Where: Cinco Senores
When: 9.2.11
Who: Communities represented:
Cinco Senores 8, Juan Gonzalez 13, San Lorenzo 2, La Palmita 5, La Tinaja 3, Coralejo 2, La Cienega 3, Villa Guadalupe 2.
Holly, Chela, Saul, – Cedesa, Laura Rotary, Teacher of the school attended, Esaul from Comonfort.
We noted the bed & clothing in the corner of the classroom, the teacher sleeps here during the week & only returns on weekends as it is very difficult to get to this community. We had to cross the river 4 times & drive on big rocky river beds, we were not sure we’d make it at several points!
We all crammed into the small classroom.
Everyone introduced themselves & stated their community… I said a little about Rotary, as ususal.
Chela gave a brief history of the work we have been doing in the region starting with Los Torres, & including MdN CdP, VdA & Capaderillo.
She thanked the teacher for volunteering his classroom for this meeting, & said Teachers are often involved in the development of a community, they are a great source of co-ordination.
Chela said they have excellent young leaders forming in their communities who are great “promoters” /outreach workers, eg Audelia, Humberto, Ana.
One woman spoke up & said she thought Audelia would make an excellent promoter, she is a bit shy but should be proud.
Chela mentioned we are always talking as a team about how great the young leaders are & that they are already working to make a better future for this region & “god put Rotary in our path”, Rotary has the conscientiousness, & understand the problems to work on & resolve, with dignity & allowing the recipients their dignity.
What do all the communities have in common?
“the necessity for water” Water is very scarce & contaminated.
“Pedro & Jesus G. were working here with FAI (Save the Children) which is when the cistern for the school was constructed (there is a big cistern behind the school). They stopped coming & we didn’t know where to find them.”
Meeting began proper:
Saul explained the meeting process, eg elect a co-ordinator & secretary, he explained their roles including calling for agenda.
Letty was elected Co-ordinator, & Humberto to take notes.
Agenda
1 commission to presidencia report
2 dry toilets, how do they function
3. presentation re the climate workshop at Cedesa
4 rules of the communities
5 plan the meeting in Juan Gonzalez, re the Fondo Verde next grant
Item 1 presidencia commission
It was noted that Villa de Guadalupe & Tierra Blanca were not present, but all else sent representatives to the Presidencia to ask for an audience with mayor Lucy, approx. 20 people attended.
Item 2 dry toilets
Chela asked who knew how dry toilets function? Holly knows as she has one at her house.
They were described as ecological, economical (don’t need water), they don’t contaminate & you can use the compost, they don’t put fecal matter in the air (like current poo in the wild method!), the fertilizer is organic.
Chela asked if the other types of toilets were good – no, they waste water, contaminate the environment, including rivers, drainage, sewage…The 2 vital points about dry toilets,
They don’t require water & they don’t contaminate the environment, in fact they reduce contamination.
Of the communities represented at this meeting only 3 have toilets.
Cinco Senores, Juan Gonzalez & Villa de Guadalupe.
Cinco Senores, have about 15 toilets, but no-one using them as toilets, in fact when we visited one after the meeting, inside it had grain & tools & I opened the back door underneath, where the poo bucket should have been, only to find about 10 hens all clucking madly & so quickly shut it up again to keep them safe for the night!
They don’t use them because they don’t function well, they have only one chamber & the collection unit is a big shallow open bucket, not ideal, as the pee & poo don’t separate & never really dry out…
We spoke with one of the men in the community & described what needed to be changed for them to function, they need to be divided into 2 chambers by placing a wall down the middle, then use one side for six months & make a hole the other side for the toilet to move to that side for the next six months, while sealing the first chamber until it dries. The pee should also be separated, & can be done by attaching a hose to the front of the toilet vessel. Holly mentioned she would see if Benigno had time to come to Cinco Senores, but would at least get a copy of the toilet manual to them in the meantime.
Juan Gonzalez they have the 2 chamber toilet & do use them. Their model does not separate the pee & poo at source, it has a separate lower tank that the pee drains into. They put sawdust, ashes & lime in the loo each time they use it. They do have flies & mozzies in the warm season.
Villa de Guadalupe
These guys have the rolls Royce of dry toilets, they have 2 chambers, pee/poo separator, & even have water collection with which to wash their hands (in hand basin attached to outside of the building).
There was a 6mth project to build & educate people in the use of these toilets which finished late last year so they are using them.
There was more discussion on what should be added to the toilet after use, many people don’t have access to sawdust, no trees nearby, some are using leaf litter, Chela said better to leave leaf litter for the trees & just use Cal or dirt.
