The Projects

The Raleigh Staff team are back from their Project Planning Visits and are all starting to get very excited about each of the three projects we have lined up for this expedition. Raleigh India 08F will have two community and one environmental projects and they all look fantastic. I caught up with our Project Managers for a quick low-down on all the projects, see below to find out more:

Alpha One
Sollepura Tribal Community Project

Project Manager Richard, with Finance Manager Lorraine

who assisted on the Project Planning Visit

The team:
Richard Davies – Raleigh India’s ‘Cheese Meister’. He’s got drive, energy and is fantastic fun.

Joining Richard will be another Project Manager, more details will follow, but it’s top secret for now…

Message to Venturers:
The biggest attraction to this project is the variety of activities you will be working on: teaching, construction, agriculture and more.

Introduction to the project:
This is more than your average project; rather than being focused on one task there will be many different activities going on in Sollepura. The main objective is to complete a Community Centre designed specifically to suit the needs of the community which will function as a meeting point for the village. It will also be used as a space for teaching and a place where the community self help affinity groups can meet and receive training in various things such as income generation activities.

What are the highlights to the project:
The main highlight will be living in the tribal village community and working alongside the people that live there. You will be working on a project that is really needed and will make a huge difference to the community.

The site for the Community Centre

What will be the biggest challenge:
The change in pace of life and leaving all your comforts behind; it’s basic living in Sollepura, with no electricity and a pump for water. There’s nowhere to charge your ipod here!

Don’t leave Fieldbase without:
A comfy thermarest or sleeping mat, games and sports equipment and a sense of humour.

What else will be happening on the Project:
Other possible project activities include working in the local school teaching English, building extensions on the existing houses and sowing seeds on the adjacent agricultural land.

Brief description of where you will be living:
Six uninhabited houses have been set aside for our use in the middle of the tribal village, Sollepura is in an isolated location on the top of a hill next to Nagarhole National Park where Raleigh worked on an environmental project last expedition. It is surrounded by agricultural land used by the village for farming.

Alpha Two
Hediyala Rainwater Harvesting Project

The team:
Sophie Broadhead – She’s organised, fun and loves to talk. And after doing this interview, we may need to add verbose to that list.

Madoc Threipland – He’s chatty, sociable and charming but will be focused on getting the job done.

Otherwise Known As:
Operation Monsoon

Message to Venturers:
As hard-core Indian village living goes, you couldn’t get any better. You’ll need energy, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude, but in return it’ll be a life enhancing experience as you’ll be working on a brilliant, worthwhile project.

Introduction to the project:
You will be building 25 rain water harvesting systems attached to 25 homes in Hediyala village. This will enable access to safe, clean drinking water and in the process reduce the costs for firewood for each family as they will no longer need to boil the water before use.

What are the highlights to the project:
Living in the village and hanging out with all the local people that live there, particularly the children. It’s also in a beautiful landscape, close to the forest with some amazing walking routes.

What will be the biggest challenge:
The amount of work – 25 units in 19 days will be an ambitious but achievable challenge.

Don’t leave Fieldbase without:
Flip-flops, your roll mat (for the hard floors), pockets on your trousers (as you’ll spend a lot of time shaking hands) and a camera.

What else will be happening on the Project:
Other planned activities include swimming in a nearby lake, playing with the children in the local school, getting to know everyone in the village and participating in sports competitions.

Brief description of where you will be living:
You will be living and working in the very heart of the village, eating local home-cooked food everyday. The village is in a rural location with a population of about 2-2,500 people. There are around 20 small stall shops for all your needs and a lot of cows!

Alpha Three
Iyyanapura Anti-Poaching Camp Project

The team:
Vijay Raju - He’s enthusiastic, thoughtful, an expert on Indian culture, a fantastic cook and the Jungle Speed Master.

Sharon Taylor – Simply super. She may be calm and quiet but once the challenge is clear, she springs into action.

An example of an anti-poaching camp

Otherwise Known As:
Jungle Speed!

Message to Venturers:
This is a unique project. We can guarantee that you will work hard and sweat lots, but you’ll have tons of fun and it will be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see an incredible variety of flora and fauna in a protected area of the National Park. You will be true guests in the animal kingdom.

Introduction to the project:
The aim is to construct an anti-poaching camp at Iyyanapura – a place where forest guards can safely stay and monitor this amazing protected area of the BRT Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. It will also help to improve communication between different stations within the forest. You will be working and living in a magnificent, beautiful and serene spot at the centre of a protected National Park.

The site for the anti-poaching camp

What are the highlights to the project:
The wildlife! Elephants, tigers, over a hundred different species of birds, deer, bears, snakes, guar…just to name a few. These will all be living literally on your doorstep. Plus the scenery in the BRT Hills is perhaps the best in the whole of Karnataka State.

What will be the biggest challenge:
The site for the Anti-Poaching camp is on top of a rocky hill., which will be a challenge for its construction. However, from the top you can see for miles around over the tree tops of the Park.

Don’t leave Fieldbase without:
Sunscreen and wet weather gear as you will be facing the elements, your swimsuit for a lunchtime swim in the reservoir and a camera and binoculars for all those animals you’ll see.

The Forest Guest House

Brief description of where you will be living:
You will be living in the very heart of the Park at the Forest Guest House, built in 1909 for the British Viceroy when accompanying the King on trips to the forest. Evenings will be spent cooking for the group and watching wild animals from the veranda. There is also a large front yard for games and activities and possible evening campfires.

What else will be happening on the Project:
Other possible activities may include: boat trip to the temple on the water at Surarnati Reservoir, safaris, learning about wildlife and India’s National Parks, visiting Asia’s best elephant corridor at Tengumarahada, trips to the bustling town of Chamarajanagar (including its fantastic bakery) and building jungle bashas.