Juan de Oriente

Women carrying ceramic pots

Duilio's ceramic atelier

Ceramics

Ceramic pots

Entrance to Duilio's Atelier

The atelier

A potter explaining to us how ceramics are made

Potter making a ceramic pot

After a potter explained to us how ceramics are made and demonstrated the process, we tried it out ourselves. 

Maddy trying it out herself

Sarah making ceramics

Ander making a pot

 

My turn!

After our attempts at making ceramics, we sat down in Duilio's atelier and asked him questions about the production of the stoves, the resources needed to create them, the cost and potential areas of improvements (all in Spanish of course). Duilio answered our questions and shared his belief that the stoves could have a great social, economical and environmental impact in the region. Due to the more efficient design of the ceramic stoves, they consume less firewood and produce less pollution. Not only are they better for the environment, they are also lighter which simplifies transport. Even though the initial cost  is higher then traditional stoves, economies are rapidly made due to the amount of firewood needed that can be reduced by 50%. 

Duilio, a well intentioned environmentalist with a large smile, explained to us that his main motive for producing the stoves is to have a positive impact on the environment. Duilio seems to genuinely care about the communities his work may impact.  He told us that according to an ancient Nicaraguan saying: "The giving hand will always be full". 

Bryan and Nancy, the two people responsible for the design, the marketing and the distribution of the stoves are good friends of his. We'll soon be able to ask them questions about the business side associated with the production of the stoves.

Us listening to Duilio's explanations

Duilio

Oven... for the stoves

He also explained that due to the fragile nature of the clay it is fairly hard to expand the production that is already at hand. He has two ovens, a bigger and a smaller one, in which to heat up the stoves but only the smaller one allows him to keep an eye on the stoves and make sure they don't break during the process. This consequently limits the production. Once the stoves have been taken out of the oven, insulation is added and they are ready for distribution.

Insulation inside the stove

Stoves

Ceramics

Woman and child on a bike

San Juan de Oriente

Ceramics

Ceramic bells

Ceramic shop in San Juan de Oriente

After our visit at Duillio's atelier, we walked around the town and then up the hill to the neighbor town  Catarina. On our way there we encountered multiple artisan shops among others...

Maddy and the cow

Woman selling fruits

Artisan shops

 Once we arrived at the top of the hill, we had a breath-taking view of the Laguna de Apoyo, a crater lake that was formed many years ago.

Laguna de Apoyo

Our view of the lake

Me at the lake

Me on a horse at Laguna de Apoyo

The lake, horses and volcano Mombacho

We then took a red "taxi" down the hill to the bus stop and then the bus back to Granada.

Taxi

Coming back to Granada

At our arrival in Granada, the main street, "La Calzada" had been rearranged to host the annual Mother's day celebration, which seems to be a big deal in Nicaragua. A lot of people had gathered around a stage on which a variety of dancers took turns and danced everything from Salsa to Break dance. Pretty impressive!

Crowd on La Calzada

Dancers

Samba

Break Dance

On Saturday night, our Duke Engage team went to a local club and danced Salsa, Tango, Swing and a mix of other dances on the Latino music that was playing throughout the night. Lots of fun and bonding time with the group!