Item 3 workshop on climate change de-brief
Saul described the workshop they had at Cedesa on the 28/29/1 for all campesinos. Several of the young people at today’s meeting had been to the workshop & have prepared a presentation for the meeting today.
The subject was protecting the environment, reforestation, not removing sand/extraction, analyzing the existing situation, preserving heritage seed, damage to rivers, reduction of fertilizers, use of organic fertilizers only, etc.
They were very well prepared & had posters to describe/illustrate the points.
Saul mentioned “if we don’t take notice of what these young people are telling us we will have issues in the future”.
Another woman in the meeting said “my father is in his 80’s & gave us his land, & told us it is soo important we continue to work it & don’t be tempted to sell it, as smaller parcels are harder to make productive”.
There was talk about prepared food versus traditional meals, beans, rice tortillas, Chela pointed out what you consume affects your whole body, artificial flavourings & colourings & sugar are not good for you, in fact they poison your body/blood.
One mother joked “I eat only healthy food & don’t get sick, not like my daughter (she pointed her out, presenting at the front of the meeting),who always gets a cold!” everyone laughed.
Chela asked everyone to sum up in points
• Plant more plants
• Retain/rescue your traditions
• Conserve seed
• Plant & maintain productive foods/fruits/medicinal foods/calabasa/trees
• Defend the earth & seeds
• Be conscientious
• Retain community/maintain community/build community
• Include the young people, they are interested & positive & want to work in the campo
Saul & Chela reiterated, we cant decide for you what will happen you your communities, you need to take responsibility for this yourselves.
Item 4 Rules of this Micro-region (Micro region 1)
During the last regional meeting it was suggested each micro-region should create their own rules.
After discussion it was decided
• Participation compulsory
• Punctuality important, if 1 hr late you will be marked absent
• Need to create an attendance list & take the role each meeting.
Chela pointed out for example Villa de Guadalupe had not attended the regional meeting or the commission to the presidencia, so what should happen?
Someone added “maybe they have justification?”
One of the Villa de Guadalupe people said they didn’t have transport to the presidencia, everyone said this was no excuse, they all have the same issue.
One of the other women from VdG said she & others are interested but the reps. they have in the consejo are not interested in Cisterns or dry toilets so they’re not that motivated, this woman asked if she could go instead, & they said, no because she was not the official rep.
Chela pointed out, it is very important for each community to ensure the best representatives are selected, that they will represent their community well & with conscience.
Spirit of service is very obvious in the youth in this area.
The meeting all decided that the priority of who gets water cisterns next should be changed, Villa de Guadalupe should forfeit one position as a consequence for non attendance at 2 events.
Priority for the cisterns is now
Juan Gonzalez/San Lorenzo, Cinco Senores, La Cienega, Villa de Guadalupe & La Tinaja
Priority for the sanitarios secos is now
La Tinaja, La Palmita, Coralejo, Cinco Senores, Juan Gonzalez & La Cienega.
Item 5 – Presidencia commission report
Saul mentioned we need to plan for the first meeting with Lucy, 4 representatives will meet with Lucy on the 16th feb at 11.30am.
There is a tentative meeting planned for the whole region to attend at Cedecom presidencia bldg. on 23rd Feb. Topics to include water, toilets, bridges & roads.
There were issues when the 20 representatives went to ask for a meeting with Lucy. Although they went entirely passively they were perceived as threatening.
There was discussion regarding govt. obligation & that water is a basic human right. Rotary has provided a large amount of funding but it is not an obligation that Rotary do this, they do it out of service.
Chela suggested people could read the constitution which is available at every papeleria
Someone asked why Chela can’t come to the meeting on the 16th with Lucy, & Chela pointed out it is not up to her, but that they are able to represent themselves & their issues & reach a solution.
There will be one more micro regional meeting in March & after that there is probably no need for both micro regional & regional meetings, as well as project community meetings.
Item 6 – Juan Gonzalez/San Lorenzo project planning meeting
The next project to begin will be in Juan Gonzalez/San Lorenzo. This project will be funded by fondo verde, & topped up by a $2k contribution from New Braumfels RC in Texas.
The project planning meeting will be at 10am on the 2nd March in Juan Gonzalez (Same day as the potential next regional meeting)
Next Micro region 1 meeting 9th March 2011 at 11am at La Tinaja at la clinica
(meeting concluded at 4pm – we were treated to the usual local banquet of tortillas beans rice, chicheron, chick peas, & then meandered our way along the river bed, weaving back n forth over huge rocks & puddles until we finally made it to the highway…)
