Record of Meeting pg 1 of 2
7th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Sylvia’s house (From FAI)
When: Mon Aug 25th 2008, 6-7.20
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart (Rotary), Sylvia FAI
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
FAI have been working in the area of conservation, environmental & ecological awareness for nearly 20 years. They have worked closely with marginal communities to improve their environs & living conditions. The world bank funds FAI in the areas of water, energy, food, health, education, crafts & nutrition.
Meeting discussion
We surmised with Sylvia the situation we had found in our visits to Tierra Blanca & the communities near Jalpa. All of the have access to household water, Sapasma has supplied wells (with the financial contribution of the community in many instances), & mostly pipes the water to a central holding tank & then to each of the households. The communities mostly buy their water in garrafons or boil water &/or add chlorine drops.
The problem is not (that we’ve discovered so far at least) lack of water. The possibilities for improvements to be made in the lives of the people of these communities is
To provide safe drinking water (& so they don’t have to buy or boil it, as it is expensive).
To provide an infrastructure to distribute “dam” water for food production
To provide the materials to build dry toilets (so as not to contaminate the ground or well water with faecal matter)
Safe drinking water can be provided by:
Purifying the water
Collecting rainwater
Both of these present challenges, to collect enough rainwater to really make a difference to a whole community requires a huge cistern & system of management & distribution.
Purifying the water can be complex because of the number of potential contaminants, bacterial, fluoride etc. There are issues involved in ensuring the project is sustainable, ie that the filters are able to be replaced when need be.
Sylvia suggested a community Juan Gonzalez. (This community was also identified by Ecologia as not having a well).
It has popn of approx 294 with a close neighbouring community of Los Ortega (12 people).
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
7th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
FAI have been working with this community (demonstrates co-operation), they already have 40 dry toilets, just need about 30 more to be completely sanitary.
They have shallow artesian wells for individual families but no main community well
Currently a lot of the families have to cart water up to where they live (in the higher areas).
Sylvia suggested that Rotary:
Join with Sapasma & provide a community well (the current family wells are shallow so it should not be too expensive – wont have to drill too deep)
Provide a central collection cistern & piping to the houses
Pump the water from the well to the cistern
Look at providing a water collection system as well to provide drinkable water
This way they will have – dry toilets, drinkable water & household water.
Use FAI to provide training re water conservation & the systems & drive/oversee the implementation of the project(s) estimated cost would be 1 person 2days per wk, approx US$450-500 per month, + travel expenses (bus fares) for 10mths ie around US$5000.
Action –
We need to enquire with Sapasma to see whether they have a pozo planned.
If Project is undertaken –
Work with Sapasma to draw up a contract to supply water (re comite de agua) ongoing regulations/management of water supply.
Look at less expensive method to build dry toilet (currently costs US$2000 per toilet to provide the entire structure )
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project
Record of Meeting pg 1 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Daytrip – Tierra Blanca
When: Fri Aug 15th 2008, 8.00pm – 3.30pm (including approx .75 hr Comida)
Who: Bob Leonard, Sue Leonard & Laura Stewart Rotary, Norma, Carlos, Luis FAI
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
FAI have been working in the area of conservation, environmental & ecological awareness for nearly 20 years. They have worked closely with marginal communities to improve their environs & living conditions. The world bank funds FAI in the areas of water, energy, food, health, education, crafts & nutrition.
Detail of visit:
We went to the Municipality of Tierra Blanca – in the state of GTO.
We met at the FAI office on Hidalgo, then went to Norma’s house to pick up her car as there were too many of us to go in Carlos’ car. Bob paid $200pesos, Laura paid $100pesos for the gas contribution.
We stopped briefly on the way & met with Carlos’ family that have an Ecology Centre, they have water collection & a sweat lodge there, his family are involved in the teaching of the community in Tierra Blanca, on the subject of conservation, & organic fertilisation & pest control.
