9th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project

Record of Meeting pg 1 of 2

9th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee

Where: Los Torres (via Salida Dolores)

When: Monday 29th Sept 2008, 9.15-2pm

Who: Bill & Judy Fisher, Patronato Pro Ninos, Maria de Jesus (Los Torres delegada) Jose Miguel (delegada’s husband), Gary, Gordon, Bob, David & Laura (Rotary),
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.

Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.

Patronato Pro Ninos: are a local non profit organisation. They work closely with the department of health to provide medical & dental services to the communities in need. They have a relationship with the people of Los Torres, they have been providing them with vitamin supplements to add to their tortillas. An interesting point they made is in future they would do more work before providing the supplements, to educate & inform. The take-up time would be faster then. There had been some resistance from the people that were unaware of the benefits, but the word is now spreading & the mothers are now keen to keep adding the supplements.
We met at the Fabrica Aurora & drove out the road to Dolores. We turned at the turnoff for Casa de Aves continued towards Casa de Aves & then took the right fork (with Casa de Aves to the left). We carried on a dirt road for some time with a few muddy patches to negotiate. (drive is approx 45mins from La Aurora).
2nd Meeting with the delegada.

We were very lucky to be taken to the community with Bill, Judy as they already have a relationship with the community delegada (community organiser) Maria de Jesus.
This was the 2nd meeting with the delegada on this topic. It included a bigger team to gather more information & for more of the team to see what the Los Torres scenario would involve.

Judy facilitated a Q&A session between the delegada & her husband & our team.
Points of interest

The previous meeting in Los Torres yielded a lot of information. This report covers just the additional points/information raised.

The lower community have 10 pozos (wells), family owned, some families share the water with others that don’t have a well.
The pozos are very shallow (by comparison with other communities) only 10-15 mtrs deep.
The wells were only 3 mtrs deep 20 years ago, they have to be dug deeper each year (i.e. 1988 3 mtrs deep, 2008 15 mtrs deep)
At the end of the dry season the wells are almost dried up.

Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2

9th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
The wells are used for household & gardens but not agriculture.
Approx. 6 wks ago Sapasma visited the village to see whether it was feasible to drill a well (in the top community)
Sapasma said the well would need to be 80 mtrs deep.
The community had to pay for the feasibility study – US$3000
If Sapasma digs the well it is supposed to service 3 communities, Los Torres, Cruz del Palmar & Montecillo de ?
The other 2 communities were not asked to pay for the feasibility study (according to the delegada’s husband).
Sapasma would apparently pipe the water to the other 2 communities, from Los Torres.
Sapasma is to return in October, with a proposal. Each family will be expected to contribute to the cost of the drilling of the well (nb in another community that community was charged US$300 per family).
It is not known if the other 2 communities – to benefit from the well – will be asked to contribute.
As mentioned in previous notes, the Los Torres mothers already meet on Friday’s at 3pm to discuss Health Department topics (from Health dept supplied Topic Cards), approx ¾ of the mums meet at 3 on Friday, the other ¼ meet on Saturday. The sessions are led by Maria Concepcion.

The delegada & her family put on a large lunch for us all including freshly made tortillas, chicheron, beans, rice & the contribution of baking goods we bought.
The team ate a scrumptious lunch, then viewed the gardens & looked at the roofs of the houses. Then we drove to the upper community to look at the school & water facilities there.

Action:

Contact Sapasma to determine their plans for Los Torres (Bob will ask Enrique to email Ernesto Lopez (the chief engineer) to ask our questions.