Charlie 3 – Having their cake and eating it

The group paddling and swimming in the Resevoir

With less than a week to go, the morale in the Charlie 3 camp is consistently high and remains brimful of enthusiasm. We have started the second row of irrigation trenches, nearly completed

In one of the Trenches they have dug

one rainwater harvesting unit and really feel that the project is thriving in excess of original expectations. The weather is hot, the digging is tough but there is a tangible air of excitement in Huskur Hadi as the villagers chatter about the progress and improvements they are witnessing each day. MYKAPS, our project partner, have also been impressed with what Raleigh has achieved so far in the village.

In the rainwater tank

The village children are particularly forthcoming and enthusiastic, and some of the group have enjoyed teaching them ‘Heads, Shoulders, Knees and toes in their free time.

Two of the local school children

The nearby reservoir has also become a refuge for the group to escape the midday heat and offers the opportunity to relax after a hard days’ grind on the project site as we can swim, listen to music, read and reflect upon our efforts to date. However, we are not alone in our tranquil sanctuary; we were lucky enough to see a herd of over 20 elephants emerge from the forest to bathe and quench their thirst in the reservoir...it seems we have more in common than we thought when it comes to relaxing!

The progress we have made on the project site is testament to the effort we put in to making this a successful phase on Raleigh 10C, but Charlie 3 fall very firmly into the ‘work hard, play hard’ mould. The group have entertained themselves with games of fives (a kind of handball/squash type game for two players), badminton and volleyball with the locals joining in the fun on occasion, and even putting on a sports day. Our team are also in fine physical condition with various exercise regimes appearing as part of the daily routine; early morning runs, skipping and break-bar lifting form the macho schedule of our healthy habits, whilst yoga and meditation offer a more sedate route to wellbeing (we’ll let you decide how the team divide themselves between the different exercise modes...save to state that some fairly traditional expressions of gender are at play!).

Hugo competing in the obstacle course

The Wheelbarrow Race

The Three legged race

Picnic by the resevoir

The group have been lucky enough to have been on two excursions away from Huskur Hadi. The first to the nearby town of Saragur to buy vegetables for cooking; the second to a Tibetan Buddhist temple where we saw how the Monks lived and went about their lives according to Buddhist teachings.

Richard making Chai for the group

Tents in the school grounds

PM Dave

We also celebrated Hindi New Year on the 16th March in Charlie 3 fashion...cake and Chai! We made an Irish stew on the 17th using the vegetables we bought in Saragur and chickens from the village in honour of St Patricks’s day. We painted our faces green, played ‘Pin the Guinness on the Leprechaun’ using a cut out picture of a glass of Guinness, and had a treasure hunt for a pot of gold, with the gold being replaced by cake from the store.

The group at the school

The growing role of cake within Charlie 3 as a totemic symbol of ‘good times’ came to the fore once more as we announced our Team Player’ of the week prize, voted for by each member of the group. Jake, Sasi, Claire and Chiara all received nominations, but it was the tireless Hugo who received this weeks prize in recognition of his sterling efforts in the trenches and on the rainwater harvesting unit. PM Dave presented Hugo with two packets of cake which in the spirit of Charlie 3 and no less than we’d expect from Hugo, he shared with the team.

The walk from the farmers field to the school

It is with a hue of sadness that we will leave our project site at Huskur Hadi and return to Field Base on the 26th for changeover to Phase 2. The project so far has been a great success on virtually all fronts and our experience has been enriched by the residents of the village in assisting them to construct sustainable infrastructure that will serve their needs for many years to come. Beyond the tangible, visual results we have achieved, we have expanded our horizons and developed invaluable leadership and team skills whilst on project Charlie 3 and at this point we must extend thanks to all who contributed to the progress of the project and our sustained enjoyment. From the local chef who has kept us well fed, to MYKAPS for facilitating this opportunity, and above all to Jo and Dave our volunteer Project Managers. Without their patience, judgement and understanding, our Phase 1 experience in India would have undoubtedly been less enjoyable, less productive, and less memorable.

 By Julie Egdell and Henry Britton

From the Charlie 3 Team