We met with Luis – that works with FAI. He explained FAI began working with 12 communities in the area for 16 years ago. Their aim was to re-establish the ecosystem in the area. When they arrived there, there was very little growing & a lot of erosion & no soil. They initially worked to establish a collection base for soil, by creating stone terraces on the hillsides. They left after 10 years & have just returned again 6 years on.
FAI are very heartened to see that the communities have carried on their good work in their absence & the improvement to the environment is huge. Where there was nothing but erosion & protruding rock face, there is now a thriving eco-system of small plants & moist areas. It slows the flow of the water enough that it also regenerates the aquifer.
They have also been constructing bordos (dams) & now are faced with the issue of how to manage & distribute the water from the dams to the areas they need to use the water in. IE backyard gardens (more on that later) for food production.
Torrecitas Community
Luis took us to visit a Nopal Orchard. This was a large green house structure that covers an orchard of Nopals (prickly pear cactus) for harvest. He explained the process of producing the nopals, they are reasonably fast growing, a paddle grows in a month, & each plant (once pruned correctly) can be growing multiple paddles each month at each juncture of the plant.
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Some of the facts Luis told us
The govt. (SAGARPA govt ministry for agriculture program) will subsidise these projects 50/50 but offer no training (FAI can provide training)
Sedesol (ministry for social development – Secretary desarollo de social) funds FAI training
The green house cost $200,000 pesos (US$20k) payback period is estimated to be 5 years.
Each plant costs 4-6 pesos (single paddle to plant)
16 plants per m2
Lead time between planting & harvest is 1.5mths before it produces enough to harvest
16 nopalitos per month
The nopalitos are harvested for both “seed” & sale
Market is in Qto (market is much larger than current supply level)
Plants are drip irrigated (fertiliser can be included in the water)
Irrigation costs approx 14,000 pesos (including tinacos – storage tanks)
They use cow dung as mulch (fertiliser & prevents evaporation)
They sell the nopalitos per kilo (approx 5 pesos)
Nopalitos are very high in vitamin c (especially if eaten raw), they are thought to prevent osteoporosis & are curative for diabetes
Nopolitos are “nutria-cetic” health giving plants
FAI is currently working with 450 families
Nopals wont start to grow a “baby” until it knows it has enough to completely grow it, ie if you see a baby growing, you can be sure it will grow to maturity.
Optimum temp for production is 25-33 degrees C (hence there is better rate of growth under a greenhouse than outside, but it can be grown outside – just at a slower rate)
They pump water from the river (at the bottom of the property) to the tinaco’s for storage & distribution by irrigation system
They have 3 months with no water Dec- Feb
They have created a collection pond – diverted from the river – that lasts almost the entire year.
Luis described FAI’s approach to training
Social Capital – to build a social structure, gives responsibilities & structure to the community, they form a “co-operative” working together on all of the identified responsibilities & also for bulk purchases etc.
technical know-how they teach them how to prune, fertilise, control disease etc
economical integration covers aspects such as “the market” how it works, product (definition) , production system, admin, monetary controls etc.
they also teach goals, planning, timelines & deadlines.
Observation
I noted that they had large tinacos that Luis explained they filled with water by pumping from the river. They also had a huge roof on what looked like a warehouse which had no guttering or water collection. I asked why the tinaco was not positioned to catch the water from the roof & so they could use rain water directly.
Record of Meeting pg 3 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
It is not in their thinking to do that, they figure in the rainy season there is plenty of water in the river so they just use that. I pointed out it would save using the river & also save using electricity to pump the water up.
It would be a simple matter to attach some guttering & down piping(spouting) to the huge roof, especially since they already had expensive tinaco storage.
Next we viewed some more rock terraces & an example of a dam they had constructed. It was surrounded by lush greenery. Luis explained it had all been achieved by the community. They have equivalent of “working bees” & then do the same on their own land.
They have also constructed many dry toilets in 3-5 of the communities, to prevent groundwater contamination & create a source of rich fertilizer.
