NicarAGUA
Project Leader(s):
Alec Distel (distalec@umich.edu)
Brigitte Smith (brigsmit@umich.edu)
Project Location(s): Ann Arbor, MI & Jicaral, Nicaragua
Current Focus: The current goals of the project are two pronged: first, to build rainwater catchment, storage, and irrigation systems for various households throughout the community; and second, to train the residents on the use and repair of these systems, along with on general water treatment and sanitation issues.
Mission: NicarAGUA's mission is to work with members and leaders of the communities throughout Jicaral, as well as our partner FNE, to design and test a lower-cost and replicable rainwater catchment system. We will empower team members to innovate and engage in BLUElab's design process throughout our projects with access to educational resources and experiential opportunities to advance members' skills in this field of work.
Vision: A world in which every Nicaraguan has access to a sufficient and sustainable source of water.
Team History: Since forming in 2011, the NicarAGUA team has implemented water filtration systems in two schools in Nicaragua. In 2014, the team designed and constructed a rainwater catchment, storage, and irrigation system for the Rancho Los Alpes ecolodge just outside of Leon. This system was implemented over the course of two trips in 2014-2015. In Spring 2016 the team travelled to El Jicaral, and performed a needs assessment along with FNE international, a nonprofit headquartered in Boston. El Jicaral receives deliveries of potable water however it is not sufficient to meet their daily water needs for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Since then the team has focused on providing ways to store water that will meet the water needs of community members throughout the dry season. In May 2017, the team returned to built two prototype rainwater storage tanks with the help of an in country nonprofit, Nuevas Esperanzas.
Achievements: Dow Sustainability Fellows Grant (2015-2016)
Partner Organization: FNE International, Nuevas Esperanzas, community and local government of Jicaral, Nicaragua
Alec Distel (distalec@umich.edu)
Brigitte Smith (brigsmit@umich.edu)
Project Location(s): Ann Arbor, MI & Jicaral, Nicaragua
Current Focus: The current goals of the project are two pronged: first, to build rainwater catchment, storage, and irrigation systems for various households throughout the community; and second, to train the residents on the use and repair of these systems, along with on general water treatment and sanitation issues.
Mission: NicarAGUA's mission is to work with members and leaders of the communities throughout Jicaral, as well as our partner FNE, to design and test a lower-cost and replicable rainwater catchment system. We will empower team members to innovate and engage in BLUElab's design process throughout our projects with access to educational resources and experiential opportunities to advance members' skills in this field of work.
Vision: A world in which every Nicaraguan has access to a sufficient and sustainable source of water.
Team History: Since forming in 2011, the NicarAGUA team has implemented water filtration systems in two schools in Nicaragua. In 2014, the team designed and constructed a rainwater catchment, storage, and irrigation system for the Rancho Los Alpes ecolodge just outside of Leon. This system was implemented over the course of two trips in 2014-2015. In Spring 2016 the team travelled to El Jicaral, and performed a needs assessment along with FNE international, a nonprofit headquartered in Boston. El Jicaral receives deliveries of potable water however it is not sufficient to meet their daily water needs for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Since then the team has focused on providing ways to store water that will meet the water needs of community members throughout the dry season. In May 2017, the team returned to built two prototype rainwater storage tanks with the help of an in country nonprofit, Nuevas Esperanzas.
Achievements: Dow Sustainability Fellows Grant (2015-2016)
Partner Organization: FNE International, Nuevas Esperanzas, community and local government of Jicaral, Nicaragua
