Work in progress

This is just a short update,

We have started to build the intake tank - with a small re-design from Andy and Frank, the foundations for Ferrocement (mixture of Portland cement and sand reinforced with layers of woven steel mesh) which will hold 5K cubic meters have been done.

We have to order 175 bags of cement and other equipment, - Frank and Andy have just carried 35 kg of a metal wire needed for tomorrow's work.

They have been great, here in the village they have a nickname "coffee brothers".

They have a real can do attitude and an ability to think on their own feet, and are copping with the dhal bhaat diet better than many! ( I've had a dodgy belly recently!!!) They have brought a huge amount of energy bars with them ...guess this is their trick!

Sleeping conditions are tough but they are still able to crack a joke and even when I offered them to stay in Bandipur to have a more comfortable stay, they replied - "we want to see the work in the water source and then we're going HOME!"

We walked from Bandipur to Korika and met up late with the working team near Thumka and with Kiran from Choice.

Today we are looking for tools and their donated money will go towards their idea of building a working station and teaching the youth club, or anyone who wants to know how to work with all the tools we have brought, and bought.

I also have to mention that the Choice team, Kiran Neaupan and Ana Prasad have also been a great gift for this village. They also found the sleeping conditions difficult, but their ability to communicate and share ideas has been invaluable for the project.

Ana prasad is supervising the work in the intake as I'm typing!!! Kiran just left for Kathmandu but was able to hold a discussion about future progress of this village. He mentioned the importance of saving, creating a village cooperative and again how education is important for any development.

I guess I'm just the most frustrated as I don't have enough Nepali vocabulary, staying between the cauliflower fields and spending days in shops with tubes and wires with little understanding of quality - but I'm learning.

The positive thing is that we are still working and all are still committed to finish now within a 1 month. There is still much work ahead of us but the work done by the villagers is almost unbelievable. If you see the terrain and the distance!!

I just hope we can all keep up with this rhythm!

Will keep you updated. But so far this cooperation between Choice Nepal, us (The Project) and the Coffee brothers is working so well!!!

Jolana (in the field 'literally')