Luis described FAI’s intention to demonstrate/implement back yard gardens, he took us to see 2 families that have begun to implement this garden.
Backyard Garden info
100m2 is enough to produce vegetables to feed a family of 8 for 1 year
By teaching them to grow their own variety of vegetables they are ensuring the family has a healthy diet (not just tortillas & beans), this helps prevent diabetes improves their nutrition generally.
Water required is 1 litre per m2, ie 100m2 requires 100 litres daily
First they plant wheat, then plough it in to provide nitrogen rich fertilizer (this takes 20days) wheat breaks down quickly
When purchasing seed they should check the catalogue numbers to ensure they are not genetically modified seeds
FAI have been training the communities to grow 14 different varieties of veges
Requirements
Many of the communities have dams that have been built in order to collect the water for food production. Currently they have no way to carry the water to the gardens. They would need tinacos at each family for storage, a pump at each dam & pipes to pipe the water to the tinacos. They would also need to make someone responsible for each dam & the distribution of water from it.
Rough costings/estimates of assistance to 70 families wanting to grow backyard gardens.
70 families
Approx 25 dams
Need approx 25 pumps (US$340 per pump) = $8500
70 Tinacos – 1500 ltr = $100 70x100 = $7000
Tubing/installation etc 70 x $50 = $3500
Total = $19,500
Question raised – Gary/David can you answer this?
What is the rotary definition of a building? Is a greenhouse a building or equipment?
Record of Meeting pg 4 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Conclusion
It was very encouraging to see what can be achieved with good guidance & structure (as provided by FAI).
These communities are good examples of what a difference training & involvement of the community in their own decisions & sustainable projects, can make.
The opportunity for assistance for Rotary in this areas are:
contribution to a water distribution infrastructure
contribution to water storage facilities (tinacos, cisterns, storage tanks)
water collection/harvesting units for drinkable water
These communities already have household water provided by Sapasma drilled pozos & reservoirs, they (like the 2 previous communities we have visited) buy their “drinkable” water in garrafons or boil the water & add chlorine drops.
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Daytrip – Tierra Blanca
When: Fri Aug 15th 2008, 8.00pm – 3.30pm (including approx .75 hr Comida)
Who: Bob Leonard, Sue Leonard & Laura Stewart Rotary, Norma, Carlos, Luis FAI
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
FAI have been working in the area of conservation, environmental & ecological awareness for nearly 20 years. They have worked closely with marginal communities to improve their environs & living conditions. The world bank funds FAI in the areas of water, energy, food, health, education, crafts & nutrition.
Detail of visit:
We went to the Municipality of Tierra Blanca – in the state of GTO.
We met at the FAI office on Hidalgo, then went to Norma’s house to pick up her car as there were too many of us to go in Carlos’ car. Bob paid $200pesos, Laura paid $100pesos for the gas contribution.
We stopped briefly on the way & met with Carlos’ family that have an Ecology Centre, they have water collection & a sweat lodge there, his family are involved in the teaching of the community in Tierra Blanca, on the subject of conservation, & organic fertilisation & pest control.
We met with Luis – that works with FAI. He explained FAI began working with 12 communities in the area for 16 years ago. Their aim was to re-establish the ecosystem in the area. When they arrived there, there was very little growing & a lot of erosion & no soil. They initially worked to establish a collection base for soil, by creating stone terraces on the hillsides. They left after 10 years & have just returned again 6 years on.
FAI are very heartened to see that the communities have carried on their good work in their absence & the improvement to the environment is huge. Where there was nothing but erosion & protruding rock face, there is now a thriving eco-system of small plants & moist areas. It slows the flow of the water enough that it also regenerates the aquifer.
They have also been constructing bordos (dams) & now are faced with the issue of how to manage & distribute the water from the dams to the areas they need to use the water in. IE backyard gardens (more on that later) for food production.
