El Porvenir

Life in Nicaragua is full of coincidences and happy surprises. On my very first art research and buying trip to Nicaragua, after we had already returned to the States, I tried to find a translator who wasn't out of my price range and who could help interview artists, specifically in Solentiname. Out of nowhere, Carole Harper appeared, saying she wanted to visit Solentiname anyway, so would I mind if she and her son came along. We split expenses and she wouldn't take a dime for her translating work. We had the most marvelous time, and got to know each other a little. Her son, Mauricio is a great kid, and he was a pleasure to travel with, even though I'm sure he was bored to tears with these old folks he was with!











The second benefit of getting to know Carole is that she was intimately involved with a non-profit called El Porvenir (http://www.elporvenir.org). El Porvenir means "the future" in Spanish, and that is part of the mission of this organization. From the El Porvenir website, the organization "was born in the 1980's during the United Nations International Drinking Water Decade. El Porvenir began as an off-shoot of Habitat for Humanity’s self-help housing program in Nicaragua. In 1990, El Porvenir was incorporated in California under the Nonprofit Corporations law and was approved as a 501 (c)(3). As of 2008, El Porvenir has completed over 600 projects and served over 70,000 people!"

"El Porvenir supports more than 40 community-initiated projects a year in three regions of the country. These projects utilize simple technology and locally available materials, and can be repaired and maintained by the community.El Porvenir's projects, which are always initiated by the community itself, include the digging of covered and sanitary water wells, small scale reforestation programs, construction of community wash stations and household latrines, and installation of appropriate-technology spring-water capture pumps.


One of the unique aspects of El Porvenir is that they do not initiate projects themselves, but respond to the requests of villages and communities for specific assistance. Again, from the website, "Village residents elect their own water committee, provide all labor on a volunteer basis, and take responsibility for the long-term maintenance of all projects. El Porvenir encourages the committee to include women among their members, provides technical expertise and education, and funds the primary materials needed to complete the projects. Staff visit the projects periodically after their completion, to verify that they are still in good working order, are being maintained by the community, and continue to provide for the community's water and sanitation needs."

Individuals from North America who want to become involved can go to Nicaragua through El Porvenir sponsored "work trips", oftentimes vacations that extra meaning. There are also opportunities to travel to Nicaragua for El Porvenir work trips through ElderHostel Service Projects. As many people have discovered, El Porvenir's projects are simple yet life saving. My friend Carole was actually the founder of El Porvenir many years ago, and although she is no longer on the Board of Directors or actively involved, her work continues to bring benefits to many Nicaraguans, and inspires many North Americans as well.

Volcan Jilna - Across the Hills to the Water

A view of Volcan Jilna in Lake Managua from C. Suburbana in Managua. Does anyone know what the building in the middle ground is? This photo seems to capture all the natural beauty of Nicaragua - lush greenery, blue mountains and a sky of clouds and dreams.

Simplemente Madera

In a previous post, I talked about a wonderful wood artist, Francisco Tikay Ortiz from Monimbo a barrio of Masaya. Today I want to introduce you to Simplemente Madera, a really interesting organization both in terms of the unique furniture and architectural designs they produce, and in terms of their methods of operating and commitment to sustainability.

The main showroom and design offices of Simplemente Madera are in Managua on a busy road in Los Robles - Avenida 19 (yes, this is what it is called on the map of Managua!), near the Hospital Monte Espana. The low building is set at an angle to the road with a very picturesque cobble stone parking lot. In an interview with Nick Cook of "Between the Waves" magazine











(http://simplemente-madera.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html), in December 2007, the founder of Simplemente Madera, Matthew Falkiner, explains that the organization began in 2003, working with a network of independent workshops around the country to produce furniture. They now have 24 employees, and recently moved to a newly built workshop in Managua dedicated to increased production for local and export markets. Approximately 80% of their sales are within Nicaragua, but the export market is increasing every day. They still work with the many independent workshop around the country, and continue to guard quality, safety and compliance with sustainability regulations closely. The close relationship with these workshops ensures that designs are unique, fresh, graceful and beautiful!

The beautiful furniture they produce mirrors the beauty of the wood that is used. The primary types of wood used are Cedro Macho (Royal Mahogany), Nanciton, Santa Maria and Guapinol, and nearly all is "certified wood". Matthew explained that this means that the wood "comes from sources that are guaranteed to be sustainable and well managed, both socially and environmentally."

We purchased several small pieces that we treasure, including a wall mirror with a design akin to American Mission Style, but subtly different. Their showroom in Managua has examples of many indoor and outdoor furniture, as well as lamps, bread trays, cutting boards, and other decorative items. It is a joy to walk through the showroom handling the gorgeous woods and trying the unusual furniture designs!

To learn more about Simplemente Madera, go to http://www.simplementemadera.com.