Nadia Ahmad is a junior at Yale University, where she is currently studying environmental engineering. She is originally from Larchmont, New York, and she loves horseback riding, singing and traveling.
Why did you decide to volunteer with blueEnergy in Nicaragua?
I decided to volunteer abroad with blueEnergy because I was excited about exploring my academic interests in environmental engineering and economic development. I had volunteered abroad many times before, but I had never been able to apply my academic skills and interests to any real-world situations.
I was really enthusiastic about the specific work that blueEnergy does in Nicaragua, both in water sanitation/hygiene and renewable energy.
I believed that I could bring a well-balanced combination of scientific/engineering skills and passion for international community development to the organization. Most importantly, however, I was excited about the opportunity to be immersed in a completely new environment, meet new people, and learn new skills.
What was your typical morning like?
Every morning, I woke up at around 7:30am. With the other volunteers, I grabbed a quick breakfast at the blueEnergy house, and then walked down the street to the national technology institute, Inatec, where blueEnergy conducts its work. I was working with the water sanitation and hygiene team, and during my time in Nicaragua, the team was working on a specific project called Meal-A-Day II.
The purpose of this project was to revisit all of the households in Bluefields, Kakabila, and Monkey Point that had bio-sand filters constructed and installed by blueEnergy.
At each household, we were responsible for conducting a user survey and testing the water from the filter, original water source, and storage receptacle. In the morning, the team would first collect the results from the previous day's water tests. We would then spend the rest of the morning organizing information about the installed water filters and updating the database.
How did you spend your afternoons?
A typical afternoon in Nicaragua, with the exception of the days in which we working in Kakabila and Monkey Point, consisted of traveling to different parts of the city (Bluefields) and visiting households with a bio-sand filter. At each home, we performed various tests (i.e. turbidity tests) on the water from the filter, the closest source (a well, the lagoon, etc.), and the storage receptacle.
We also collected a sample of water from each of these sources to bring back to Inatec to test for fecal coliform. In addition, we conducted surveys at each household to assess living conditions and knowledge of correct filter usage. After visiting the required houses for the afternoon, the team would come back to Inatec to prepare the water samples for the fecal coliform test.
We started by taking the water we had collected from each source and vacuuming it through a porous pad. We drenched this pad in a particular medium that encourages bacteria growth and placed it in a petri dish. After preparing all of our water samples in this manner, we placed all of the petri dishes in an incubator, and left them overnight for fourteen hours.
Describe a typical evening.
After finishing work between five and six every evening, we returned to the blueEnergy house. The evenings were generally quiet and were spent doing whatever we wished. For dinner, we either cooked at the house or went out to a restaurant. On weekdays, we relaxed after dinner - reading, watching a movie, etc. On the weekends, we usually went out in the city for more entertainment.
Tell me about the highlights of your trip.
In terms of volunteering and my actual work, the highlight of my trip was conducting surveys at each household. Personally, I always find my interaction with the community the most rewarding part of any trip or work experience. Being able to communicate (in Spanish) with the members of different families and talk with them about the sanitation issues was what made me feel like I was really accomplishing something.
It was fulfilling to hear about how the water filters were benefitting each family and preventing symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting. The surveys made me feel like I was connecting with the community, instead of just working to help the people. In terms of overall experience, the highlight of my trip was travelling to two communities outside of Bluefields, namely Kakabila and Monkey Point.
I really enjoyed seeing a different side of Nicaragua - the areas which have not been affected by modernity and urban lifestyle. Everything from traveling on small, open, powered canoes (called pangas) and sleeping in hammocks to seeing children racing on their ponies and waking up at 5am to watch the sunrise was exciting and eye-opening.
What made this experience unique and special?
The people that I worked with, both blueEnergy employees/volunteers and various community members, made the experience unique and special for me. En route to Nicaragua, I was well aware of my interest in and passion for environmental and community development issues. But nothing can explain the feeling of being surrounded by other people that possess the same passions as you.
Each member of the blueEnergy community is completely invested in their work, and it was rewarding to be a part of that commitment and contribute to that goal.
How has this experience impacted your future?
I was also impacted by the interactions I had with blueEnergy beneficiaries in the community. Conversing with people about how their lives had been improved by the bio-sand filters was extremely special.
Throughout the experience, I grew a lot personally, and I believe I gained tremendous insight on my career in the future. Hopefully, I can further explore the kind of work that I did in Nicaragua soon.
