Into the Field - The PMs Complete Their Project Planning Visits

Having received their project allocations, the next step was for the PM teams to visit their project sites to perform Project Planning Visit (PPVs). The PPV is a key element in expedition planning, and includes:

• Recce of project site
• Risk, environmental and cultural impact assessments
• Hospital recce and CASEVAC plan
• Food and equipment needs

The teams were away for two days and nights. Read on for a flavour of what they did and saw....

Charlie 1 – Eco sanitation, Gandhanahalli (Karnataka)

Gandhanahalli is a small but densely packed village of 7,000 people, surrounded by tea and tobacco plantations and rice paddies.

George, Jenny and Hannah were welcomed by Mr Raju, the MYKAPS (project partner) coordinator, who introduced them to the village leader and a relative who had recently completed a Raleigh expedition.

The Charlie 1 team being made welcome

They were then shown round the village. Having identified a place for the Venturers to stay – a school – they visited the houses of ten of the fifteen ‘beneficiary’ families who will receive eco sanitation units.

The next day they visited some previous beneficiaries and were gratified to find the toilets generally well maintained and in use (though presumably not at the time). They also toured the closest main hospital.

Hannah pleased to find the existing units well maintained

They spent one night at the MYKAPS headquarters in the local town, and one night with a local family dining on chapatis, rice and chicken curry.

George’s greatest impression: ‘It was definitely an eye-opener. The scale is much bigger than I’d expected and the sites are more spread out. The people were extremely friendly.’

Charlie 2 – Sanitation units, Chapanthodu (Tamil Nadu)

Although Charlie 2 will not start until phase 2, Ruth and Gemma were tasked with doing the PPV for Chapanthodu.

They were given a very warm welcome, garlands and all, and met villagers and the project partner representative from CTRD (Centre for Tribal and Rural Development).

A colourful welcome for Gemma and Ruth

They visited all eight beneficiary house where the sanitation units will be built, serving about forty people. The main benefits versus the current situation of having to ‘go’ in adjacent fields are reduced risk of attack from elephants during hours of darkness, ease of access and increased dignity, especially for the women.

Down to business - a working lunch

Ruth’s greatest impression: 'The villagers were so welcoming and so keen to receive their toilets and so grateful for the ones they have already received.'

Echo 3 – Biogas units, Gandathur (Karnataka)

Gandathur is a small village of about 130 houses along a bumpy dirt track in a very scenic area.

After meeting the MYKAPS project coordinator and visiting the local hospital, Emma and Sarah went to the project site. They identified a suitable campsite for the Venturers to build their bashas (bamboo beds) near to a reservoir.

Basic but comfortable - before the visit the PMs were shown how to build bashas

They were served chai cooked using a biogas unit installed by a previous Raleigh expedition, and were introduced to the cows who provide the ‘input’. Then they visited all four beneficiary families and saw how keen they were to receive their own biogas unit.

They stayed at the village leader’s house, home to four generations, where their cultural experience included watching Indian Superman on TV. (He has a tiger instead of ‘S’ on his front but is still called ‘Superman’.)

Bridging the generation gap?

Tango 5  - Adventure project , Misapulimala (Karnataka and Kerala)

Here are some words kindly provided by Harry, with assistance from Lou and Jess:

Saturday started bright and early with an 06.00 departure. Jess was immediately keen on resuming the horizontal position in the jeep for our three-hour drive to Virarajendrapet.

We were met by our guides – Nikil and Dhiloop – who drove us to the start point of our trek. We then loaded up our rucksacks for a three-hour hike. After much sweating we stood back and admired the wonderful views from the top. 

Wonderful views from the top

Our evening was spent planning the trek details, risk assessing and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyzing while listening to quality Bollywood TV.

'T5 rules OK'

On day 2 we headed to Madekeri hospital, where we managed to speak to the head doctor after a half-our wait and some diplomacy from Manju, our driver. After a quick café stop we drove along our cycle route, visiting the day 7 campsite and on to the day 5 and 6 campsite, which provided a stunning panorama over the paddyfields.

We demolished two tubs of processed cheese and Parle G biscuits for lunch, after which the heavens opened. So we retired to our roomy (?) tents for more planning. Boil-in-the-bag dinners all round at the landowner’s shelter finished us off! We were up very early in the morning to get back to Fieldbase by 10.00. Fortunately the rain stopped!

Tango 6 - Adventure project , Malabar Water Trail (Kerala)

Since the Tango 6 trek is well-established and too far away for a two-day trip, Blair, Alex and Laura accompanied Tango 5 on their PPV.

Tango 5 and 6 'doing lunch'. Lou is there somewhere!

Unencumbered by the need to write their own PPV, they had time to write a trekking song which they performed to wide acclaim back at Fieldbase. Its first verse goes like this:

When I wake up, yeah, I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who’s trekking on Raleigh

When I trek out, yeah, I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who’s buddied up with you

When I wake up, yeah, I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be sharing a tent of two or three

When I trek out, yeah, I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be paired up with my sun cream buddy.

Inspired, isn’t it?

Tango 6 - going for a song

After the PMs had completed their PPV reports and been debriefed, we all went in to Mysore on Sunday evening to see the palace lit up and enjoy a splendid dinner.

The palace at Mysore - impressive by day and night

The ‘hard skills’ training over, the rest of this week will focus on ‘soft skills’.

It’s now less than a week until the Venturers arrive ....