Unity College Establishes Ties with Sustainable Harvest International, Completes Service Trip to Nicaragua

Over the recent spring break for college students, a group of fourteen Unity College students and two faculty visited rural Nicaragua to establish gardens, build grain storage facilities, and cleaning out a water filtration system.

Working with Sustainable Harvest International (SHI), a Maine-based organization that promotes sustainable agricultural practices in Central America, Unity College was able to provide students with a field travel course that allowed them to experience the Nicaraguan culture and environment firsthand. In the process, a number of projects to better the lives of villagers were completed.

SHI’s mission includes both the reduction of environmental degradation as well as the alleviation of poverty in rural communities.

“The ideals of Sustainable Harvest International are compatible with the mission and values of Unity College,” explained Associate Professor Aimee Phillippi, a participant in the trip to Nicaragua.

While in Nicaragua, students traveled by boat up the Kukra River (a four hour ride) to the town El Asentimiento, where they worked with school children to establish a garden. The group also traveled to two other communities, El Coloradito and Las Breñas, to stay and work with families. The travel to El Coloradito involved a five hour hike through knee-deep mud. Mules were ridden to Las Breñas, another very muddy four-hour trip.

“In these villages the students stayed in the rustic homes with local families, sleeping in hammocks,” said Phillippi. “They worked with the families and other community members on a variety of projects. From daily chores of milking cows and making cheese to bigger projects of harvesting beans, building grain storage, and improving a water system, the students worked side by side with the community members and learned about the hardship of life in these rural areas.”

Upon their return to the United States, the Unity College students organized a fundraising event at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts in Unity. The event included a Nicaraguan meal, a student-made movie of the trip, and a discussion.

“The proceeds from this event will be sent to the school in El Asentimiento that the students worked with,” noted Jennifer Olin, Unity College Community Based Learning Coordinator, who went on the trip. “This was an exceptional experience and the beginning of a collaborative relationship with Sustainable Harvest International.”

Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.