These are projects which we undertake in response to a particular one off request or emergency or they are projects which reflect a special talent or interest of a student/volunteer. We also help many individual families going through difficult situations.
Disaster relief work
An example was our rapid response to the impact of Hurricane Nate in 2017. Many trees came down in the area and La Mariposa workers and volunteers helped to clear many roads and tracks. An ex student donated $700 to help an ex worker rebuild his latrine which had collapsed due to the heavy rains. Other supplies were bought and distributed to families, some of whom lost everything in mudslides. And we spent about $10,000 on roofing materials for the community of Palo Solo.
Impact of Hurricane Nate 
A collapsed latrine
Just some of the supplies 
Collected for hurricane victims
Roofing materials 
for hurricane damaged houses
In 2014 we responded to a very bad fire in the Masaya Volcano National Park, sending in a brigade of student and worker volunteers to help fight the fire which was devastating the Pacific woodland part of the park. We even bought new boots for the park guards who were in the frontline of firefighting and their boots melted in the heat. We also sent in fruit and water (both for drinking and fire fighting).
Fighting the fire with just backpacks of water 
Devastation 
New boots! 
Our brigade 
Our planning team!
Specialist Volunteer Projects
Other examples include responding to an offer from a dental brigade visiting Granada to do a days work for us. So we organised a group from the Chispa de Vida project to attend.
And volunteer Rachel contributed her specialist knowledge to help us build and adapt two special chairs for Chispa de Vida members.
We sometimes raise money to help individual families like Francesca’s. They needed to build a second room, as she, her husband and 5 children were all living in one very small space.
Francesca and her youngest 
family of 7 in one room
