X-Ray 7: Tapping into Matapalo

X-Ray 7 have been working incredibly hard in Matapalo, a remote village in the Achuapa region of Nicaragua to install a gravity fed water system providing an improved water source of clean and safe water. They have almost finished supplying 30 of the community access to this water. As previously expressed in their blog for women's day: Women, X-Ray 7 and Water this project is not going to just provide clean and safe water but time, for every member of the community to go to school, to socialise, and better their health. To celebrate Women's day the team hosted a community morning with face painting and a puppet show about women and water.

PM Paul, when asked about his project he said: it's grrrrreat!

Flavia taking her face painting task very seriously

PM Emma with one of the younger butterflies of Matapalo

Shadow puppetry, explaining their lives through art

Pin the tail on the donkey

X-Ray 7's update from Matapalo

As we took our seats on the luxury Transnica coach early on Sunday morning, we thought the 20 hour journey to our destination would pass in a haze of air conditioning, reclining seats and cheap films. And for a while it did. But then, as we roused ourselves with some morning porridge, looking ahead of us was the yellow abomination in which we would spend the second day of our journey. The following 10 hours dragged by in a nightmare of Spanish translated 80s power ballads!

Many goodbyes were shared with friends from phase 1 as we fropped off Xrays 8 and 10 at San Ramon and Miraflor respectively, but we struggled on and made it to our overnight stop in the town of Achuapa. The next morning we endured an hour on an old Canadian school bus and walked the remaining few kilometres to our destination of Matapalo.

On arrival, we were split into our groups and met our mums and dads-to-be for the next 2 weeks. The welcoming faces of our host families highlighted that we were now really a part of their isolated community. This made us all feel instantly at home, and it is this sense of community which makes our project here so special.

A typical family homestay PM's Cali, Emma and Paul live here with Norberto and Sylvia and their family picture below

Since our arrival we have finished digging the trenches in which we will lay the pipes to provide safe drinking water to four families, all of whom are currently hosting fellow Xray 7 venturers. The sense of gratification achievable here on our project is extremely motivating, and it is a special feeling watching trenches and pipes creep closer to houses and families in need of clean water.

Almost there - clean and safe water supplied to homes in Matapalo

We feel blessed here in Matapalo as after a hard days work we can relax in the idyllic setting of the river, which is just a short walk from our houses (under supervision of at least 2 PMs). We cannot wait to see the looks on our families’ faces when the first drops of water emerge on their doorsteps and we will all be truly sad to leave this unique and vibrant community.

This blog was written by Olly Wolrond and Josh Arbon X-Ray 7's Project Comms Officers, X-Ray 7 and Alpha 1 worked incredibly hard and this project has now been completed. All of the houses of Matapalo, due to previous Raleigh Expeditions and this one have been provided with clean, safe running water - an amazing achievement by everyone.

Women's Day Spotlight: Women, X-Ray 7 & Water

It is International Women's Day and we are celebrating women here on Expedition 13A. Today we will publish a series of Women's Day centred blogs from our teams who are spread far and wide across Costa Rica and Nicaragua and are celebrating in their own way. We also though you would be interested to read Marie Staunton's article in the Huffington Post. Marie is the Chair of Raleigh International and is currently visiting Raleigh ICS and Raleigh International's projects in Nicaragua and wrote this article about our project partner's the Cooperative Juan Francisco Paz Silva - click here to read >

PM's Emma, Paul and Cali with their host family Norberto, Sylvia and their children - they will be a beneficiary of X-Ray 7's work.

Furthermore X-Ray 7 and their Comms Officer Josh Arbon have conveyed their feelings about the affect that the new access to clean and safe water that will be provided by their gravity fed water system will have on their community of Matapalo, Achuapa, Nicaragua:

To fully appreciate the impact of our project here in Matapalo we conducted interviews in villages that have benefited from previous Raleigh teams. In particular we focused on the women within the household to tie in with World Women’s Day which we have been discussing over the past week. The results of this have been both uplifting and shocking simultaneously. The projects made huge improvements to the women’s lives, however, these drastic changes highlighted three existing issues which faced the women who haven’t beneffited from the scheme.

The Cooperative Juan Francisco Paz Silva is helping to achieve social justice, equality and basic public services for it's members. The community of Matapalo are a part of this cooperative.

In one case the mother of one family would have to take a 15 minute journey with 20 litres of water five times in the morning and then five times at night. This took a serious portion of her day and left her with serious neck problems. In the four years since Raleigh installed a safe water source in her home medical problems have subsided and she has had far more time to cultivate her vegetable patch and enjoys a markedly improved quality of life.

Senada Lopez is a beneficiary of a previous Raleigh water project in Matapalo. The current project will provide all remaining families in the area with a clean and safe water source.

She also believes that this project, and others like it, has helped to empower women in the local area and given them a louder voice on the community stage. This view is reciprocated throughout the women of the community. Another interviewee noted how 20 years ago women in the village had no rights or opportunities whereas with the implementation of projects such as the one we are currently undertaking women have more opportunity and are pushing for gender equality.

Sylvia, the PM homestay mother in her kitchen

This is why our work here in Matapalo is extremely important and poignantly timed. With World Women’s Day today we can greater appreciate the impact of our work. When asked about World Women’s Day those interviewed said they felt proud and thought the day was important for women such as themselves and particularly those in a worse situation.

This is a value which is also held by us in X-Ray 7 and we can see first-hand the differences made by Raleigh to the very homes who have been extremely welcoming to us.

