Friday 23 March 2018
View from a Volunteer Team Leader: Project for 2019 - Where to go and when. The choic...
View from a Volunteer Team Leader: Project for 2019 - Where to go and when. The choic...: As you know, 2018 has been written off due to my spinal surgery. It's a drag, but it wont stop me from preparing for 2019 . But this ...
Project for 2019 - Where to go and when. The choice is yours
As you know, 2018 has been written off due to my spinal surgery. It's a drag, but it wont stop me from preparing for 2019.
But this time I am approaching it from a different angle. You are going to choose between two destinations and tell me where you would like to go and when.
There is no commitment at this stage. Of course I am hoping that if you show an interest then maybe I can count on your support. I do understand that we all have other commitments and work and family situations can change. So, no commitment at this stage.
The length of these trips will be 14 or 15 days but of course you can tag extra days for extended travel. There will also be R&R arranged for the mid project weekend.
But it does allow you over a year to save up for another, or maybe your first, adventure of a lifetime.
The program cost is approximately $2,300 CDN $1,800 USD £1,300 UKP and will be finalized closer to the departure date. This includes accommodations, meals, in-country transport, program costs and a donation to the in-country partner. It does not include airfare.
The next decision is time of year. I am suggesting Spring or Autumn. And again if the interest is there and the dates work, then I could run both projects, one in the spring and the other in the autumn.
So that is the challenge. All you need do is email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook or blog comment with destination and time of year. I will do the rest.
Now you need to know what the projects are and who I will be working with. Well the who is easy. Developing World Connections from Canada. And yes those of you from the US can still get 100% tax relief on the cost of the trip.
Each destination has an in-country partner with whom we will be working. I will put as much information as I can into this post so as to give you best chance of making a decision that you are happy with. I will try to give links to their websites so you can see what they are currently doing. But don't forget these projects are not listed on the DWC website as yet. We still have a way to go before they become cast in stone.
First Choice Kenya
Inadequate educational infrastructure has led
to local children not being able to access the teaching and attention
they need. In some cases, children do not come to school at all
because they have to go fetch water, farm and have minimal finances
to pay the required school fees. This limits the students’ ability
to achieve a basic education and also diminishes their chances of
continuing on to secondary education.
primary school in Naro Moru, called Manyatta Primary
School. There is a lack of adequate access to clean drinking water at
the school. Access to clean water is a huge challenge in Kenya, as
well as other locations in East Africa. Not having access to clean
water affects students’ health, hygiene and nutritional
requirements.
2.3 billion people
worldwide still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as
toilets or latrines.
Hygienic sanitation facilities are crucial for
public health. Poor sanitation is linked to transmission of diseases
such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and
polio. Inadequate sanitation is estimated to cause 280 000 diarrhoeal
deaths annually and is a major factor in several neglected tropical
diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis, and trachoma.
Poor sanitation also contributes to malnutrition.
So there it is. Two great choices, Two countries in need. Two wonderful projects that will help improve the lives of so many children and adults alike. How can we not want to make a difference.
The choice is yours, I would love to run both projects, I find it difficult to put one above the other in order of importance. So its up to you. I look forward to hearing from you.
The following are the details of the in-country partners for both projects.
But this time I am approaching it from a different angle. You are going to choose between two destinations and tell me where you would like to go and when.
There is no commitment at this stage. Of course I am hoping that if you show an interest then maybe I can count on your support. I do understand that we all have other commitments and work and family situations can change. So, no commitment at this stage.
The length of these trips will be 14 or 15 days but of course you can tag extra days for extended travel. There will also be R&R arranged for the mid project weekend.
But it does allow you over a year to save up for another, or maybe your first, adventure of a lifetime.
The program cost is approximately $2,300 CDN $1,800 USD £1,300 UKP and will be finalized closer to the departure date. This includes accommodations, meals, in-country transport, program costs and a donation to the in-country partner. It does not include airfare.