Torrecitas Community
Luis took us to visit a Nopal Orchard. This was a large green house structure that covers an orchard of Nopals (prickly pear cactus) for harvest. He explained the process of producing the nopals, they are reasonably fast growing, a paddle grows in a month, & each plant (once pruned correctly) can be growing multiple paddles each month at each juncture of the plant.
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Some of the facts Luis told us
The govt. (SAGARPA govt ministry for agriculture program) will subsidise these projects 50/50 but offer no training (FAI can provide training)
Sedesol (ministry for social development – Secretary desarollo de social) funds FAI training
The green house cost $200,000 pesos (US$20k) payback period is estimated to be 5 years.
Each plant costs 4-6 pesos (single paddle to plant)
16 plants per m2
Lead time between planting & harvest is 1.5mths before it produces enough to harvest
16 nopalitos per month
The nopalitos are harvested for both “seed” & sale
Market is in Qto (market is much larger than current supply level)
Plants are drip irrigated (fertiliser can be included in the water)
Irrigation costs approx 14,000 pesos (including tinacos – storage tanks)
They use cow dung as mulch (fertiliser & prevents evaporation)
They sell the nopalitos per kilo (approx 5 pesos)
Nopalitos are very high in vitamin c (especially if eaten raw), they are thought to prevent osteoporosis & are curative for diabetes
Nopolitos are “nutria-cetic” health giving plants
FAI is currently working with 450 families
Nopals wont start to grow a “baby” until it knows it has enough to completely grow it, ie if you see a baby growing, you can be sure it will grow to maturity.
Optimum temp for production is 25-33 degrees C (hence there is better rate of growth under a greenhouse than outside, but it can be grown outside – just at a slower rate)
They pump water from the river (at the bottom of the property) to the tinaco’s for storage & distribution by irrigation system
They have 3 months with no water Dec- Feb
They have created a collection pond – diverted from the river – that lasts almost the entire year.
Luis described FAI’s approach to training
Social Capital – to build a social structure, gives responsibilities & structure to the community, they form a “co-operative” working together on all of the identified responsibilities & also for bulk purchases etc.
technical know-how they teach them how to prune, fertilise, control disease etc
economical integration covers aspects such as “the market” how it works, product (definition) , production system, admin, monetary controls etc.
they also teach goals, planning, timelines & deadlines.
Observation
I noted that they had large tinacos that Luis explained they filled with water by pumping from the river. They also had a huge roof on what looked like a warehouse which had no guttering or water collection. I asked why the tinaco was not positioned to catch the water from the roof & so they could use rain water directly.
Record of Meeting pg 3 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
It is not in their thinking to do that, they figure in the rainy season there is plenty of water in the river so they just use that. I pointed out it would save using the river & also save using electricity to pump the water up.
It would be a simple matter to attach some guttering & down piping(spouting) to the huge roof, especially since they already had expensive tinaco storage.
Next we viewed some more rock terraces & an example of a dam they had constructed. It was surrounded by lush greenery. Luis explained it had all been achieved by the community. They have equivalent of “working bees” & then do the same on their own land.
They have also constructed many dry toilets in 3-5 of the communities, to prevent groundwater contamination & create a source of rich fertilizer.
Luis described FAI’s intention to demonstrate/implement back yard gardens, he took us to see 2 families that have begun to implement this garden.
Backyard Garden info
100m2 is enough to produce vegetables to feed a family of 8 for 1 year
By teaching them to grow their own variety of vegetables they are ensuring the family has a healthy diet (not just tortillas & beans), this helps prevent diabetes improves their nutrition generally.
Water required is 1 litre per m2, ie 100m2 requires 100 litres daily
First they plant wheat, then plough it in to provide nitrogen rich fertilizer (this takes 20days) wheat breaks down quickly
When purchasing seed they should check the catalogue numbers to ensure they are not genetically modified seeds
FAI have been training the communities to grow 14 different varieties of veges
Requirements
Many of the communities have dams that have been built in order to collect the water for food production. Currently they have no way to carry the water to the gardens. They would need tinacos at each family for storage, a pump at each dam & pipes to pipe the water to the tinacos. They would also need to make someone responsible for each dam & the distribution of water from it.