Spotlight: Why do Raleigh's water projects benefit Women 

Norberto and his wife Sylvia are beneficiaries of the new gravity fed water system in Matapalo

Women are disproportionately affected by lack of access to safe drinking water. Women primarily manage water resources on a local level. In other words women, particularly in developing countries, are tasked with cooking, cleaning, and providing drinking water for the family. This can mean that where water isn’t readily available, women can spend up to 3 hours per day collecting water for their family.

The new feed in Matapalo will supply 30 of the community with safe and clean water

At the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development 2005-2015 was named the ‘Water for Life’ international decade for action. This called for women’s participation in water-related development issues.

Women’s lives improved due to:

-        Reduced time, health, and care-giving burdens from improved water services give women more time for productive endeavours

-        Convenient access to water and sanitation facilities increase privacy and  reduce risk to women and girls of sexual harassment/assault while gathering water

-        Community-based organizations for water management can improve social capital of women by giving them leadership and networking opportunities and building solidarity among them.

A study in 88 communities in 15 countries found that water projects are more sustainable and effective when designed with the full participation of women than those that are not.

Happy Women's Day to all of our blog readers and our volunteers family and friends.

Alpha 7, 8 and 10

Our community projects across Nicaragua encompass a water project by Alpha 7, Alpha 8 are building a pre-school and Alpha 10 have been undertaking a house building project. All are located in remote communities who have embraced our volunteers as their own. We thought the best way for you to see the teams' progress would be through the photos of our brilliant photographer Liz:

Alpha 10: Arenilla, Miraflor

Beautiful Miraflor

 Working together with the local community, building houses with mud cement and mud bricks

 Collecting "barba del viejo" - old man's beard

        

Receiving messages from the blog

 Gathering together for the end of day review

Alpha 8: Siares, San Ramon

                                                  

                                       

 Getting to know the local community

Rakeem 

 Receiving messages from the blog

Alpha 7: Matapalo, Achuapa

Heading out to start work

Tireless trench digging for the water pipes

 Setting up radio to communicate with fieldbase

Receiving messages from the blog 

Everyone is on their way back to Fieldbase which is very exciting! Also just to let you know all of our Explorer Venturers have arrived safe and sound in Turrialba and we will be bringing you an update of their training and arrival tomorrow.

Raleigh contributing to the UN Millenium Development Goals

In 2000, 189 nations adopted the United Nations Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit. The Declaration committed the nations to a new global partnership to meet the world's development needs and set out eight targets, known as the Millennium Development Goals. The target date is 2015, when the international community will again come together and consider progress made.

The goals are:

1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2 Achieve universal primary education

3 Promote gender equality and empower women

4 Reduce child mortality

5 Improve maternal mortality

6 Combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases

7 Ensure environmental sustainability

8 Develop a global partnership for development

Why do they matter

The goals represent human needs and basic rights that every individual around the world should be able to enjoy—freedom from extreme poverty and hunger; quality education, productive and decent employment, good health and shelter; the right of women to give birth without risking their lives; and a world where environmental sustainability is a priority, and women and men live in equality.

If the goals were to be achieved by 2015:

• 500 million people will be lifted out of poverty


• 300 million people will no longer suffer from hunger


• 350 million fewer people will live without access to safe drinking water


• 650 million fewer people will live without basic sanitation

For the billion-plus living in poverty, the achievement of the goals represents an escape from their abject living conditions and the means to a productive life.

How Raleigh contributes

The work that Raleigh is doing with its partner communities in Costa Rica and Nicaragua contribute to the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals. For example, in Expedition 13A our Venturers will be:

●      Building a health centre in Conte Burika, a remote community in south eastern Costa Rica, contributing to Goals 4, 5 and 6.

●      Creating a gravity fed water system to provide clean water in Achuapa - Matapalo, northern Nicaragua, contributing to Goals 4,5, 6 and 7.

●      Clearing old prison buildings in San Lucas, an island in western Costa Rica, to create a nature reserve, contributing to Goal 7.

●      Building a pre-school in San Ramon-Siares, a community in Nicaragua, contributing to Goals 2 and 3.

Clean and safe water: MDGs 4,5,6 and 7

As discussed during the Raleigh Project Framework blog, the issues we are facing globally are complex but the work Raleigh International undertake and will be continuing throughout expedition 13A and beyond, are postively impacting the communities we work with. To find out more visit the UN MDG webpage by clicking here >

Today's blog was written by Vanessa Glynn, 13As Administrator, whose wealth of knowledge is educating us all at Fieldbase with her 28 years of experience in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, The Scottish Government and European Union.

Nicaraguan family and friends

Vinnie, Arlene and Eveline with their Nicaraguan family

You'll have seen from the blog so far that each of our Community projects, in La Arenilla and Los Loros, provide a unique experience for venturers.  Whilst we are there we join our communities wholeheartedly; be that at work, at home or at play. 

Andrea makes breakfast

Venturers have relished the chance to be shown how to make tortillas, milk cows and feed chickens.  Our groups have loved the chance to spend time in the classroom teaching english classes (heads, shoulders knees and toes anyone?).

Anna, Alex, Jose and Sarah - heads, shoulders, knees and toes!

The language of sport is of course universal with football and baseball providing great opportunities for everyone to join together and get to know each other on the field.  Card games, Ninja and clapping games are other ways to break down barriers.

Aishath and Floor make a new friend

And of course we work alongside members of the community to provide the water supply or houses.  The families that will benefit from the projects are fully involved very step of the way, from planning and labouring through to creating the structures that will maintain the facilities once Raleigh has moved on to other communities nearby.  They are literally side by side with us as we dig, pick axe and build.

Ben working with the people who will live in the house we are buiding

Time and time again venturers come back from this phase saying that the best thing was the time spent with their families, the characters that they met along the way and the appreciation of the community for the work that Raleigh has done.

X-Ray 5 with the whole community