For both Canadian and US citizens the entire program and flight costs are 100% tax deductible when paid through DWC. You can also fund-raise and we will issue charitable receipts for donations $20 CDN or greater. Unfortunately us Brits and Europeans are not afforded such tax breaks by our governments.
So the destinations are Kenya and Cambodia. Who knows, if I get enough interest in both, then I will do both. But lets just wait and see.So that is the challenge. All you need do is email, WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook or blog comment with destination and time of year. I will do the rest.
Now you need to know what the projects are and who I will be working with. Well the who is easy. Developing World Connections from Canada. And yes those of you from the US can still get 100% tax relief on the cost of the trip.
Each destination has an in-country partner with whom we will be working. I will put as much information as I can into this post so as to give you best chance of making a decision that you are happy with. I will try to give links to their websites so you can see what they are currently doing. But don't forget these projects are not listed on the DWC website as yet. We still have a way to go before they become cast in stone.
First Choice Kenya
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Naro Moru is located in
the Nyeri District of Kenya, and people living there are among the
poorest in the country with most residents living below the poverty
line and beyond the reach of government services. With a weak village
infrastructure, many families in Naro Moru have limited access to
basic needs. Children attending Manyatta school also tend to come
from families that lack access to clean drinking water. Many children
attending the school have been orphaned by the AIDS epidemic or other
fatal illnesses and simply live in abject poverty with minimal or no
access to healthcare.
The project consists of
constructing a water collection system to capture rooftop rain water
at a local
Currently there is a drought in Kenya that makes the
demands for clean water urgent. Children in the local Manyatta
Primary School are challenged with hunger and personal hygiene needs
on a daily basis. Having access to clean water is a basic necessity
that the school struggles to provide to the students. This project
will provide clean drinking water for 315 students. This water will
also be used for sanitary purposes, and to help with the agricultural
program at the school.
Second Choice Cambodia
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
DWC teams will work
alongside local Cambodians to build latrines for families in need in
the rural area of Kep to help improve the health conditions of not
only the families, but the communities as well.
So there it is. Two great choices, Two countries in need. Two wonderful projects that will help improve the lives of so many children and adults alike. How can we not want to make a difference.
The choice is yours, I would love to run both projects, I find it difficult to put one above the other in order of importance. So its up to you. I look forward to hearing from you.
The following are the details of the in-country partners for both projects.
Access Kenya
Located in central Kenya north of Nairobi, this non-profit has a focus on agriculture and water to help farmers and wildlife.
Access stands for Action Crew on Community Environment for Sustainable Services It is a non-profit, non-government, community organization. The projects are based in Naro Moru, Kenya, East Africa. The organization was started in 2004 by a local group in Naro Moru as a volunteer program to deal with issues of deforestation, trouble with prolonged droughts and low productivity of agriculture, infrastructure rebuilding as well as a lack of adequate learning facilities around the Mount Kenya area.
Education and volunteer tree planting serve to protect the wildlife and safe guard the essential water needed for the people and wildlife in the area.
The national government is supporting the creation of citizen based committees to plant new trees. These committees are comprised of all village stakeholders and are the umbrella bodies for many volunteer projects throughout the villages. The community/district of Naro Moru is made up of the town center and six other villages within a 25 km area and each of these villages have similar water shortage and reforestation issues. https://acceskenya.org
Equitable Cambodia
Chamcar Bei and Phnom Penh, CAMBODIA: Equitable Cambodia is an international, non-government organization formed to build bridges between the world’s people and Cambodians.
Equitable Cambodia works to raise awareness, facilitate exchanges of many kinds, and to support creative endeavours that affirm our common humanity. EC believes that responsible development and human rights are interdependent and interrelated and its work encompasses each of these beliefs.
The mission of Equitable Cambodia is to bring people together to overcome poverty, injustice and inequity in Cambodia. Their programs are primarily in Phnom Penh, but they started a rural community development program outside of Phnom Penh near Poipet in Northwest Cambodia. After five years and successful implementation of their program, they moved rural community development to Chamcar Bei, near Kep on the south coast of Cambodia, in 2007. Equitable Cambodia’s goal is to increase the standard of living in the community by improving health, education and livelihoods of Chamcar Bei residents.
Your choice, let me know where you would like to go and make a difference
Wednesday 7 March 2018
View from a Volunteer Team Leader: Nepal Nov/Dec 2017 Dang Region
View from a Volunteer Team Leader: Nepal Nov/Dec 2017 Dang Region: After a long flight with a ridiculous stop-over I arrived in Kathmandu tired and worn out in a time zone that added an extra 45 minutes to t...
Tuesday 6 March 2018
OOPS, More Scrap Iron to carry about (and why Aprils trip to Rajasthan is cancelled)
Old Age and Abuse
Upon returning from Nepal I had a bit of back ache. In fact it started in Nepal towards the end of the project. I thought it was just another muscle spasm. I have had many of those over the years.
In fact a few years ago a very good surgeon added to my scrap collection by inserting clips in my spine to help relieve the pain.
So with this current pain in my back I began my journey back to the UK. This included a stop-over at Doha airport for 12 hours over night. The on airport hotel was fully booked so I had this bright idea that I should make full use of the spa. This included Jacuzzi, sauna and a massage.
Well, thinking that a massage would help the back pain I asked the masseuse to work hard on the lower back. This she did with vigour, She may have been small, but boy could she work those elbows.
At the end of it I could hardly get off the bed and as for relaxing in the lounger, that was not going to happen. So I gave up and sat out the next few hours waiting for my connecting flight.
On arrival home, I headed for the osteopath I had used so many times before. He prodded, poked, and manipulated me but to no avail. I tried electric pulse treatment but that didn't help either. On the 3rd visit the osteopath said that he had done all he could do and I needed an MRI scan.
So following a visit to the surgeon for referral, I set off for the MRI unit. Job done they handed me the DVD with my scan and asked that I return it to the surgeon. This I did on my way home. I had hardly got through the door when my phone rang and the surgeon said "I want to see you back here as soon as possible" Now this is not sounding too good at this point.
Back at the surgeons office he had the DVD all set to play. Looking at the screen I could not make out if it was a boy or a girl :-) He patiently explained what bits should look like, pointing to healthy vertebrae. Then he gestured towards what looked like a pile of rocks. That, he said, is your T12 vertebra.
Oops, I said, at least I didn't mess up your last creation lower down the spinal curve. He called it a Compression Burst Fracture and proceeded to explain how lucky I was to be still walking around and have the use of my lower limbs.
Well I knew I was in good hands with this man. Even if his name is Pannikar I knew I had no reason to Panic. So very soon a room was booked, the theater was booked and I was ready to get some rest with the help of the anesthetist.
After 4.5 hours on the surgeons table all was repaired. With the help of metal rods, bolts, nuts, straps, balloons and cement, not to mention the incredible skill of Mr Pannikar, I was jacked up in height by 3cm thats 30mm which is 1-1/4 inches to those who still use such antiquated measuring systems. I think I should now be called Meccano Man. I will be worth a fortune in scrap metal when I die.
The rest as they say, is history. No lifting, no twisting, no running, jumping or doing somersaults. And no flying for 3 months. Estimated 9 moths before I am back to normal, whatever normal is. Can't wait for September to come around.
Now I was thinking that I could still go to Rajasthan in April. I would just have to take care not to do anything that would contravene the rules. That would have been fine if it were not for the fact that my partner Moira and Mr Pannikar don't trust me to behave myself and not do anything silly. I have no idea where they get this impression of me from. But then everyone who knows me says the same thing so I guess there may be some truth in it.
All I can say is that I am extremely grateful to all the staff, and nurses at Parkhill hospital especially Mr Pannikar and of course I could not have gone through it and arrived where I am today without the care and patience of Moira. I am still not sure how she put up with me as I am not the most patient of patients.
But this is not the end of my team leader roll as a volunteer. I am taking this year out (possibly) to recover and get myself fit for 2019. I am currently in talks with Developing World Connections with a view to organizing a project for early 2019. So watch this space. I may be joining a volunteer group in Malawi later this year, but that is not a physically demanding project. How physical can it be taking photographs? I will blog and FB those details as and when I do it.
The picture below is a representation of what happened to my T12 vertebra. Let this be a lesson to you. Look after your spine, you need it. All that weight lifting and gym work when you are young and fit is not actually that good for you in later life. Especially when you are 2mtr tall, thats 6' 6" for the imperial people. So be warned and take care, but make sure you have fun, whatever you do.
Upon returning from Nepal I had a bit of back ache. In fact it started in Nepal towards the end of the project. I thought it was just another muscle spasm. I have had many of those over the years.
In fact a few years ago a very good surgeon added to my scrap collection by inserting clips in my spine to help relieve the pain.
So with this current pain in my back I began my journey back to the UK. This included a stop-over at Doha airport for 12 hours over night. The on airport hotel was fully booked so I had this bright idea that I should make full use of the spa. This included Jacuzzi, sauna and a massage.
Well, thinking that a massage would help the back pain I asked the masseuse to work hard on the lower back. This she did with vigour, She may have been small, but boy could she work those elbows.
At the end of it I could hardly get off the bed and as for relaxing in the lounger, that was not going to happen. So I gave up and sat out the next few hours waiting for my connecting flight.
On arrival home, I headed for the osteopath I had used so many times before. He prodded, poked, and manipulated me but to no avail. I tried electric pulse treatment but that didn't help either. On the 3rd visit the osteopath said that he had done all he could do and I needed an MRI scan.
So following a visit to the surgeon for referral, I set off for the MRI unit. Job done they handed me the DVD with my scan and asked that I return it to the surgeon. This I did on my way home. I had hardly got through the door when my phone rang and the surgeon said "I want to see you back here as soon as possible" Now this is not sounding too good at this point.
Back at the surgeons office he had the DVD all set to play. Looking at the screen I could not make out if it was a boy or a girl :-) He patiently explained what bits should look like, pointing to healthy vertebrae. Then he gestured towards what looked like a pile of rocks. That, he said, is your T12 vertebra.
Oops, I said, at least I didn't mess up your last creation lower down the spinal curve. He called it a Compression Burst Fracture and proceeded to explain how lucky I was to be still walking around and have the use of my lower limbs.
Well I knew I was in good hands with this man. Even if his name is Pannikar I knew I had no reason to Panic. So very soon a room was booked, the theater was booked and I was ready to get some rest with the help of the anesthetist.
After 4.5 hours on the surgeons table all was repaired. With the help of metal rods, bolts, nuts, straps, balloons and cement, not to mention the incredible skill of Mr Pannikar, I was jacked up in height by 3cm thats 30mm which is 1-1/4 inches to those who still use such antiquated measuring systems. I think I should now be called Meccano Man. I will be worth a fortune in scrap metal when I die.
The rest as they say, is history. No lifting, no twisting, no running, jumping or doing somersaults. And no flying for 3 months. Estimated 9 moths before I am back to normal, whatever normal is. Can't wait for September to come around.
Now I was thinking that I could still go to Rajasthan in April. I would just have to take care not to do anything that would contravene the rules. That would have been fine if it were not for the fact that my partner Moira and Mr Pannikar don't trust me to behave myself and not do anything silly. I have no idea where they get this impression of me from. But then everyone who knows me says the same thing so I guess there may be some truth in it.
All I can say is that I am extremely grateful to all the staff, and nurses at Parkhill hospital especially Mr Pannikar and of course I could not have gone through it and arrived where I am today without the care and patience of Moira. I am still not sure how she put up with me as I am not the most patient of patients.
But this is not the end of my team leader roll as a volunteer. I am taking this year out (possibly) to recover and get myself fit for 2019. I am currently in talks with Developing World Connections with a view to organizing a project for early 2019. So watch this space. I may be joining a volunteer group in Malawi later this year, but that is not a physically demanding project. How physical can it be taking photographs? I will blog and FB those details as and when I do it.
The picture below is a representation of what happened to my T12 vertebra. Let this be a lesson to you. Look after your spine, you need it. All that weight lifting and gym work when you are young and fit is not actually that good for you in later life. Especially when you are 2mtr tall, thats 6' 6" for the imperial people. So be warned and take care, but make sure you have fun, whatever you do.
Bujirams Story
This is what makes everything we do, so worthwhile.
The following has been written by Dinesh from Creating Possibilities Nepal. Bujiram is the single parent father for whom we helped build a home last November/ December. Developing World Connections work closely with local partners in whichever country they are operating. In Nepal it is CP.
MAKING A FUTURE...
“Do You like the house?”, I asked Bhujiram
He just laughed. Yes, I am very excited …” I never thought that I would have a house… and my daughters and son are very happy…”
Miss Rampati and Miss Bhagmati (the daughters of Bhujiram) came out from the new house… they were happy and did Namaste to me. Miss Bhagmati caught my hand and took me inside. She showed me the new bed and the table. She was jumping from one place to another with a jolly face
The family lived for many years in a ramshackle house… just a one room house which used to be wet in the monsoon and affected by flood and heavy rain. The children used to sleep with their father in a small bed.
They possess very little.
The 1st son dropped out of school almost five years ago after the death of the mother by the blood cancer. The second son also dropped out… Hopefully, he will continue his schooling from the new year 2018.
(Creating Possibilities is sponsoring the son with the promise of a bike to help him get back and forth from school if he completes the coming term without dropping out again)
The other 2 daughter are supported for schooling by Her International, Canada.
The house was built with the participation of an amazing, impressive, understanding and well- experienced group of volunteers who were sent by Developing World Connections, Canada and there was equal participation of the local community and members of the local mothers group.
The house construction was started on October 23rd and handover to the family was made on 16th December.
For the family, It is a PHENOMENAL gift... a PROPER PROTECTION...a dream came to true... and many more...!!!!!
Many Many thanks to Ray Fowell, Carol Spomer, Natasha Dresler, Linda Lamarche, Lisa Ray, Elaine Murray, Lynda Carlson, Mark Murray, Donnett Brown, Jess Wittenberg
February 2018
We have almost completed all the works of Bhujiram's House. We
made the sheep pen and bought 5 female sheep and one male sheep. They are very
happy.
The girls are doing better in the study as they have their own private room.
Once again, thanks and thanks.
Nepal Nov/Dec 2017 Dang Region
After a long flight with a ridiculous stop-over I arrived in Kathmandu tired and worn out in a time zone that added an extra 45 minutes to the 5 hour difference between home and Nepal. I never understood how India got the extra half an hour, 45 minutes, that's crazy.
As promised a driver was there to greet me at the airport. A short journey found us at the hotel which was to be home for a couple nights before we headed out to Lamahi in the Dang Region of Nepal.
I don't remember much about those few days as I drifted in and out of sleep, going to the lobby to meet team members as they arrived, meeting with Dinesh my Nepali contact from Creating Possibilities NEPAL, the charitable organisation we were partnering with on this project. A brief meeting with Madhu who was the travel organizer for the R&R I had arranged for the team on the weekend in the middle of the project. I had to settle the account and confirm all the arrangements were in place.
That done, it was dinner with the team in the evening, introductions for those who had not worked with each other previously and then an early night. The next morning we were up, packed and ready for a domestic flight to the Dang region.
After an uneventful flight we boarded our bus and headed out to Lamhi, a three hour journey. Santosh our driver would be with us throughout the project. And only the second driver in all of my projects to work with us every day on site. An amazing man.
We traveled through some amazing countryside rising up into the mountains and dropping back down again on the other side. Eventually arriving at the hotel that was to be home for the next two weeks.
Unfortunately one of our team (Natasha) arrived minus her luggage. It was somewhere between the USA, China and Nepal. This was only retrieved one week into the build. Therefore she had to go shopping on our first day in Lamahi.
Dinesh helped with the shopping and the interpreting, I began to worry at this point :-)
Natasha was also lucky enough to have a few garments donated by our female team members and the ladies of UNAKO who made trousers and a shirt for her.
Day one of the build we board the bus and head out to the village, about a 45 minute drive on unmade roads, crossing rivers without bridges. Lifting the power lines with sticks so the bus could pass beneath. Chasing ducks and chickens away from the path in front of the bus.
Arriving at UNAKO house we were greeted by the ladies who run the organisation. Garlands hung around our necks and blessings made, welcome speeches and introductions made, we climbed back on the bus and headed for the plot where we were to help build a home for Bujiram and his family.
In brief, Bujiram's wife passed away and his life savings were consumed by medical bills. His eldest daughter lived away from home as did his eldest son. He had two young daughters and a young son living with him in a mud home. (I will post his story under a separate listing).
Throughout our time helping Bujiram build his new home you could see how hard it was for him to accept help from others. He is a very proud man and felt that he in some way was inadequate and had failed his family by not being able to provide the best for them. By the end of the project he was smiling with the team and I believe he understood that he was not being judged, compassion is not a judgement.
His girls were amazing, when not at school they helped with whatever they could around the build site. that was after completing their homework. The youngest lad had given up school but was convinced and sponsored by Creating Possibilities to go back to is studies.
During the build the team dug foundations, moved mud, sifted sand, shifted concrete blocks, mixed mortar, carried bamboo scaffold on their heads and helped lay blocks and build walls. All of this in extreme temperatures and humidity and without complaint.
Each day we bumped along the unmade roads, met locals along the way, watched them harvest the rice, herd their cattle and transport there crops on their heads.
At the weekend we headed off to Bardia National Park where we stayed for a coupe of nights and took part in a jeep safari and a walking safari. They don't have a lot of animals at Bardia but we did get to see the Rhino, a working elephant and an alligator. But that's not the point. The point is we had fun, and an adventure and that is what it is all about. Its not the seeing but the tracking.
Following our weekend break we continued with the building of Bujirams new home.
By the end of our time there, the house had risen to a height with the windows and doors and even the septic tank excavated and installed. The rest of the work would be completed by Bujiram and the employed labour. This would take approximately another two to three weeks. the results can be seen below.
Bujiram and his family now have a proper home, a home to be proud of. He has gone on to cultivate his piece of land and with the help of further donations has purchased more sheep to help him make a living and bring up his family as a respected member of the community. You can read Bujirams story in my next post.
After another 3 hour drive to the airport and a domestic flight back to Kathmandu, the team had one last night at the Eco hotel and then each went their own way. Some traveling directly back to their home countries whilst others continued their travels and headed for another adventure.
As for me I headed home via another long stop-over arriving back in the UK about 38 hours after I set off. Another project completed and time to work on the next. Unfortunately that was not going to happen as events took over and my life was to be changed once again.
For the full album of pictures documenting this project. go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/R8wzWzKmEMEF6Qnw1
As promised a driver was there to greet me at the airport. A short journey found us at the hotel which was to be home for a couple nights before we headed out to Lamahi in the Dang Region of Nepal.
