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

Hello from La Arenilla - Zulu 5

X-ray 5 - building houses and friendships

In 2011 hurricanes devastated communities in Miraflor when heavy rain left many families homeless.  Raleigh has a longstanding relationship with these communities and was keen to get involved in the disaster relief initiative.

X-ray 5 are launching the project in La Arenilla.  They will lay new foundations, create adobe building blocks and build the walls and roofs of the new houses.  By the end of the expedition many families will move into new homes rather than live in makeshift accommodation.  This will make a huge difference in getting this community back on its feet.

At the moment X-ray 5 are divided into two groups; one group digging the foundations for the first house and the other group making the mud bricks. 

One adobe brick, two adobe bricks.....one hundred and sixty five adobe bricks....

Everyone is enjoying staying with their new, Nicaraguan families.  Max is proving a particular hit as he entertains all with his virtuoso guitar playing.

On Saturday afternoon there was a party to celebrate Max and Eveline's birthdays.  The whole community was invited, and the whole community came!

Twister!

The village was introduced to the Raleigh favourite of Ninja, which manages to transcend language barriers and makes everyone look just as silly as each other.  As a special surprise the community arranged a birthday cake for our lucky venturers which went down particularly well....after all you need an energy boost when there is construction work to be done!

X-ray 5 - rock stars?