Where: private house Vivienda de Urbana
When: Wed 26.1.11 10.30 am – 1pm
Who: Saul & Holly (Cedesa), Laura (Rotary), community of Vivienda de Urbana participants in water cistern project 26 adults incl 2 men, + 9 kids & 4 dogs!,
Purpose: The first planning meeting re the implementation of the Project for 25 cisterns (1 pilot + 24 family cisterns) funded by Tallahasee RC & District simplified grant, + Walla Walla + San Miguel Midday)
Item 1. Introductions all round, each person introduced themselves – including Holly, Saul & Laura & their respective organisations.
Saul led the meeting initially to explain that people who had attended previous meetings were probably aware of the standard format of a community assembly, ie to first select a co-ordinator & secretary (to take notes/record decisions), & then to create an agenda of talking/discussion points for the meeting.
He reiterated that everyone’s voice deserved to be heard so if you wish to speak, please raise your hand & the co-ordinator will “give you the word”.
Irene was proposed & voted on as Co-ordinator, & Dona Luisa was proposed & voted secretary.
The points for the agenda were suggested as follows:
• Total number of cisterns v list of people interested in participating
• List of the names of the people to receive them.
• Where the pilot will be (ie training session, & first cistern built)
• When the pilot will begin, & when the family cisterns will begin
• Work groups, names/qty, rules for participation/leaders
• Time to complete
• Visiting Rotarians from Walla Walla arrive in SMA 18th Feb
• Technician is Rafael Cruz from Los Torres (Saul has been in contact with him already)
• Issues with Materials & deliveries & how to resolve
• Co-ordinator of the project for this community
We have sufficient funding ($17k) for 24 family cisterns & 1 pilot cistern.
There are 26 people attending & 26 people on the list so we need to rationalize & we asked if there were some families that were close & small & therefore able to combine/share.
One woman asked why small families were no longer eligible, citing families of only 3 people in Capaderillo phase I who received cisterns… Saul responded that we have a large waiting list (360) & lack of resources & the fact that we need to be able to share & assist as many people as possible.
One of the women attending was representing her daughter & grand-daughter, they already have 14 in their family & were part of the first phase at Capaderillo so have one cistern, but it is stretching capacity with size of family, she was asking for another cistern.
After much discussion & debate as to who would receive cisterns & who would not, a list of names was put on the whiteboard, along with the size of the family. It was decided that the daughter (mentioned above) & one other young family would receive tinacos (plastic tanks) & that left 24 on the list.
Laura raised the point that we are not able to renovate people’s roofs, & asked if everyone’s roof was suitable for collecting water, they all said yes.
Pilot location
There are 2 potential pilot locations, 1 the kinder with 35 kids, & 2. The secondaria with 100+ kids
There was much debate, it made sense to be able to help more children, but also the younger children are at the greatest risk re fluoride & formation of teeth.
In the end a vote was held & it was decided to construct the pilot cistern at the Kinder.
When to begin the pilot – several options were discussed, & then eliminated for the most popular on the 7th Feb. The hours were decided as 9-4pm or “as long as the body lasts” as one woman put it!
Saul mentioned the kinder maestra needed to be advised the pilot was taking place.
He also mentioned that only natural drink & food was wanted, ie no cokes & made a “serious” joke of this… This was to reiterate the message that the communities are drinking & eating too much junk & need to be taking better care of the health of themselves & their kids.
A list of tools needed was created:
Shovels, a grinder for making the little metal hooks out of rebar, wheelbarrows, big buckets, ladder to get on the kinder roof, sieve for sifting the sand & rocks, wire cutters…
Work groups – 26 participants, so 2 groups of 7 & 2 groups of 6. (L = leader) (AB= abanile)
Group 1
Ana Maria (L), Alejandra (AB), Edith (L), Cristina (AB), Benita (AB) Ma Catalina (AB), Amalia (rotoplas)
Group 2
Francisca, Maria Luisa (Grande), Maria Salud (L) (AB), Ma Luisa (menor) (L) (AB), Petra (AB), Lorena (rotoplas), Luisa Luna
Group 3
Isidra, Silvia (L) (AB), Fabiola, Jacqueline (AB), Eusebia, Irene (L),
Group 4
Concepcion (L), Soledad, Juana, Nosaria, Ma Refugio (AB), Erica (L) (AB),
The need for abaniles was discussed, essentially each group should ideally have 2 abaniles (experienced masons), the majority of the work does not require skills but the finishing touches, ie application of the concrete/plaster does. If there are not sufficient in the group they may have to look at contributing to pay someone for their time. They were tasked with finding abaniles within their groups, brothers, uncles, fathers, grandfathers…
Saul advised the community also needs to appoint a co-ordinator, kind of over-seer go-to person for the whole community, this was discussed & debated & Ma Salud was appointed with Maria Luisa (menor) her standin.
Q&A (dudas & preguntas)
The mother of Amalia (to be the recipient of rotoplas) asked what Amalia will need to contribute, Holly advised this is something that her group needs to decide, since they are all working in a group.
Amalia definitely needs to attend meetings to be part of the planning process.
Holly suggested all groups meet & define their guidelines/rules for their group, re participation, who’s bringing food etc.
The assembly was also advised there is a limit of the $$ apportioned to each family for the PVC piping part of the project. The cisterns can be located wherever works & wherever the families choose, but they need to bear in mind the cost of the piping from the roof to the cistern. Limit will be $500pesos per family, but if families wish to move them further they can pay the difference in tubing costs.
The next planning meeting for Vivienda de Urbana will be 23.2.11 @ 10.30am – same house
The next regional meeting is 2/2/11 @ 12pm at Presita de Santa Rosa
(we headed off to the next meeting, micro region 3 in Vivienda de Arriba)
Showing posts with label Micro Region 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Micro Region 2. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
1st Micro-Region 2 Mtg of the Communities requesting assistance with water
Record of Event
1st Micro-Region 2 Mtg of the Communities requesting assistance with water
Where: Capaderillo (private house)
When: 19.1.11
Who: Communities represented:
Vivienda de Urbana, Presita de Santa Rosa, Guerrero, La Aurora, Capaderillo
Holly, Chela, Saul, – Cedesa, Laura Midday Rotary, & visiting was Tom Pinfold from Sechelt BC RC,
Ended up with 49 adults attending, including 4 men & innumerable kids & dogs!
We asked permission to take photos to record the process, all agreed it was worthwhile.
There was a delay in starting as we had forgotten sheets of paper & pens to write up agenda etc.
Saul ran home to get them.
There was loose discussion while we were waiting on number of people attending from which communities, their reasons for being there etc. Then the meeting began.
Introductions all round:
Each person said their names & where they were from, I explained we were from Rotary, & Chela explained a little more about my role finding resources for the projects.
Chela – Let’s begin!
During the loose discussion someone had inadvertently referred to the projects as a program, Chela used this to explain the difference between a project & a govt program.
What’s the difference between a project & a program?
“a program is by the govt?” “true?”
“ Project is something that you do?
Who? “the communities”
The people of the communities will determine the necessities, what comes first, the money or the project, with the govt. the $$ comes first. A project responds to the necessities, ie is recipient driven, not donor driven, who organizes the people? “us – the people”, based on the necessities the people decide , analyse their necessities & decide what to do to resolve them.. who does this? “Us!”
Opportunidades program, do you have control? “no” . Why do you do it? “we need the $$ help”, what is the fundamental need of your now? “agua”, to be able to drink clean water, through your own organization.
Chela – What other necessities do you have? “dry toilets”
Why? Then there was a big discussion about the different words for poo, & a bit of hilarity… & reasons were asked for why it’s not a good idea to toilet in the “wild”, reaons like contamination of water, air & earth.
We then began work on the water issues.
In your own organization you decide & solve your own issues, we Cedesa/Rotary are assisting but who’s development is it? “ours – our communities”, with “solidarity” you solve your issues, do Rotary have any obligation to help? “no”, do Cedesa have any obligation to help? “no”, they do it out of good conscience & heart, do the govt have an obligation to help? “yes” the govt. has an obligation to return our money in services to the people.
The resources come directly to assist you with materials, who deserves this? “those that volunteer & work & participate in groups”
Are there many issues in the world? “si – MANY!”, who is going to solve your issues, Santa Claus? Virgen de Guadalupe? No – yourselves! When you begin to organize you create a force for change & achieve solutions.
This micro-region is your own to organize.
We were at the other micro region last week & visited the communities, next week we will be at the 3rd micro region. Resolving the issues will be by micro-region & together.
Saul
Began asking each community to describe their water situation, one community had prepared a poster with their issues listed, this was used as a template for the others to make their presentation.
This was needed to determine the priority amongst the communities, ie who will receive the resources first.
4 communities are attending re cisterns, & 1 (Capaderillo) for dry toilets.
Man – “we have to all be very honest & listen well to everyone’s needs & make sure we understand every issue of each community”
Holly explained each community has 2 votes, 1 for their own community & 1 for another.
Chela in this meeting you will get to hear the info & decide, yes we need water but maybe there are others more urgent than us, & she reiterated how the 2 vote system worked.
Holly clarified, yes a scientific study has been done already & the results showed back contamination of water by fluoride in this region, all of the communities are suffering from this so it is not the decider point, a study needs to be done by the participants of today’s meeting after hearing all the issues presented by each community.
Chela – we are working on the solution for all, but in parts because we don’t have the money to work on all concurrently. We’re like a train, each community is part of the train but we need to decide which cars come before the others.
Vivienda de Urbana (preferred name for Viviendilla, Vivienda de Abajo)– approx. 60 families,
• approx. 15 family wells
• They had prepared the poster listing the details/issues
• Pipa (water truck) comes every 15-30 days, & fills big buckets which are gone within 3-5 days
• There are some family pozos that are shared
• They take burros to irrigation wells of the big farmers near by
• They do their washing at the irrigation wells
• Approx. ½ hr each way to the wells
• Carry water by hand or wheelbarrow, or yokes on shoulders with bucket each side
• Only drink pipa water (cant afford to buy water), not well water
• Store in big buckets
• High fluoride levels
• Sapasma told them to put chlorine in the well water to combat the fluoride! (this is incorrect, chlorine does not remove fluoride or it’s symptoms)
Presita de Santa Rosa – 44 families
• Some pipas (water trucks)
• Sometimes sapasma well water (but infrequent as it is shared with 6 other communities)
• often not enough water in the well
• They go to the river when no well or truck water
• Avg. 3 days a week they have no water
• They go to the river with buckets, trucks & burros
• A big bucket will last approx. 1 wk depending on size of family
• The walk to the river is approx. 20-30 mins depending on the mood of the burro!
• In the hot season they have to go to other communities to borrow water as the river is dry
• They go to the outlets of the thermal pools & wash in their drain water
• In the high area of the community no piped water, only water truck (infrequently 15-30days)
• 3 big buckets of water is too little for washing, drinking, feeding livestock & watering crops
Guerrero – approx. 45-50 families (only 26 forms)
• Some family wells
• Most wells contaminated – dead dogs or rubbish, many smell bad
• Pipa sometimes 1x per month, but mostly just pass them by
• 45 mins to the river to drink – very contaminated with fertilizer, near the Presa, dry season very shallow
• They go for water every day, sometime 2x per day, don’t have burros or trucks
• Don’t have trucks as no money for gas
• Store in big buckets
• It should be noted the levels of fluoride in Guerrero are the highest in our region, there is obvious reduced brain function in the people in this area!
Chela – one of the affects of high fluoride is teeth & bones, but it also affects the brain badly & affects the attitude of the people, & their ability to learn & function.
La Aurora approx. 10 families (only 5 interested)
• 3 pozos, 7 families don’t have wells,
• The wells are approx. 40 mtrs deep
• No trucked water
• They borrow water from neighbours wells
• Sometimes they go to irrigation wells or the river
• 15 mins to a well, usually go 2x per wk in a borrowed truck
• Aurora will combine with Guerrero
Holly discussed to points – necessity & deservedness
Priority will be given on a combination of both, ie necessity & those who have participated longer & proven their motivation.
Chela drew up a table
Communities Vivienda de Urbana, Presita de Santa Rosa & Guerrero/La Aurora, VdU & Presita had been attending longest, since July 2010.
Saul pointed out La Aurora had not entered in the consejo yet & so should not have a vote. All agreed.
Capaderillo can vote (despite not needing water).
The results of the vote
1. Vivienda de Urbana
2. Presita de Santa Rosa
3. Guerrero/La Aurora
Chela informed the communities we urgently need to plan a community meeting for Vivienda de Urbana as funds are in hand to begin a project (funding by Tallahassee & district, Walla Walla, & SMA midday)
SODIS, method of purifying the water, was explained, as people are currently drinking bacterially affected water.
The negative effects of chlorine were explained, & the fact it does nothing to combat fluoride, & is yet another contaminant the body has to filter.
Chela advised of the climate change conference at Cedesa on the 28&29/1 & all were invited, interested people to advise Saul.
Presita Santa Rosa explained Lucy Nunez (mayor) was supposed to be visiting their community today to talk on the subject of transport & improving the bus service, all were invited to attend, after the assembly.
He suggested if Lucy did not show, they would put a representative group together & make a visit to the Presidencia.
Action: La Aurora need to fill in their paperwork to become part of the Consejo – Saul will assist.
Next Project/Community meeting Vivienda de Urbana 26.1.11 10.30am
Next regional meeting Presita de Santa Rosa 12pm 2/2/11
Next micro region 2 meeting (3rd Wednesday) 16/2/11 Capaderilo 1pm
1st Micro-Region 2 Mtg of the Communities requesting assistance with water
Where: Capaderillo (private house)
When: 19.1.11
Who: Communities represented:
Vivienda de Urbana, Presita de Santa Rosa, Guerrero, La Aurora, Capaderillo
Holly, Chela, Saul, – Cedesa, Laura Midday Rotary, & visiting was Tom Pinfold from Sechelt BC RC,
Ended up with 49 adults attending, including 4 men & innumerable kids & dogs!
We asked permission to take photos to record the process, all agreed it was worthwhile.
There was a delay in starting as we had forgotten sheets of paper & pens to write up agenda etc.
Saul ran home to get them.
There was loose discussion while we were waiting on number of people attending from which communities, their reasons for being there etc. Then the meeting began.
Introductions all round:
Each person said their names & where they were from, I explained we were from Rotary, & Chela explained a little more about my role finding resources for the projects.
Chela – Let’s begin!
During the loose discussion someone had inadvertently referred to the projects as a program, Chela used this to explain the difference between a project & a govt program.
What’s the difference between a project & a program?
“a program is by the govt?” “true?”
“ Project is something that you do?
Who? “the communities”
The people of the communities will determine the necessities, what comes first, the money or the project, with the govt. the $$ comes first. A project responds to the necessities, ie is recipient driven, not donor driven, who organizes the people? “us – the people”, based on the necessities the people decide , analyse their necessities & decide what to do to resolve them.. who does this? “Us!”
Opportunidades program, do you have control? “no” . Why do you do it? “we need the $$ help”, what is the fundamental need of your now? “agua”, to be able to drink clean water, through your own organization.
Chela – What other necessities do you have? “dry toilets”
Why? Then there was a big discussion about the different words for poo, & a bit of hilarity… & reasons were asked for why it’s not a good idea to toilet in the “wild”, reaons like contamination of water, air & earth.
We then began work on the water issues.
In your own organization you decide & solve your own issues, we Cedesa/Rotary are assisting but who’s development is it? “ours – our communities”, with “solidarity” you solve your issues, do Rotary have any obligation to help? “no”, do Cedesa have any obligation to help? “no”, they do it out of good conscience & heart, do the govt have an obligation to help? “yes” the govt. has an obligation to return our money in services to the people.
The resources come directly to assist you with materials, who deserves this? “those that volunteer & work & participate in groups”
Are there many issues in the world? “si – MANY!”, who is going to solve your issues, Santa Claus? Virgen de Guadalupe? No – yourselves! When you begin to organize you create a force for change & achieve solutions.
This micro-region is your own to organize.
We were at the other micro region last week & visited the communities, next week we will be at the 3rd micro region. Resolving the issues will be by micro-region & together.
Saul
Began asking each community to describe their water situation, one community had prepared a poster with their issues listed, this was used as a template for the others to make their presentation.
This was needed to determine the priority amongst the communities, ie who will receive the resources first.
4 communities are attending re cisterns, & 1 (Capaderillo) for dry toilets.
Man – “we have to all be very honest & listen well to everyone’s needs & make sure we understand every issue of each community”
Holly explained each community has 2 votes, 1 for their own community & 1 for another.
Chela in this meeting you will get to hear the info & decide, yes we need water but maybe there are others more urgent than us, & she reiterated how the 2 vote system worked.
Holly clarified, yes a scientific study has been done already & the results showed back contamination of water by fluoride in this region, all of the communities are suffering from this so it is not the decider point, a study needs to be done by the participants of today’s meeting after hearing all the issues presented by each community.
