Desarollo Social building cisterns too!!

Desarrollo Social is the Social Development department of the local Municipal Government.

We have been working with Desarrollo Social for a couple of years now & have good news to report.

We (Saul & I) met with Desarrollo Social (Miguel, Estefan & Felipe) on 25th March.
Subject of the meeting was to collaborate on our cisterns projects.

Desarrollo Social have 2 cisterns projects in planning.
One as part of the Vivienda Sustentable project & a cisterns only project.

They will be constructing cisterns the same model as ours.
They would like to follow the Cedesa model, ie involve the communities in the labor component of the project but the funding comes with it's own set of stipulations as it is Federal funding.
This model will include the participants contributing 15% of the cost of the cisterns, & a contractor will be enlisted to manage the project & construct the cisterns.
The participants unable to afford the 15% contribution will be able to pay in installments & this will not hold up the construction.
They are planning 268 cisterns at this point.

We discussed which communities we were working with to ensure there was no overlap.
The Desarollo Social priority is given to communities with no water, as opposed to those with contaminated water.
The need is great, it's very good we're all working together on this!!!!

Sapasma Joins the Team!!

We are very happy to report - at the water information day by Sapasma (the local water authority) on the 15th March, (at which incidentally our San Miguel Midday Rotary President made a presentation) Sapasma made an announcement ... Their board has agreed to devote US$35,000 to match the Rotary Global Grant of $33,500, to begin a pilot project with the Water Project Team... Rotary, Cedesa & The communities!!

They propose to work with us to learn the model & methodology, & then their promoters (outreach workers) will take it to other communities!

So, with 53 more cisterns & 2 more communities served, we continue to work towards resolving this issue for all in need!!

3 cheers for Sapasma!!

For almost 3 years we have been working with Sapasma as well as other local authorities, Desarollo Social & the Ecology department, to collaborate & find a resolution to the safe drinking water issue...with huge thanks & kudos to the participants of the previous projects in the communities we have been working with, we now take this big step forward with the rural communities of San Miguel...