Project News

The object area of Alhajuela Project is the Alhajuela Lake watershed. Among the Project's object communities, some can only be reached by crossing the lake and traveling up a river.  The most representative of these is the San Juan de Pequeni community.  You have to travel in a boat dug out from a tree trunk. When the river is full, the trip is easy to make, but after December, in the dry season, the river gradually becomes shallower and in certain places the boat touches the riverbed and gets stuck.  Of course, we then have to get out of the boat and push it upstream.  But I have also had the experience of getting totally wet battling the waves of a swollen river in the rainy season.

(Photo 1) The boat is stuck and we are pushing and pulling it upstream.  The person pulling the bow is Mr. Carlos, an extension worker.  (March 4, 2008)

(Photo 2) The boat operator assigned by ANAM, Mr. Luis Hernandez, is pushing the boat.  The boat can carry 6 or 7 persons, but when there are many passengers it sinks deeper and is easier to get stuck.  On this day, we finally gave up and left the boat at the riverbank and walked to the community. (March 4, 2008)

(Photo 1: left) (Photo 2: right)

(Mr. Hiroki KAJIFUSA, Participatory Development / Extension)