5th Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Vivienda de Arriba Water Project

Record of Event pg 1 of 4
5th Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Vivienda de Arriba Water Project

Where: Vivienda de Arriba (40 mins from SMA)
When: Wed 14th April 2010 2pm – 4.30 (+ taco’s until 6pm)
Who: Holly, Chela (Cedesa) Laura (Rotary), 18 adults + Juan Alvarado (technician visiting from Los Torres).

Purpose: Review of the pilot project5 & planning for the next phase...

This meeting was originally scheduled for 3pm, but Anamaria rang Holly to ask if the community of VdA could meet earlier at a different location, since they needed to talk to us without the presence of Tierra Blanca community members.

First thing Anamarie mentioned was that she has 18 on the list now, not 16 as earlier mentioned.

However there are only 12 here today of the people on that list!

Chela began with the question
“why are we here at this house meeting, & not meeting at the Church at 3pm as planned?”

A few women had comments to make.
“Tierra Blanca is supposed to observe & not participate in our assemblies, they talk in our place, it’s not bad that they come, but they have no place talking for us, we’re having the meeting at this house so we have more privacy without them.”

Chela asked if it was a decision by the whole group – they all agreed.

The Chapel/church is open to Tierra Blanca, here is specific to Vivienda de Arriba.

“the people of Tierra Blanca answer, they don’t let us answer, we don’t like that they give their opinions about what we’re doing, they don’t allow us to talk”

“they were welcome to the training, but no-one came to help, just to look”

Chela – so we’re saying to TB we don’t want you to come anymore?

“if we do that, they might exclude us from the joint water meetings held in Tierra Blanca!”

“When we attended assemblies in Los Torres, it was only 3 or 4 of us, we didn’t give our opinions or interfere, we waited until after the assemblies to ask questions.”

Chela – we’re hiding from them... we should have met as planned, see how many people turn up & discuss the issue in open. We shouldn’t damage the relationship re water & on a human level. You can take control & tell them to limit their representation to 2 or 3 people, & ask that they observe & ask questions but not inflict their opinions.

Juan – no particular view is right or better, but is better to have the assembly at the same agreed place & time & discuss it there.

“when we say things they argue with our opnion”

Record of Event pg 2 of 4

Chela – you all have the same rights, Tierra Blanca, Vivienda de Arriba & Espejo re the use of the well in Tierra Blanca. You need to ask them to wait, when you are dealing with a VdA issue.

If they say “shut up” just say I’m sorry I am entitled to my opinion.
You have every right to speak re water or whatever issues you have. This is a process you can learn by, little by little.


Voting for Co-ordinator & notes taker for today
They all voted for Juan, they were shy to do it themselves, but agreed to do it next time after seeing how it’s done.

Juan suggested – if they don’t respect your word, choose a representative & this person will have more strength. Raise your hand & speak, (Juan has had a lot of experience in co-ordinating).

Juan asked for proposal for someone to take notes.

Ana was voted note taker.

Juan called for items for the agenda

1. Review of the training
2. Planning the next step.


Review of training.
General consensus – it was very good!
“I learnt a little, but I liked it”
“everyone was very united, all working, all eating together, people bringing food”
Juan suggested each person in turn give their opinion (to encourage them to speak for themselves).

Each person gave their opnion...
My son helped out – he bought beer!
I didn’t go I sent my husband!
I bought food & water...
Juan – foods very important – gives us more energy!
My daughter left & I can’t leave the house alone.
If you don’t participate in training you have no right to the materials, she didn’t come to the training, didn’t know about it (supposedly), said she couldn’t come, that she didn’t have time, well all of us have houses we don’t want to leave unattended...
Chela – we all need to have respect.

There are 2 important points, 1 participation in training, & the 2nd attendance at these meetings...If you’re not trained you can’t participate or receive materials because you wont know what to do with them.






Record of Event pg 3 of 4

There is someone that didn’t/couldn’t participate in the training, but just provided food & water, there was discussion as to if she would be eligible or not, & a suggestion maybe should provide a monetary contribution to make up for lack of work.

