Monthly Archives: January 2013

Merit Award 2012 The day had finally arrived, Wednesday 30th January, the opening of the Loma Fresca Laundry Facility. The team made a final excursion bright and early to the builder’s merchants before the last day of work started. We were met there by Mario in his beaten up truck this had been the team’s […]

Merit Award 2012 The 15 team members that remain fly back to Managua on Thursday before continuing the work in the mountains of Matagalpa and then in Managua itself and finally fly back to England next Tuesday (5th). India had commented to me how the time seems to have gone so quickly on this project […]

Merit Award Thankfully, the storm in Nicaragua didn’t damage any of the hard work although John Booth has been bitten on his foot and unfortunately it’s got infected. We didn’t let him work on Monday other than in an advisory capacity. The team were joined by another John (Robinson) who is a plumber from Ulster. […]

Merit Award 2012 Saturday was a huge day for the project as there were critical points the team needed to have completed for the opening of the facility on Wednesday 30th so it’s all hands to the pump! A few members of the team walked into the town via the lumber yard to pay a […]

Merit Award 2012 Nicaragua was hit by a tremendous storm therefore meaning we had to up the ante on site! To be on schedule we needed to have the upper ring beam cast and the floor should have been screeded by the time we finished work on Saturday. This would then allow us curing time […]

Merit Award 2012 Progression seemed to lesson today as it was a very hot sticky day in Nicaragua however, essential preparation work was carried out and completed. All the timber was removed from the concrete cast yesterday and was cleaned ready to be used again – the team try and recycle things, including nails. During […]

Merit Award 2012 We have finally been blessed with a few hot dry days which has enabled us to crack on, although the work the team have been doing up until now has already been great! The painting team at Bluefields hospital have been working in oppressive conditions but have done a brilliant job in […]

Merit Award 2012 Tuesday’s work involved finishing the block work and starting shuttering for the columns and the ring beam. While the steel was being put on top of the blocks in readiness for the next ring beam another group dug out the floor area to level. After completion the team were ready to receive […]

Merit Award 2012 There was a community meeting on Monday to discuss the laundry facility and who would be looking after it, further to this a vote was held to delegate a secretary to administer the facility. Unfortunately when I and some of team got onto site a little boy named Kevin had come off his […]

Merit Award 2012 Day off. The team needed a day to recover from their aches so we took the opportunity to go on a boat ride through inland waterways to a village called Tasba Pauni – the village is sandwiched between Pearl Lagoon and the Caribbean. We took part in Sunday school and Church followed by […]

Merit Award 2012 We have been working in very challenging conditions and when the load of 220 concrete blocks arrived they had to be unloaded and carried down the same 200 metre track to site. Local adults and children as young as six have been helping carry the materials by hand down the track. In the […]

Merit Award 2012 Over the course of 2 days our team has been working with locals to clear and set out the site, fabricate steel reinforcement cages, dig foundations and concrete the bases of 9 supporting columns in place. Rock was bought from a 76 year old lady in order to make the concrete. Training […]