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.