By Sarah Kinney
Staff Writer
In March, during spring break, six students from Simmons and Emmanuel College will be joining forces with the Newton Sister City project to build BioSand filters and EcoStoves in Nicaragua.
Since 1988, Newton, MA has collaborated with the rural community of San Juan del Sur and aided the community with building schools, clinics, and domestic violence shelters.
Earlier this year, junior Sana Sajjad was introduced to former Simmons professor, David Gullette, who is an active member of the Newton Sister Project. After learning about the project from him, Sajjad and other members of the Pre-Health Liaison decided to go and help out.
“I think this is a really great opportunity for Simmons students,” said Sajjad.
During their trip, they will be building BioSand filters and EcoStoves, as well as helping in a clinic for new mothers, said Sajjad.
A BioSand filter uses biology and chemistry to filter water. They began as concrete boxes filled with layers of sand and gravel. Well water is poured in the top and it eliminates the majority of viruses, parasites, and E. Coli bacteria that can be found in the water, according to the Newton Sister Project blog. The filters are also transportable, said Sajjad.
Most women in Nicaragua cook on open fires in their home. This results in many women and children dying from smoke inhalation. Sajjad said smoke inhalation is one of the leading causes of death in Nicaraguan children. The EcoStove is a brick and cement cooking-box, which has a spot for wood, places to rest pots, and a chimney to direct the smoke outside, according to the project’s blog. The contained fire also uses less wood, which is better for the area’s forests, said Sajjad.
Sajjad was excited that they would be able to work in the women’s clinic, since there are fewer restrictions on working in healthcare in Nicaragua. She is also looking to being immersed in a culture that is very different from here.
To prepare for their March journey, the group is brushing up on their Spanish and educating themselves on the local socioeconomic issues.
Junior Hannah Russell was especially looking forward to going to Nicaragua because it is a Spanish-speaking country, which she has not visited before.
If anyone is interested in joining, they should contact Sana Sajjad (sana.sajjad@simmons.edu) prior to mid-February. Sajjad noted that it is not an officially sponsored trip and they are going as individuals.
The Sister City project also sends help beyond the BioSand filter and EcoStoves. In September, they arranged to purchase a bus so children in rural areas can get to school. They also build composting toilets which keep waste from leaching into the water table.
Many families live in homes without electricity. In February 2012, they used water bottles embedded in zinc and placed in the roofs of homes actings as a sort of skylight/lightbulb.
Volunteers are asked to contribute $600 for the trip, plus $150 for their homestay and $100 for materials. The students are raising money at http://www.gofundme.com/NicaraguaVolunteers to help in offsetting the cost of the trip.
