In Nicaragua many communities are forced to use contaminated and polluted sources of water. This has a negative impact on the health of the people, especially the most vulnerable - the children and the elderly. In the UK we take safe drinking water for granted.

One of the Nicaraguan organisations that  the Oxford Leon Association is supporting is Nuevas Esperanzas, which works with remote rural communities in the Leon region providing safe drinking water. Much of their work is focused on water supplies.

In one community near Leon the ground water is poluted with arsenic, a natural byproduct from the volcanic area. People living here suffer long-term health problems caused by arsenic poisoning. Nuevas Esperanzas is working with local people to build a pipeline across difficult terrain - crossing ravines and along mountain ridges to bring clean drinking water from the mountain down to the community on the plain below. 

See www.nuevasesperanzas.org for more information on their various projects and beautiful photo gallery. 

To raise money for this project I will be plunging into the cold dark water of Blenheim Lake and swimming 750 metres, my daughter Emily will cycle 20 k and friend Tabitha with run 5k. Please support us.