Echo 6: A new community centre officially open

Gary Kelly reports on Echo 6's successful phase in La Naranja de Tayacan:

Wow. What a phase. The experience was brilliant for the whole group and it was great for us to finish the new community centre in La Naranja de Tayacan. We arrived two days after leaving Fieldbase, after numerous bus journeys. When we got there we were allocated to our families, who were so welcoming to us all. Then the following day we started work on finishing what was started by Alpha 6 who visited the community during Phase 1.

Our work consisted of collecting rocks, stones and dirt to lay within the foundations so that we could cement the floor. We completed these tasks and finished the community centre fairly quickly. When we had our days off, we travelled to Yali, a small town about an hour bus ride away from La Naranja. The same day, we travelled to Esteli and stayed in the offices of El Foro Miraflor, an organisation that is dedicated to conserving the area and the communities located in the Miraflor Nature Reserve.

One of the best days we had was the second we spent in Esteli. We had a very nice breakfast and then went on a tour of a local cigar factory. There, we managed to see how hand rolled cigars are made and we were shown different areas of the factory, which included a room full to the brim with cigars! Some of the group were even given some free cigars by the factory manager!

During the last days of the phase, we traveled back into Esteli to collect decorations for the community centre opening party. The day of the party was very exciting because we knew that the group had finished the centre and now we were going to open it. The whole community was in attendance and the village priest came along and gave the building a blessing. The party went very smoothly and everyone had such a good time.

Unfortunately, our time in Nicaragua had to come to an end, but the experiences that the group encountered, we will probably never forget.

Echo 6 photo album

Alpha 6 photo album

We've collected stacks of photos from the Alpha 6 Venturers and PMs - here are some of the best:

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.

On the ground with Alpha 6

Your intrepid correspondent has just returned from an amazing week visiting our three Alpha projects in Nicaragua along with the lovely Amy, our CR&N support coordinator direct from Raleigh head office in London.

When we left the delightfully rustic village of La Naranja de Tayacan in the Miraflor Nature Reserve a few days ago, Alpha 6 had made a great start to their project under the expert direction of their local maestro de obras (foreman), Don Hector. 

They have settled into the community, finished clearing and leveling the site for the community centre they're building and started the monumental task of gathering 15 cubic metres of stones from a nearby riverbed to line the foundations.

The team has really been embraced by the community with each household feeding and housing two or three Venturers and the locals pitching in to help on the work site everyday. It's a very special experience to live with the local families - they're all so generous and the kids love playing games and taking photos once work is finished for the day, which is a real boost for the group.

Now on to what you all really want to see... some photos from the beautiful La Naranja de Tayacan: