In 2007, Hurricane Felix devastated the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua, destroying multiple indigenous villages of Mayagna and Miskito ancestry. Flash forward to 2011 and these communities have become participants in an evolving adventure to kickstart a bamboo economy led by CO2 Bambu, a Nicaraguan company dedicated to the design, fabrication and field assembly of pre-fabricated bamboo- based homes and shelters. To get the initiative going, CO2 Bambu built a bamboo processing factory (the largest of its kind in Central America) smack in the middle of the indigenous communities. This is the first time anyone has demonstrated the economic value of bamboo to these impoverished areas that are chockfull of world class construction grade bamboo. Factory jobs are also created through this program, injecting much needed revenue in an area plagued by 85% unemployment.