Rough costings/estimates of assistance to 70 families wanting to grow backyard gardens.
70 families
Approx 25 dams
Need approx 25 pumps (US$340 per pump) = $8500
70 Tinacos – 1500 ltr = $100 70x100 = $7000
Tubing/installation etc 70 x $50 = $3500
Total = $19,500
Question raised – Gary/David can you answer this?
What is the rotary definition of a building? Is a greenhouse a building or equipment?
Record of Meeting pg 4 of 4
6th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Conclusion
It was very encouraging to see what can be achieved with good guidance & structure (as provided by FAI).
These communities are good examples of what a difference training & involvement of the community in their own decisions & sustainable projects, can make.
The opportunity for assistance for Rotary in this areas are:
contribution to a water distribution infrastructure
contribution to water storage facilities (tinacos, cisterns, storage tanks)
water collection/harvesting units for drinkable water
These communities already have household water provided by Sapasma drilled pozos & reservoirs, they (like the 2 previous communities we have visited) buy their “drinkable” water in garrafons or boil the water & add chlorine drops.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project
Record of Meeting pg 1 of 3
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Daytrip – La Campana & Sosnavar near Jalpa (via Rd. to Queretaro)
When: Thurs Aug 14th 2008, 9.00pm – 5pm (including 2 approx 1.5 hrs Comida)
Who: Bob Leonard, David Bossman & Laura Stewart & Enrique Hernandez Perez, Julio, Norma & Julian for FAI.
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
FAI have been working in the area of conservation, environmental & ecological awareness for nearly 20 years. They have worked closely with marginal communities to improve their environs & living conditions. The world bank funds FAI in the areas of water, energy, food, health, education, crafts & nutrition.
Detail of visits:
We all met at the FAI office on Hidalgo, where Julian kindly drove us to the first community, La Campana. On the way there Enrique told us that PEASMA had been working with approx 30 schools to build stone water breaks, which helps prevent erosion (more on that later) We arrived in La Campana where we met with the Sub-delegado – Tomas Oviedo Bustamente.
In La Campana
Tomas & his wife invited us to lunch, they provided a lovely lunch of tortillas, beans, guacamole, egg, salsa & sodas. His wife was very shy & did not come out to eat with us. Their house was very basic inside, there was only a bed & a few very sparse furnishings.
Tomas told us:
He estimated the village has approx 250 families, but also thought there were approx 1200 kids, & 3000 people in total - we need to confirm the numbers.
FAI started working with the village approx 3 yrs ago, in that time they have built 8 little dams (bordos) for irrigation purposes
Last year was the first year that the big dam lasted all year
They have been building tranques of stone in order to slow the water flow, & capture silt/earth so that plants grow & the area stays moist.
They have a new well drilled by Sapasma approx 4 yrs ago (the old well ran out of water),
The new well is 350mtrs deep
They pump the water from the well up the hill in 4 inch diameter metal pipes to a holding tank (deposito) high above the village, the water is then gravity fed through 3 inch pipes to ½ inch pipes to each of the houses.
tank capacity is approx 4mx4mx3m (approx 50k litres)
They refill the tank 2x per week, ie are using approx. 100,000 litres per week
The water is for domestic use, not for drinking, although some may boil it or add chlorine & drink it, mostly they buy garafons of water.
Water hasn’t been tested yet
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 3
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Delgada’s name is Hermina Orlalde
Families pay $20 pesos per month, this helps pay for the electricity
the guy that maintains the pump gets $100pesos each time he runs the pump.
Not aware of well reducing in level
2 types of land owners in this village, some own just the land their houses are on, others own that plus land for growing food.
Our observations
The village is very lush, green & well kept
The crops are well tended,
They are only growing maize & beans
There is a large tank at the telesecondaria – not connected to rain collection
No-one is catching/collecting rainwater – the water pipes empty off the roof straight into the mud, even if there is a large container nearby.
