THE SOLAR WOMEN OF TOTOGALPA

The Solar Women of Totogalpa is a group of women with a vision for the future which they are making a reality every day.  They have been constructing, with adobe bricks made with their own hands, the first buildings on their newly acquired solar center grounds.  But along with the physical construction, the women are building strong bonds between former Sandinistas and Contras, and new economic and social models to further their development in a sustainable way.
Totogalpa lies three hours north of the capital city Managua, Nicaragua.  Nested among rolling hills and fertile plains, it is primarily an agricultural community tied together by strong family values.  By modern standards, life here is simple and lacking in amenities, yet it is a place where hard work is valued as highly as friends and family.  Through their own efforts and with the help of national and international organizations and volunteers, the Solar Women have been making progress toward a brighter future.
It has been eighteen years since the war officially ended in Nicaragua, but remnants of the conflict, such as landmines, continue to affect the community.  Many soldiers’ and civilians’ lives were taken by landmines, and those who survived have struggled for years to regain their mental and physical health.  It is that much more difficult being physically handicapped in a society which suffers from extreme poverty, natural disasters, and severe unemployment.  The immediate and most devastating effects are born by the land mine victims, of course, but the community as a whole also suffers from the impact that landmine injuries have on family and community relationships.

In 1999, Grupo Fenix began a project to reintegrate land mine victims into society through renewable energy technology.  One objective of the project was to teach land mine victims to fabricate, install, and maintain photovoltaic solar panel systems.  The aim was to generate employment and provide an alternative energy source to communities that do not have easy access to conventional electricity.  After giving birth to a successful photovoltaic business in Sabana Grande which continues today, the project has grown, adapted, and given life to the Solar Women of Totogalpa.
The women recognized the potential solar cookers and dryers had for their community as environmentally sound alternatives to wood stoves.  They have shown extraordinary dedication and continue to further their knowledge of these new technologies through workshops ranging from how to construct the solar cookers and dryers and creating new recipes, to university-level lectures on solar theory.  The majority of the Solar Women are single mothers with little time or money, but they are steadfast in their mission to make life better for future generations.

Recently, the Solar Women took a huge step to make their dreams reality by completing the construction of their adobe Solar Center building on three acres of donated land situated on the main through highway to Honduras, right off the Pan American highway.  The women have created a plan for a Solar Center that would house an office, research center, production shops, market, restaurant, and hotel.  This solar “campus” would provide the infrastructure they envision to promote and sell solar products and house and feed visitors coming to their model solar community for courses in solar technology.  They have planted many fruits and medicinal and culinary herbs on this site, all grown organically and with an eye toward not only feeding their community, but also marketing them regionally.  They enjoy experimenting with new foods and plants and how best to cook and dry them in the solar cookers and dryers they have designed and built.  They also are in the process of exploring partnerships with coffee growers to solar roast and market their beans.

Mujeres Solares de Totogalpa, Kilómetro 212, Carretera Managua a Ocotal, Totogalpa, Madriz, Nicaragua Email: mujeres.solares@gmail.com ; Website: www.mujeressolares.org
Centro Solar: Nimia Lopez: 00-505-434 0329; PFAE, Erika  Gonzalez: 00-505- 4182248