Raleigh International is a global charity responsible for supporting development in third world countries. I plan to go to Costa Rica and Nicaragua to support the local environment and community. To achieve this I need to raise Sponsorship for £4,000.

To give you a bit more information on the current situation in these areas, and why I am going there to help -  Costa Rica has some vast disparities between the indigenous people and those that live in relatively well developed areas. In sharp contrast to Costa Rica, Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Many communities are facing extreme poverty and have few basic amenities such as clean water and safe sanitation. As a volunteer with Raleigh International, I will be living and working amongst these communities to improve health and educational services as well as helping to protect the countries' natural environment.

By getting involved in sponsoring me in my work with Raleigh, you could be helping to address some of these issues:

Costa Rica:

- 30% of indigenous people can’t read or write.
- Less than 60% receive a basic education, and only 9% have access to a secondary education.
- The indigenous people living in the more remote areas have little access to health or educational services, inadequate water sources and no electricity.
- Protecting and improving some of Costa Rica’s beautiful variety of national parks, in order to conserve the country’s world-class biodiversity.

Nicaragua:

- 22% of the population are illiterate and 21% of the population don't have access to clean water.
- Close to half (43%) of the people in Nicaragua live in rural areas. Two out of three people struggle to survive on less than US$1.25 per day.
- Of the 5,500 homes in the Achuapa district (an area where Raleigh does a lot of work) 2,000 have no electricity, 1,800 have no access to clean drinking water and 1,200 are considered inadequate.

 

Impact of Raleigh’s work in Costa Rica and Nicaragua:

Raleigh International has been working closely with communities, local NGOs and governments of both countries since 2001. Here are some of the highlights of their volunteers’ achievements:

- Implemented water projects in 39 communities bringing clean drinking water to over 1,500 people.
- Built 5 pre-schools and 14 primary schools to improve the educational opportunities of the youngest members of these communities.
- Constructed 26 community centres in the Miraflor-Moropotente Nature Reserve to provide a focus for communities to work together to develop sustainable livelihoods.
- Improved 31 different national parks and protected areas throughout Costa Rica.
- Developed the infrastructure of La Cangreja National Park over 13 different expeditions, since it was declared a National Park in 2002.
- Helped conserve endangered turtles by working in partnership with the Wildlife Refuges at Playa Hermosa and Camaronal.
- Got involved in a variety of key projects such as reforestation, researching tree species/growth in tropical forests, building ranger stations, constructing bridges and building trails for wheelchair users.