Sewing Center / School Update

 Special Thanks to Dawson Creek Sunrise Rotary!

Friends and volunteers have started to build the sewing center in the village of Cangrejo, Nicaragua. A site has been chosen and land has been cleared to make way for the planting of brick and stone.

Initially our plan was to build the sewing center using the earth bag method, which I am highly sold on. However due to time constraint, season, cost factor and budget , the men in the village who are doing the construction, suggested using traditional technique they are familiar with.

Our bricks will be made on site as needed. Stones from the nearby river bed will also be used in conjunction. We still need to purchase other materials outside of the village and have them trucked to the trail head, but not as many trips will be required.

 The Congrejo supply run begins...

Yesterday we transported a truck load of tons of cement bags, sheets of tin, steel, rebar, tools, nails, roofing, shovels, wheel barrows, wire meshing, provisions for the workers, school supplies and sewing material,  among other things.

For the past two weeks we’ve been collecting up the list of building supplies and organizing truck and ox cart transport to the village. Many links have to fall into place to pull off this task. Weather being one of them. First of all, the rough hilly 20 Km gravel road from San Juan Del Sur to the turn off at the Rio Escameca has to be dry.   From Escameca it’s another 7 k inland to the trail head. From trail head by horse and oxen another 4 km through the jungle to the village.

 With all systems go we embarked for the trail head...

Rain in Nicaragua this season has been scares. Typically August, September and October are the wettest months. But thus far little rain fall has come and the river beds almost dry. Weather experts call this dry era El Nino ( The boy). La Nina ( The girl ) is known to have the opposite effect and bring deluges of flooding. My weather concern is one day there will be a weather phenomenon named La Suegra (The mother-in Law).

So with all systems go we embarked for the trail head loaded to the gills with supplies. Half way along the bumpy trail, it started to rain rats and frogs. The  old overloaded clunker Isuzu 3 ton truck we were renting for the day, slid every which way AND loose. The rain kept coming but we kept going. My concern as the driver of the vehicle and one responsible for it and its contents was that we’d become bogged down in the mud, or worse and skid off the road. I do not profess to be a professional driver and only have a little bit of experience driving the world’s largest heavy haulers in all conditions in Northern Canadian mines. But let me tell you something, it took every bit of sweat and shoulder grease to keep this fat little 3 ton jungle beast between the ruts on the back wood trails of Nicaragua.

 It wasn’t long before we spun out on the mountain pass...

Unfortunate for the water table, but fortunately for our day trip, the rain ceased and we sluggishly continued on through the quagmire. Muddy roads take time to dry. It wasn’t long before we spun out on the mountain pass at El Carousal. After hours of tugging and pushing, clutch burning and spinning we simply could not make the hill.  Just as the heavens opened up and the sun started to shine,  a Toyota 4x4 with driver Zach Lundin of www.aurorabeachfront.com  arrived on the scene and offered to help us up and over the pass. (If you are reading this report Zach…thank you again.)

 A long day had by all.

Osweldo was at the trailhead with the oxen. We transferred all supplies to the ox cart ( two trips) and headed deep into the jungle to Cangrejo.  A long day had by all.

The teacher’s house and the sewing center will be located next to the school and church.  So this way, when the time comes to wire up solar energy in phase two,  all buildings will be nearby which will make wiring much easier.

 Full Steam Ahead...

Capt Eric
WKF-Nicaraguan Project Director

www.worldkidsfoundation.org

San Juan Del Sur

011-505-8979-7589