This was discussed, but everyone agreed it was too easy to just give money, & that if everyone gave money there would be no-one to do the work, & there would be no team building.

Chela – when you make a rule, you have to follow it, even it it’s a tough rule, you have to stick to your guns.

There was a revised list of the people working (15 of them here now)
AnaLorena, Carmen, MaryAngel, Julia Rz, Aurelia R, Andreis, Cevila, Luz Maria, Annamaria Torres, AnaIsabel, Theresa, Maria de Jesus, Agripina, Gloria, Maria de la Luz

There were 2 people extra, not here today, but who want cisterns.
Tomasa & Maricel, & only 1 space for cistern (ie we have 16 not 17).

There was a lot of debate, & no-one could decide who to exclude, there were pros & cons for each. In the end we wrote names onto a piece of paper & one was chosen, the winner was Tomasa. Which would mean Maricel would miss out.

The winner was conditional on participation in her group, if not it would go to the other person.

One of the woman on the list (Maria de la Luz) mentioned she couldn’t make it to all meetings as she has health issues & needs to go to the Doctor, we asked if she could send a family rep in her place, she said she had no family… at this point we decided she didn’t need a cistern, just a plastic tank of 1500 litres would suffice, hence her cistern then went to Tomasa & it all ended happily!

The groups are divided as follows
Group 1 - Ana, Julia, Ana Isabel, Aurelia, Gloria, Carmen, Luz Maria, Maria de Jesus

Group 2 – Angela, Lorena, Teresa, Agripina, Cevila, Andreis, Tomasa, Maricela
(Ma de la Luz – Tinaco)

Juan asked who knows the whole process? Some timidly spoke up.
They also volunteered their partners!

One guy came & worked hard – Carlos, but didn’t represent anyone, he is currently going through a divorce & just wanted to help. There was a suggestion they could take a contribution to pay him to assist, since he is so expert.

Delivery instructions
The delivery will be in 2 parts.
1st 4 in each group (ie 8)
2nd 4 in each group (the balance of 8)

The variables order will be placed in one total.
To be delivered to Julia Ramirez Ramirez’s casa

They will meet in groups & decide how to start & organize process.

Record of Event pg 4 of 4

During the meeting Anamaria had gone to the Church a couple of times to tell the Tierra Blanca people to wait.

New roof needed
We then went to view the roof of Lorena’s house, as Juan had said it was substandard & not a suitable surface to channel water.

Lorena is a young woman with one small daughter, & a husband. I had observed her during the training day visits, she was very shy but incredibly hard working. Her house was constructed of crumbling adobe blocks, black building paper, & a blanket for her front door. There was a section of the roof with terracotta tiles, another section with black paper & rocks, & a little section of tin roofing. She definitely needs a new roof if we are going to collect water from it, I will need to find a cheap solution to a 25m2 roof for her & still stay in budget!! Or maybe raise another few bucks to pay for this roof… I will include photos of the house. I can only imagine what living in this house must be like with a young daughter, in winter & in the rainy season…!!!

Brief catchup with Tierra Blanca
We met with 3 representatives of Tierra Blanca (including the elderly mother of one of the women on the list for Vivienda de Arriba)… They were very keen for us to go to their community to start the process with them, & asked when we could have an assembly there.

We agreed that on the day of the next Capaderillo assembly (5th May),
we would go to Tierra Blanca afterwards (ie Capaderillo at 11am & Tierra Blanca 1.30pm – en la Pasada de Vivenda)


We were invited to eat at someone’s house, she made us blue maize gorditas, filled with nopal, beans & rice… with Atole (for those who like it!)…
There was much to discuss!

Finally left around 6pm for our drive home.


Photos can be seen at this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lauramex/ViviendaDeArribaWaterProject?feat=directlink

Next Vivienda de Arriba Assembly 12th May 3pm

First Tierra Blanca Assembly 5th May 1.30 pm en la Pasada de Vivienda