Definition of needs by Enrique re La Campana
They need:
More education & training re the conservation of water, ie that it is a precious commodity
More dry toilets, currently only 10 in the village (the rest use flush toilets, wastes 5 litres every flush) dry toilets provide fertilizer, prevent groundwater pollution by faecal matter & are simple to build & maintain.
Access to drinking water, the water they have is for domestic use, not drinking
More water for irrigation, cultivation purposes (currently have a restricted growing season.
Action
NB Bob said he would make prints of the photos of Tomas & his wife & give them to
Them
Next Stop
We stopped at a section of land beside the Jalpa road that FAI had been working on – with the people of nearby villages.
They have installed “presas filtrantes” dam filters, these are essentially rock water breaks placed every 100 metres. They serve several purposes
To slow the flow of water
To retain sediment
To allow plants to naturally grow in the sediment/silt
Allows water to sit longer thence having a chance to recharge the aquifer
This is a simple method of regenerating the ecosystem, with the moisture & silt trapped, plants naturally grow, even throughout the dry season, hence providing food for grazing animals as well.
These mini-dams are maintained annually before the rainy season.
Record of Meeting pg 3 of 3
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Next village visited was Soasnavar (according to spelling on side of school)
Here we met with Rogilio Olalde & Primitino Vevetz (sp?) who were happy to discuss the water system in their village.
They told us:
Just 4 months ago (before well was put in) they had no water – previous well had run dry
Sapasma just drilled them a new well, approx 250mtrs deep.
The villagers had to pay $3000 pesos (US$300) per family for the drilling of the well (total approx US$60k)
Approx 200 families in the village
They pump the water from the well to the holding tank
Holding tank estimated !0,000 litres capacity
Water is then gravity fed from the holding tank via pipes to each of the houses
Water is only pumped once a week, Fridays, & people must store the water for use all week.
They have no drinking water, water is for domestic use only
They currently buy garafons of water for drinking (or boil the water in rare cases- if they cant afford to buy the water)
No-one in this village has toilets.
Families pay $50pesos each week for water (from the well)
They pay approx $500 pesos per month to the person that operates the pump – the rest of the money is to go to electricity & chlorine (not sure if it is in liquid or gas form)
There are 2 groups of people in the community, those environmentally aware & those that don’t care, estimated 50/50.
There is a govt. program that tells the people of the communities not to drink water from the wells
They have not had their water tested yet.
NB it is interesting to note that when people say Potable water they more likely mean water for domestic use, not for drinking. Drinking water is likely described as agua para tomar, or purificado.
Comida
We all regrouped for a de-brief at a restaurant in town. Julian couldn’t make it. Eugenia met us there. David Bossman kindly paid.
There was a lot of cross conversations for example - where we should look next, what we can offer, how we can justify projects in villages that already have access to water (albeit that they can’t drink), nothing concrete.
There were no decisions made, at this point.
Next meeting is timetabled for
Thursday 21 August 9am at FAI – with Enrique
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Daytrip – La Campana & Sosnavar near Jalpa (via Rd. to Queretaro)
When: Thurs Aug 14th 2008, 9.00pm – 5pm (including 2 approx 1.5 hrs Comida)
Who: Bob Leonard, David Bossman & Laura Stewart & Enrique Hernandez Perez, Julio, Norma & Julian for FAI.
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
FAI have been working in the area of conservation, environmental & ecological awareness for nearly 20 years. They have worked closely with marginal communities to improve their environs & living conditions. The world bank funds FAI in the areas of water, energy, food, health, education, crafts & nutrition.
Detail of visits:
We all met at the FAI office on Hidalgo, where Julian kindly drove us to the first community, La Campana. On the way there Enrique told us that PEASMA had been working with approx 30 schools to build stone water breaks, which helps prevent erosion (more on that later) We arrived in La Campana where we met with the Sub-delegado – Tomas Oviedo Bustamente.
