Getting Settled in Palmira

Finally I am sitting down to write my first blog post while in Nicaragua. I have been living in the small community of San José de Palmira for exactly a month now and am loving it. The work has been challenging but I am learning and can honestly say that I have never done anything like this before. I will give you some background…

This community was created 6 years ago by a very prominent NGO here in the northern part of Nicaragua. This organization (for which I am currently working) has helped 36 families who prior to coming here did not have homes. Many families were living in shacks made mainly of plastic sheeting, others were living in the homes of family members. The Institute for Human Promotion or INPRHU gave these families the opportunity to build their own homes by providing materials and instructional assistance. 

Now there 247 people living here, where prior to 2009 it was purely forest. Each home was constructed with an extra room with the intention of hosting tourists as part of a community tourism initiative. The most prominent day-to-day challenge for residents of Palmira is the fact that there is not much employment. Many men plant crops such as beans and corn but a drought has plagued the area for the past 3 years and many of the crops are not producing food. Now the families are dependent on bags of rice and beans that the government trucks bring on a monthly basis. Many residents leave Palmira to work for a period of time and then return, but the income they receive is minimal. 

Eco-tourism has been identified as a viable option for this community. As mentioned, each home  has an extra room and the community also has a lovely eco-lodge (where Juan Pablo and I are currently living). The community is surrounded by beautiful hills covered in thick dry topical forest. The Río Coco is near by, Central America’s longest river and there is a beautiful hiking trail called the 3 Señoritas. The community itself also has a lot to offer. Each family has an elaborate garden with papaya, tomatoes, oranges, limes, chilies, potatoes, mangos, bananas, squash, watermelon, cucumber, peppers, onions, and many more. There are women in the community who make delicious bread in a traditional stone oven and all the women in the community are skilled in cooking traditional Nicaraguan dishes. 

Needless to say Palmira has a lot of potential as an eco-tourism destination. For the past month I have been working with residents in the beginning stages of developing a tourism strategy for the community. I have faced many challenges as the community lacks organization with regards to tourism and there was little planning done prior to engaging in a tourism initiative. So far I have given 2 presentations to the community and the local leaders about responsible tourism and have conducted various interviews with residents. I have also begun weekly meetings with those interested in the community. I know that meaningful change will require a lot of patience and determination.

Both Juan Pablo and I are enjoying a humble life here. We eat rice and beans everyday and have started a small (but labour intensive) garden ourselves. We sprouted almost all our plants from seeds and now have tiny tomatoes, beans, cucumber, pepper, orange, garlic, basil, potato, chile and pepper plants. We also have tiny mango and banana trees. Juan Pablo has dedicated his time to separating clay from the soil to make primitive pottery and has made a solar cooker which boils water on a sunny day in about an hour. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my project here in Nicaragua. Also thank you to everyone who has supported me through my fundraising efforts and in other areas of my life. 

I still need to fundraise around $500 to reach my goal. The donation is tax deductible and for every dollar that I fundraise, the Canadian Government will donate $9, giving each dollar the power of $10. Please consider contributing if you haven’t already. 

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=3100933&langPref=en-CA#&panel1-7

Thank you so much and more to come! Saludos!!

The garden we are planting

View from the hiking trail the 3 Señoritas

The Río Coco