Change of weather.

Today was nice and sunny. Although this is nothing strange for Cape Verde, it did mark a change in the weather of this last week. The day started out slow, as most days do. I got together with my neighbor/friend Janine and we sat and had a nice cup of blackberry tea courtesy of my mom. We passed the time by people watching the people coming into the village. We would try to predict which of the two directions they would take at the split into town. When that game got old, we watched the fig tree and tried to guess how many leaves would fall in a period of five minutes. 13. This remained the pace of the day until my friend Niton stopped by and coaxed me to go with him for a run. We went, and it was exhausting. That exhaustion was perfect. To enjoy relaxation, one needs to be tired. Expending my energy really felt rewarding. Later that day I gave my English class again which we restarted on Monday. Monday we had 7 people, today we had 5. It is a good group though, and although they may never use English in their lives, I think we all at least have fun.

Words from friends

One of my wisier friends from back home gave me some well placed words today and for that I am grateful. Today was like any other day, however I managed to keep some good momentum by doing the right things. I fed myself fairly well today which kept my spirits high. I sweated out a good bit as I did a Ribeira run, and I got to give an English class today which had an excellent turnout of 7 people. If everyday were like today my service would be a complete success.

It's been a while

It's been a good time since I posted last. I haven't posted largely out of embarassment. The hail mary Jatropha project has fizzled. The information I was supposed to recieve about how to create such a biofuel came in the form of a facebook post, not the complete information package I was expecting. To do the training would require thousands of dollars, and I have yet to see any evidence that the product would be viable, especially at such a remote location. I have been toying with other ideas, but none have come to fruition. I have decided to set my sights lower, something I should have done a long time ago.

I am going for the easiest Peace Corps project imaginable, the World Map Project. It consists of organizing a group of people, getting 70 dollars worth of paint supplies, and spending a weekend painting a map on a wall. I've decided I can't fail at this. Although I've met with the youth group several times about this they remain unmotivated. The only thing that peaks their interest is when I speak of potential camping trips with other PCVs, because they imagine they will get to hit on the American girls. I am fundamentally disappointed, but It's no matter. I have decided to ignore the mantras we were taught during training and prepare to do this project on my own if need be. I figure if I start painting this thing myself, and others see that its more fun what they normally do they may buy into it. Worst case scenario, I'm out 70 bucks, but at least the community knows what the world looks like outside of Cape Verde.

I had some of my neighbors over to play darts today, and that was a nice relief.

Dedication

My computer has arrived! Therefore I dedicate this post to my Mom & Dad who have given me the gift of connectivity. With internet and a computer at my fingertips now I feel powerful. I have been able to continue my research on the Jatropha plant, and I have sent messages to experts online in the hopes that one will grace me with his or her knowledge on the subject. I really would love to know which machines Ribeira Alta will need to turn the Jatropha seed into a liquid that we can pour in the diesel generator to make the lights turn on. My local partner, Cesario, has been doing his part in acquiring the lands and rights for the cultivation of the plant. My role as the Peace Corps volunteer is to find out how to do the process, and find funding for the equipment and for the project in general. The internet is surprisingly vague on the matter, but hopefully by contacting individuals directly I can reach a solution. Ideally, I would like to have one on one time with someone that has done small scale biodiesel production before. However, it appears that if I succeed, I may be the only person in Cape Verde who knows how. Furthermore, I will need to be able to learn every intricacy of the process for I will have to teach the villagers how to do everything from processing the oil to machine maintenence, skills that I lack at present.

November

Since last posting things have stayed more or less the same. This month I revived the physical education class I was teaching and have been doing that consistently at 17:00 barring days where it is not possible. The exercise and music go a long way for me to relieve any feelings of restlessness I may have. The class is fun and although the turnout is variable, I could feel justified if just one person shows up. That is sometimes the case. I am still without a computer which has been the primary obstacle in accomplishing anything more substantial for the time being. On one day when I was able to borrow one I helped a good Cape Verdean friend of mine begin working on creating a business that Cha De Igreja really needs. I started by helping him fill out forms for requesting aid. On another occasion, when I had a borrowed laptop overnight I was able to form an excel spreadsheet which is the basis for a feasibility study he will do. I made it as detailed as my imagination could conceive and I found myself putting hours into it that flew by, as it was the most fun I had had in a while. When he looked over it the next day he told me that he was "muito satisfeito" with the job I had done, and those words really validated my work. It was a great feeling. I can't wait for the means to replicate the success of that small task any time I want to.
It will also help me post more often.
I've been working trying to research more for the biofuel project I've been aiming for, but the time I spend on the internet at a colleague's house isn't the same as the endless hours I can put in at home. Plus, it's just bad form when one only gets to see his PCV friends so often. However, in the brief period of time spent researching I have managed to get an idea of how the process works. The dried Jatropha seeds go into a "decortator" or something like that to remove the husks. Then they are put through a "expeller" to remove the oil. The latter piece of equipment is about $150 from where I saw it on the interweb and it seems manageable. Plus it is hand operated so no need for electricity. Stellar. However, Jatropha oil still needs to undergo a process called "Transesterification". As you might imagine from looking at the word, this is where I am getting lost. It sounds as if methanol and some other chemical are needed to transform the oil into fuel through a means which escapes me. The only information I have found is far too technical for me to decipher, and only addresses the chemistry of the process. The quest for knowledge continues. Hopefully, I can find some resources, ideally a human, to help me understand the process. Anyone know where I can get an instruction manual for a small scale Jatropha plant?