Chela – we are working on the solution for all, but in parts because we don’t have the money to work on all concurrently. We’re like a train, each community is part of the train but we need to decide which cars come before the others.
Vivienda de Urbana (preferred name for Viviendilla, Vivienda de Abajo)– approx. 60 families,
• approx. 15 family wells
• They had prepared the poster listing the details/issues
• Pipa (water truck) comes every 15-30 days, & fills big buckets which are gone within 3-5 days
• There are some family pozos that are shared
• They take burros to irrigation wells of the big farmers near by
• They do their washing at the irrigation wells
• Approx. ½ hr each way to the wells
• Carry water by hand or wheelbarrow, or yokes on shoulders with bucket each side
• Only drink pipa water (cant afford to buy water), not well water
• Store in big buckets
• High fluoride levels
• Sapasma told them to put chlorine in the well water to combat the fluoride! (this is incorrect, chlorine does not remove fluoride or it’s symptoms)
Presita de Santa Rosa – 44 families
• Some pipas (water trucks)
• Sometimes sapasma well water (but infrequent as it is shared with 6 other communities)
• often not enough water in the well
• They go to the river when no well or truck water
• Avg. 3 days a week they have no water
• They go to the river with buckets, trucks & burros
• A big bucket will last approx. 1 wk depending on size of family
• The walk to the river is approx. 20-30 mins depending on the mood of the burro!
• In the hot season they have to go to other communities to borrow water as the river is dry
• They go to the outlets of the thermal pools & wash in their drain water
• In the high area of the community no piped water, only water truck (infrequently 15-30days)
• 3 big buckets of water is too little for washing, drinking, feeding livestock & watering crops
Guerrero – approx. 45-50 families (only 26 forms)
• Some family wells
• Most wells contaminated – dead dogs or rubbish, many smell bad
• Pipa sometimes 1x per month, but mostly just pass them by
• 45 mins to the river to drink – very contaminated with fertilizer, near the Presa, dry season very shallow
• They go for water every day, sometime 2x per day, don’t have burros or trucks
• Don’t have trucks as no money for gas
• Store in big buckets
• It should be noted the levels of fluoride in Guerrero are the highest in our region, there is obvious reduced brain function in the people in this area!
Chela – one of the affects of high fluoride is teeth & bones, but it also affects the brain badly & affects the attitude of the people, & their ability to learn & function.
La Aurora approx. 10 families (only 5 interested)
• 3 pozos, 7 families don’t have wells,
• The wells are approx. 40 mtrs deep
• No trucked water
• They borrow water from neighbours wells
• Sometimes they go to irrigation wells or the river
• 15 mins to a well, usually go 2x per wk in a borrowed truck
• Aurora will combine with Guerrero
Holly discussed to points – necessity & deservedness
Priority will be given on a combination of both, ie necessity & those who have participated longer & proven their motivation.
Chela drew up a table
Communities Vivienda de Urbana, Presita de Santa Rosa & Guerrero/La Aurora, VdU & Presita had been attending longest, since July 2010.
Saul pointed out La Aurora had not entered in the consejo yet & so should not have a vote. All agreed.
Capaderillo can vote (despite not needing water).
The results of the vote
1. Vivienda de Urbana
2. Presita de Santa Rosa
3. Guerrero/La Aurora
Chela informed the communities we urgently need to plan a community meeting for Vivienda de Urbana as funds are in hand to begin a project (funding by Tallahassee & district, Walla Walla, & SMA midday)
SODIS, method of purifying the water, was explained, as people are currently drinking bacterially affected water.
The negative effects of chlorine were explained, & the fact it does nothing to combat fluoride, & is yet another contaminant the body has to filter.
Chela advised of the climate change conference at Cedesa on the 28&29/1 & all were invited, interested people to advise Saul.
Presita Santa Rosa explained Lucy Nunez (mayor) was supposed to be visiting their community today to talk on the subject of transport & improving the bus service, all were invited to attend, after the assembly.
He suggested if Lucy did not show, they would put a representative group together & make a visit to the Presidencia.
Action: La Aurora need to fill in their paperwork to become part of the Consejo – Saul will assist.
Next Project/Community meeting Vivienda de Urbana 26.1.11 10.30am
Next regional meeting Presita de Santa Rosa 12pm 2/2/11
Next micro region 2 meeting (3rd Wednesday) 16/2/11 Capaderilo 1pm
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