In La Campana
Tomas & his wife invited us to lunch, they provided a lovely lunch of tortillas, beans, guacamole, egg, salsa & sodas. His wife was very shy & did not come out to eat with us. Their house was very basic inside, there was only a bed & a few very sparse furnishings.
Tomas told us:
He estimated the village has approx 250 families, but also thought there were approx 1200 kids, & 3000 people in total - we need to confirm the numbers.
FAI started working with the village approx 3 yrs ago, in that time they have built 8 little dams (bordos) for irrigation purposes
Last year was the first year that the big dam lasted all year
They have been building tranques of stone in order to slow the water flow, & capture silt/earth so that plants grow & the area stays moist.
They have a new well drilled by Sapasma approx 4 yrs ago (the old well ran out of water),
The new well is 350mtrs deep
They pump the water from the well up the hill in 4 inch diameter metal pipes to a holding tank (deposito) high above the village, the water is then gravity fed through 3 inch pipes to ½ inch pipes to each of the houses.
tank capacity is approx 4mx4mx3m (approx 50k litres)
They refill the tank 2x per week, ie are using approx. 100,000 litres per week
The water is for domestic use, not for drinking, although some may boil it or add chlorine & drink it, mostly they buy garafons of water.
Water hasn’t been tested yet
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 3
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Delgada’s name is Hermina Orlalde
Families pay $20 pesos per month, this helps pay for the electricity
the guy that maintains the pump gets $100pesos each time he runs the pump.
Not aware of well reducing in level
2 types of land owners in this village, some own just the land their houses are on, others own that plus land for growing food.
Our observations
The village is very lush, green & well kept
The crops are well tended,
They are only growing maize & beans
There is a large tank at the telesecondaria – not connected to rain collection
No-one is catching/collecting rainwater – the water pipes empty off the roof straight into the mud, even if there is a large container nearby.
Definition of needs by Enrique re La Campana
They need:
More education & training re the conservation of water, ie that it is a precious commodity
More dry toilets, currently only 10 in the village (the rest use flush toilets, wastes 5 litres every flush) dry toilets provide fertilizer, prevent groundwater pollution by faecal matter & are simple to build & maintain.
Access to drinking water, the water they have is for domestic use, not drinking
More water for irrigation, cultivation purposes (currently have a restricted growing season.
Action
NB Bob said he would make prints of the photos of Tomas & his wife & give them to
Them
Next Stop
We stopped at a section of land beside the Jalpa road that FAI had been working on – with the people of nearby villages.
They have installed “presas filtrantes” dam filters, these are essentially rock water breaks placed every 100 metres. They serve several purposes
To slow the flow of water
To retain sediment
To allow plants to naturally grow in the sediment/silt
Allows water to sit longer thence having a chance to recharge the aquifer
This is a simple method of regenerating the ecosystem, with the moisture & silt trapped, plants naturally grow, even throughout the dry season, hence providing food for grazing animals as well.
These mini-dams are maintained annually before the rainy season.
Record of Meeting pg 3 of 3
5th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Next village visited was Soasnavar (according to spelling on side of school)
Here we met with Rogilio Olalde & Primitino Vevetz (sp?) who were happy to discuss the water system in their village.
They told us:
Just 4 months ago (before well was put in) they had no water – previous well had run dry
Sapasma just drilled them a new well, approx 250mtrs deep.
The villagers had to pay $3000 pesos (US$300) per family for the drilling of the well (total approx US$60k)
Approx 200 families in the village
They pump the water from the well to the holding tank
Holding tank estimated !0,000 litres capacity
Water is then gravity fed from the holding tank via pipes to each of the houses
Water is only pumped once a week, Fridays, & people must store the water for use all week.
They have no drinking water, water is for domestic use only
They currently buy garafons of water for drinking (or boil the water in rare cases- if they cant afford to buy the water)
No-one in this village has toilets.