Went fishing the other day and I broke my record. 2 fish in one day...righteous.

Also, a fantastic group of PCVs from Africa came and visited making my week. Hearing tales from the continent fuels my desire to travel. I am looking forward to my friend Matt to visit for some good ol' island hopping.

The Storm

Shortly after my last post my island was hit with a storm, and the road to town was cut off again. The plus side, which likely outweighs the aforementioned inconvenience is that Cape Verde will stay green another month longer, and this is great for the local farmers. This last week I've been working with them, mostly with weeding, and have rather enjoyed it. People will wake up early and grab their "inchada" which is like a mini-hoe. I'm borrowing one right now. Then people go to the fields, sometimes closeby, sometimes over an hour away. They then work for a while, eat a breakfast that is delivered atop the head of a woman of one of the working families. Usually it is Cachupa and Coffee, which hits the spot at that time in the morning. The process is repeated for lunch. Anyways, it's been a really fun week, and my body is thanking me for the exercise.

I've sent out some emails to people involved in biodiesel production of Jatropha I've found on the internet with the hopes that they can give me some tips, advice, or most importantly instructions on how to go from plant to fuel. This is my part of the venture, Cesario is working on getting land permissions and securing some funds for renovating the wellhouse where the machine will go. We'll see how these things go. Fortunately, cultivating the plant itself is easy. It grows wildly in great numbers and is considered a weed. It grows where people don't have ongoing agriculture, which in Ribeira Alta is much of the land area (people are gradually emigrating to other places and countries). I planted some in pots at my house, and the plant is growing faster than anticipated. I will need a bigger pot. They require almost no water, which is good for Cape Verde. The seeds, which are produced from a plant after a year of age, return every year and can be handpicked easily, (they are a little bit larger than grapes). Hopefully I will have more to share about Jatropha and the project as I recieve replies from my cold-call emails.

The Ribeira Alta Biofuel Adventure

Okay,
So I've been doing these dailies, like the turtle stuff, interpreting, and helping farmers weed and such, but that's not really where my heart is at. I've been really setting my sights on this thing me and the Association leader from Ribeira Alta, so here goes;

Ribeira Alta is a tiny isolated village west of Cha de Igreja. It does not have road access and is a gruelling two hour hike from the nearest road. It is so isolated that makes Cha De Igreja look like St. Louis in terms of accessability. While for a couple months during the year the sea is calm enough to cut the travel time down with boat access, most transportation of goods and people involves a donkey at some point. There are about 200 inhabitants who live in the sheer cliffsides of the valley. The primary industry in Ribeira Alta is remittances and agriculture. The agriculture is principally sugarcane for making "grog" liquor and cassava.

The town has some fishing potential, and raises a fair amount of livestock as well. Unfortunately, these industries are of limited viability because of the electricity situation in the village. Ribeira Alta is not part of the electrical grid of Santo Antao, due to its location. Diesel fuel is provided by the local government to be put into the town's generator. However, this allows the village to have electricity for only 4 hours a day. Generally from 18:00 to 22:00. Furthermore the village is dependent on expensive imported fossil fuel.

The leader of the development association of Ribeira Alta, Cesario, has spoken with me about the solution to this problem. In Ribeira Alta's cliffsides, the Jatropha Curcas plant grows abundantly. The Jatropha plant's seeds, once processed, produce a biodiesel fuel capable of being used in the village generator. Cesario intends to refurbish an abandoned wellhouse and transform it into a miniature biofuel plant. My goal is to help Cesario realize this goal. We have met a number of times on this subject, and its success is my new all-consuming passion. I intend to help Ribeira Alta not only get the training and machinery necessary for this project, but also help encourage the locals to take advantage of the abundant unused lands to cultivate Jatropha on a small scale. Any thoughts?