I don't remember much about those few days as I drifted in and out of sleep, going to the lobby to meet team members as they arrived, meeting with Dinesh my Nepali contact from Creating Possibilities NEPAL, the charitable organisation we were partnering with on this project. A brief meeting with Madhu who was the travel organizer for the R&R I had arranged for the team on the weekend in the middle of the project. I had to settle the account and confirm all the arrangements were in place.
That done, it was dinner with the team in the evening, introductions for those who had not worked with each other previously and then an early night. The next morning we were up, packed and ready for a domestic flight to the Dang region.
After an uneventful flight we boarded our bus and headed out to Lamhi, a three hour journey. Santosh our driver would be with us throughout the project. And only the second driver in all of my projects to work with us every day on site. An amazing man.
We traveled through some amazing countryside rising up into the mountains and dropping back down again on the other side. Eventually arriving at the hotel that was to be home for the next two weeks.
Unfortunately one of our team (Natasha) arrived minus her luggage. It was somewhere between the USA, China and Nepal. This was only retrieved one week into the build. Therefore she had to go shopping on our first day in Lamahi.
Dinesh helped with the shopping and the interpreting, I began to worry at this point :-)
Natasha was also lucky enough to have a few garments donated by our female team members and the ladies of UNAKO who made trousers and a shirt for her.
Day one of the build we board the bus and head out to the village, about a 45 minute drive on unmade roads, crossing rivers without bridges. Lifting the power lines with sticks so the bus could pass beneath. Chasing ducks and chickens away from the path in front of the bus.
Arriving at UNAKO house we were greeted by the ladies who run the organisation. Garlands hung around our necks and blessings made, welcome speeches and introductions made, we climbed back on the bus and headed for the plot where we were to help build a home for Bujiram and his family.
In brief, Bujiram's wife passed away and his life savings were consumed by medical bills. His eldest daughter lived away from home as did his eldest son. He had two young daughters and a young son living with him in a mud home. (I will post his story under a separate listing).
Throughout our time helping Bujiram build his new home you could see how hard it was for him to accept help from others. He is a very proud man and felt that he in some way was inadequate and had failed his family by not being able to provide the best for them. By the end of the project he was smiling with the team and I believe he understood that he was not being judged, compassion is not a judgement.
His girls were amazing, when not at school they helped with whatever they could around the build site. that was after completing their homework. The youngest lad had given up school but was convinced and sponsored by Creating Possibilities to go back to is studies.
During the build the team dug foundations, moved mud, sifted sand, shifted concrete blocks, mixed mortar, carried bamboo scaffold on their heads and helped lay blocks and build walls. All of this in extreme temperatures and humidity and without complaint.
Each day we bumped along the unmade roads, met locals along the way, watched them harvest the rice, herd their cattle and transport there crops on their heads.
At the weekend we headed off to Bardia National Park where we stayed for a coupe of nights and took part in a jeep safari and a walking safari. They don't have a lot of animals at Bardia but we did get to see the Rhino, a working elephant and an alligator. But that's not the point. The point is we had fun, and an adventure and that is what it is all about. Its not the seeing but the tracking.
By the end of our time there, the house had risen to a height with the windows and doors and even the septic tank excavated and installed. The rest of the work would be completed by Bujiram and the employed labour. This would take approximately another two to three weeks. the results can be seen below.
Bujiram and his family now have a proper home, a home to be proud of. He has gone on to cultivate his piece of land and with the help of further donations has purchased more sheep to help him make a living and bring up his family as a respected member of the community. You can read Bujirams story in my next post.
After another 3 hour drive to the airport and a domestic flight back to Kathmandu, the team had one last night at the Eco hotel and then each went their own way. Some traveling directly back to their home countries whilst others continued their travels and headed for another adventure.
As for me I headed home via another long stop-over arriving back in the UK about 38 hours after I set off. Another project completed and time to work on the next. Unfortunately that was not going to happen as events took over and my life was to be changed once again.
For the full album of pictures documenting this project. go to: https://photos.app.goo.gl/R8wzWzKmEMEF6Qnw1
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