On July 1 I (Derrick) flew to Managua for just over a week of orientation before returning to Pennsylvania for more training. This was our only opportunity to have some overlap with the current reps whose footsteps we will be following. Here are a few pictures from these first few days.
The office in Managua
The team, gathered for a quarterly meeting: sharing updates, highlights, and challenges.
Lunch together.
A skype conference with the team.
Visiting one of the partners, Generando Vida, who have many projects, including this library.
Last group shot before our YAMEN volunteer headed back home to Taiwan.
A view of Lake Managua on our way to Somotillo.
A project with partner ADENOCH with conservation agriculture. Carefully calculated spacing, seeds planted in holes filled with dried manure, and sesame seed plant stalks for moisture retention and weed control. These steps have led farmers to have a much more successful yield even in the face of the droughts the country is struggling with.
This farmer describes the success of the organic conservation agriculture approach compared with the conventional methods, which have smaller plants, more weeds, and poorer yield.
Our CR and one of the technicians
A view of the mountains looking towards Honduras
