La Bastilla (Nicaragua) - Life in the rain forest

Hi everybody! Seeing as we’ve now been here for 3 months (4 months in the case of Antonio!) we thought it was about time that we introduced ourselves and blogged about the exciting things happening at La Bastilla!

Antonio is our Researcher with a background in Development Economics working here for Teach A Man To Fish conducting a mid-term impact evaluation of the project. He’s lucky enough to get to spend all day interviewing graduates, members of the community, students and staff as part of his mission to try to comprehend life here at La Bastilla and how we are impacting the people here.

Rachel is the Project Officer for this year, fresh from her MSc in Development Management, this is a big change from her last job working in the Language Centre of LSE! She has the enviable task of supporting the implementation of the ‘Education that Pays for Itself’ project in all of the business areas and the school and helping to reach the objectives set for year 3.

Here’s a few highlights of th last 4 months:

• Inauguration of the new school campus in early March
• Arrival of Nik (Director of Teach A Man To Fish) and Rachel in early April
• Start of the ever-popular English Club!
• First-ever school disco for Antonio’s birthday (now a regular activity… the discos, not his birthday)
• Teaching the students in the tourism area how to cook authentic Italian Carbonara (it’s a pasta!)
• Visit by a major donor to check up on their investment – luckily they left very happy!
• Visit to the capital to promote the Ecolodge at an international tourism fair
• Various celebrations for Mothers Day, Agronomist Day & Teachers Day
• Hordes of snakes and scorpions visiting Antonio’s house, so kind of them!
• Learning how to milk a cow

We promise not to leave it another 4 months without blogging! We aim to give you regular updates on life and our activities here.

Saludos from La Bastilla!

Rachel & Antonio