Monitoring and Evaluating!

Before I tell you about what our Echo groups have been up to I wanted to update you all on the training the different alpha group have been doing for the 10K fun run which will be happening when they return to field base.
 Echo 4 are still in the lead on the training stakes but the Tango groups have been putting the miles in on trek and are feeling at the peak of their fitness. If you haven’t already sponsored your friends and family out here make sure you give them your support, each venturer and PM only need to raise thirty-three pounds for us to reach our target to be able to provide one more family with a bio-gas unit!


Right back to those Echos’.

While they are here the groups not only get involved in the important work they are doing out on their respective project sites but also have the chance to get out and visit past project to see how they have impacted on the communities. This week both Echo 3 and Echo 4 where out and about and with Echo 3 visiting Allanaghally and Echo 4 going to see Telugu Masahali. Both of these previous projects were part of the community phase and looked at improving the sanitation of each community.

Echo 3 were the first group to do a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) visit with Little Manju and I (Fletch) picking five of Echo 3 up from Huskurhaddi in Bravo 1, the M&E team included, Jade, Nick, Charlie, Lindsay (PM) and Louise. The group were welcomed by the head of the village and set about interviewing recipients of the toilets built by a previous Raleigh group. The children in the village were very happy to see us and were very curious about what we were up to and wanted to tell us all about their school. On the way back to Huskurhaddi we had the chance to stop off for a lunch of Masala Dosa and some chai. The rest of the group in Echo 3 were doing really well and since the visit we have heard they have finished the trench and are busily making plans to return to field base for the final time!

Echo 4 had their visit on Saturday and we headed out, stopping first for lunch of fish fry, vegetable curry, parotta and of course chai in one of the surrounding villages near Basva Pura. We arrived at the village of Telugu Masahali at around 1pm. This village was visited by a bespoke Raleigh group in 2010 and ten toilets were built by the venturers. Lots of people wanted to speak to the M&E group (Jason, Tabby, Ollie, Roxy and Sam) and at each house the team was given more chai and biscuits. We were also given a tour of all the toilets which were in tip top condition and had obviously brought a lot of benefits to the village.

We waved goodbye to the village at 4pm and headed back to Basva Pura. Echo 4 has made incredible progress on their trench and when we spoke to them last night they had finished. For today they have planned a celebratory sports day planned for today to work off all the congratulatory 7up they consumed last night. They have also acquired a pet chicken who Jason is very fond of.

I am know all the alpha groups would love to hear from you all when they are back at field base so keep those messages coming in. We have lots of fun planned for them when they are back so I’ll keep you up-to-date about what has been happening here when they are back.


Now here are the messages from the groups:

Tango 5

 From: Kai

To: Thomas Mayer


Happy birthday on the 29th. Hope you have a great day.


Kai x

Echo 4 (Echo 4 had a bit of a mix up with their blog book so some of these messages are a couple of days old, sorry for the confusion).


From: Roxy Simpson
To: Rachel Simpson

Happy Birthday Rachel! 21! Bet you don’t feel any older. Right now I am camped in a place called Basava Pura, doing a whole lot of digging for a trench to stop those pesky elephants from munching on the locals crops. Can’t blame an elephant for being hungry though, they’ve got to eat too!


Not long till I’m back in the Brizzle, really excited but I am going to miss India, it’s quite a place! Will call you when I get back. Hope you are well and all you ladies are taking good care of each other, which I am sure you are .


Love you all so much! So excited to see you all.


Big love little sis xxxx


PS – Sorry it is late big mix up.


From: Roxy Simpson
To: Roxy Morgan


Happy Birthday Ronny gal! Not sure if you’ll be checking this blog but just thought I best do something while I’m so far away from you. I’m missing you so much! Miss my crazy gal Romz . Collecting bits in India to bring back with me for you, you’d love this place. Hope you have a cracking day. Not long now till I come back so we’ll have to go for a Brizzle mash up! It’s been way to long, not had a drink since I left for India. It will be a cheap night for me.


Lots of love and massive hugs. So excited to see you again, yay!


Big love sista xxxx


From: Tabby Ha
To: Mum, Barry, Alex, Emily, Dad, Marlene and Joey


Hey, hope you are all doing well. I guess by now that mum and co are back from Florida – hopefully England’s riots are calming down now. Last phase is going well – it’s a lot sunnier and all we have to do is dig, so it’s pretty chilled really. We are sleeping in bashas (like a properly secure hammock) and it’s so comfy. We are digging an elephant trench around the local village and it’s definitely giving me a bit of a workout. I’ll be sad to leave Raleigh but I’ve got some ideas for after, possibly a place to work too, so I’m pretty excited to move on and have some freedom again.


I’ll call on the 31st I think – if I get some time on the internet.


Lots of love

Tabby xx