37th Event of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Los Torres

Record of Event pg 1 of 3
37th Event of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Los Torres

Where: Los Torres Chucha’s house
When: Wed 24th March 3-5.40pm
Who: Chela, Holly, (Cedesa), Laura (Rotary), & 26 adults & 10kids, (Incl 3 men)

Purpose:
Planning for the Phase III cisterns construction project & general community assembly.

This assembly was changed to a later start time of 3pm, as there was a govt program visiting in Cruz del Palmar which the Los Torres community was required to attend.

The govt. Program – Oportunidades, a work program, started at 8am & didn’t finish until 2pm with no break for food, & CdP is a 20 minute walk away, the Los Torres people made it to the meeting around 3.20 looking very tired & hungry, & we agreed to try to keep the assembly brief, so people could get home.

We didn’t want to take up their time, but discovered the Oportunidades program offers work for a minimal assistance subsidy of $700 pesos bi-monthly, & also offers a beca (scholarship) for children of $500 pesos in high school, bi-monthly.

General discussion.
We asked about the Sapasma well, apparently it has not been opened yet, despite being completed for around 1 year. They have visited the new administration to ask & were told the new administration needs to settle in first before any action will be taken to get the water to the houses.

Julio from the Ecology department visited during the water info day, & said the tests of the water from the well had come back showing the water is contaminated & not fit for drinking.

Chela invited the LT community to a workshop they are holding at Cedesa to produce solar distillers, the only way to effectively remove fluoride from water.

The workshop is on April 9&10 for only 15 people, during which they will hands-on construct 2 working distillers, that can distill up to 9 litres per day.

The assembly began at 3.40
Chela introduced, & said we would keep it short today as everyone was already looking exhausted.
She said she would co-ordinate & Concha was voted to take note/records.

Discussion points were called for
• How to advance the 3rd phase
• What needs doing?
• What’s missing? someone responded, “we’re willing to work, as long as they give us some limonada!”
• Co-operation payment – still to be paid.
• Distiller workshop – who wants to participate
• The road mini-commission, - who’s working on it?
• Review of traspatio workshops

Item 1. How to advance the 3rd Phase.
At the last assembly people were tasked with taking measurements of the piping they require & getting the info to the group leaders, who in turn will give it to Guillermo (who will be co-ordinating the technical aspect of the 3rd phase in Los Torres).

Group 1 – Alejandro has the info & will give it to Guillermo
Group 2 – Jose Cruz also has the info & will give it to Guillermo
Group 3 – Gilberto? – Laura mentioned Jose Matilde had the info at the Water info day & wanted to give it to someone then, so he will need to be directed to give it to Guillermo





Record of Event pg 2 of 3

Primo, Fabiana & Guillermo all offered to assist with Phase III.
Group 1 – one member – Veronica still owes her $450 co-operation payment re not attending training in the School demonstration cistern construction. She can not afford this payment so has passed on her cistern to her sister – Maria, who happens to be getting married to Gonzalo on Saturday. Everyone voted for this action.

Gonzalo is Rafael & Jose Miguel’s younger brother.

Item 2 – Materials – when will they be available?
Laura described the process…
1. Guillermo to receive the measurements of the variable materials required by each family (by group).
2. Guillermo to make a day possibly 5th April to visit each house to check the measurements.
3. Guillermo to spend a day collating the grand order, ie 21 x standard materials, & a compilation of the variable materials into one large order.
4. Guillermo is to place the order at the supplier. He should place it in several parts, 1 bulk order of the variable materials to be delivered in bulk to one location.
5. & then order the standard materials to be delivered 3 cisterns per group at a time, with another 3 more per group, once each cistern is completed (Guillermo will give delivery location instructions when he places order for the next partial delivery).
6. The variable materials will have to be collected from the designated delivery location in Los Torres, by each family as they come to construct their cistern. They should come to collect their items, eg 3 elbows, 2 lengths of pvc piping, etc.
7. This way the standard materials order can be placed by phone to the Supplier when the community is ready for the next lot.
(I confirmed this with Juan & Guillermo in Vivienda de Arriba during the pilot build meeting – this will work for them).

