Alpha 6: Bonding with a very happy community in Miraflor

Diana Mote explains why Alpha 6's experience living and working in La Naranja de Tayacan was so special:

After a two day journey - starting at Fieldbase, sleeping in a school along the way, stopping in the lovely Esteli and riding a very bumpy bus - Alpha 6 finally arrived at La Naranja de Tayacan. No wait… there was still a 90 minute trek through pouring rain and thick mud to cover but finally reaching the village and receiving a warm welcome from our hosts made the journey feel like nothing.

After the 14 days we got to share with these hard-working people, we can see how happy they are with what they’ve got. They don’t have the opportunities and the resources we have yet we are the ones honoured to be part of such a happy community. The kids were shy and quiet to start with but when the group played games they started to join in and a new bond was formed.

Building materials took longer than expected to arrive which was frustrating for the group but we enjoyed spending time with the families, learning to cook, speaking a new language and discovering a new land of mountains, waterfalls and fruit trees. We all found something to take home with us.

When the materials did arrive the real work began. We pulled together as a team to catch up the few days we’d fallen behind schedule. The group became close through days of hard work, as we all learned and helped each other out on the site. The community centre started to take shape and each day the group couldn’t have been happier with the progress being made. However, the best part is being able to step back and say "we’ve done that". It all pays off when you're given delicious food and can see the smiles on people’s faces.

Sadly, at some point it has to end. Alpha 6 left Miraflor knowing what they have accomplished and are able to return home with a little bit more than what they came with.