Alejandro offered to help Guillermo if it’s too much work for him.
We mentioned that the measuring & ordering & tech assistance is paid work for Guillermo, as technical advisor on this project.


Item 3 – the co-operation – who’s paid & who hasn’t?
The community came up with the solution that anyone from phase III who was unable to attend the demonstration pilot at the primary school, needs to pay a “co-operation” as their contribution.

At the last assembly there were 4 people still to pay.
• Cristina – has since paid.
• Veronica – Mariana (her sister) paid instead & now is on the list to receive the cistern.
• Patricia Nolesco has since paid.
• Maria de Jesus (not the delegada) has paid.
All are now paid up!

The families at the school who were not part of the project, but who’s children benefit from the cisterns built by the community were to pay $50 pesos contribution, some have, there are others still to be chased…

Item 4 – Workshop on distillers at Cedesa
Chela explained more about this workshop
Purpose
• Train people about the issues of contamination
• Practically demonstrate & actually construct 2 solar distillers (to purify the water)
• Only 15 people can attend, anyone who attends will then be expected to be the community expert & show the rest of the community.
• It is actual hands on construction (the best way to learn)
• It costs $4000pesos for one distiller
• These distillers remove all contaminants, bacterial & mineral,
• In case there is no cistern, or no rain, or an empty cistern!



Record of Event pg 3 of 3

Chela asked who would like to come, to learn & then to teach.
Someone volunteered Rafael – because he wasn’t there – for a joke!!
Someone else volunteered Gonzalo, the young guy getting married on Saturday “the one getting married this weekend, since he’ll be having kids soon!”
The community will confirm with Chela or Holly


Item 5 Traspatios (back yards) workshops
Benigno has been to Los Torres for 2 backyard workshops so far.
The first one was to teach design (ie placement of animals, fruit trees, plants, rubbish & other components)
Then 2nd how to prepare the ground for planting, including soil & making paths.

In a couple of months they will be able to plant seeds & or plants for eating. They will then have access to good quality food & if they have excess they can trade it or sell it.

Chela asked how many people participated, a show of hands showed around 12-14 people.
Chela explained it costs Cedesa money for petrol & car maint. & also Benigno’s time, so you must prove you’re interested by participating, or he will go somewhere else.

Someone asked if it was just for people in the cistern project, & Chela replied it’s for the whole community, not just project people.

She went on to talk again about the dangers of eating junk food & how it is ruining the health of Mexicans, with high rates of diabetes etc resulting. She decried Coke, & one of the oldest women, said “she can’t live without it!”.

Chela pointed out that Junk food is sold to poor people, “the owners of the companies don’t eat this junk – they just make money off you guys – it’s only for poor people.

Item 6 – the Road
During the rains the road into Los Torres gets even worse (hard to imagine!) how can we get this fixed? It takes more than ½ hr to transverse!
“We need to begin the solicitude to the municipality”
Chela asked if anyone had ever made a solicitude to govt. before?
Chucha answered yes, they asked to be part of the Piso Firme (concrete floors) program.

Rafael Cruz has been previously to ask for assistance, but that was with the previous administration, so need to go again with the new one.

It was pointed out that Luci (the Mayor) & Helio from the ecology department have both asked to visit the community of Los Torres to see the project. We are currently attempting to schedule that visit with the various secretaries organizing…

It would be ideal to have the solicitude ready to present when the VIP’s visit.

Concha, Chucha & Alejandro all volunteered to get a solicitude together

write up reasons why road needs to be repaired including safety (takes too long in medical emergency), time it takes for people to get to work or to town etc.
what you would like done
write up who signed

Taxes are received by you & should be paid in works & services to the communities not just for the center of town!

The meeting concluded approx 5.40pm
Next Assembly Wed 28th April at 12 pm at Chucha’s house