Families pay $50pesos each week for water (from the well)
They pay approx $500 pesos per month to the person that operates the pump – the rest of the money is to go to electricity & chlorine (not sure if it is in liquid or gas form)
There are 2 groups of people in the community, those environmentally aware & those that don’t care, estimated 50/50.
There is a govt. program that tells the people of the communities not to drink water from the wells
They have not had their water tested yet.
NB it is interesting to note that when people say Potable water they more likely mean water for domestic use, not for drinking. Drinking water is likely described as agua para tomar, or purificado.
Comida
We all regrouped for a de-brief at a restaurant in town. Julian couldn’t make it. Eugenia met us there. David Bossman kindly paid.
There was a lot of cross conversations for example - where we should look next, what we can offer, how we can justify projects in villages that already have access to water (albeit that they can’t drink), nothing concrete.
There were no decisions made, at this point.
Next meeting is timetabled for
Thursday 21 August 9am at FAI – with Enrique
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
4th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project
Where: Sapasma, (Head office opposite Liverpool)
When: Wed Aug 13th 2008, 9.15pm
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Enrique Orvañanos (& Cessy – Enrique’s partner)SMA Rotary. Ernesto Lopez (Sapasma, Subdirector de Apoyo Rural)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
Sapasma is the Municipal water organisation, responsible administering & maintaining supply of water (as directed by the Presidencia Municipal - & CNA) to communities in & around SMA
Discoveries/discussion/decisions:
We explained Rotary’s goals. Then specifically asked which of the communities (with a population of more than 150) needed assistance with the supply of or purification of existing supply, of water.
There was a lot of discussion about the feasibility & cost ‘v’ benefit of water collection systems as a total solution. Ernesto explained that most communities were unlikely to be able to store enough water for the whole year (from rainy season to rainy season) & that there needed to be tight controls over who used the water & for what purpose, for example they shouldn’t waste water on their animals therefore depriving neighbours of water.
The current method of water supply by Sapasma is to identify well sites & then pipe the water to as many neighbouring communities as it can reach. There is often dissention amongst communities as they don’t wish (or can’t afford) to share the water.
We asked if the project supplied a cistern & collection & distribution system for the rainy season (& however long it lasted), could Sapasma then truck water to them for the remainder of the season. As long as we had some form of agreement with the people in the community about the conservation & maintenance of the collection system. Ernesto thought that may be a good solution.
Ernesto showed us a map detailing all of the current Sapasma supplied sites – we asked for a copy & were told that we would need to apply in writing to the director (Alfonso) & then we would be supplied with one. It is a comprehensive map showing the entire SMA region, all communities coded by having water or not.
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
4th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Ernesto explained that it is essential that a contract is drawn up between the community & the project administrator – ensuring “buy in” from the community. Listing the responsibilities of all parties. We agreed that our approach would be a best practice Developmental approach whereby all stakeholders were involved in all parts of the process from initiation to completion & to ensure it’s ongoing sustainability.
Ernesto showed us a very comprehensive set of books provided by Comision Estatal del Agua de Gto, to members of communities titled
Mejores Comites, Mejores Comunidades. Website www.guanujuato.gob.mx.
They were guides on maintainance, setting up committees to administer the water systems etc, well written to the target audience.
NB They could be a source of other helpful development materials.
Terms to remember:
Comite pro obra.
Comite de agua potable
Apoyo = asístanse
Deposito = cistern/reservoir
Action
Would Enrique –, please write a letter to Alfonso Sautto asking for a copy of the map detailing “donde existen tuberias de agua potable” on Rotary Letterhead – for use in researching the needs for the water project. This would be best in Spanish…
Questions
Enrique – apologies, but since the meeting was entirely in Spanish I may have missed things…
1.did Ernesto make an arrangement for getting the information to us re the communities that have a popn larger than 150 without access (or planned access) to safe drinking water?
2. do you have any info to add, either specifically relating to the project or information for background for the writing of the proposal?
When: Wed Aug 13th 2008, 9.15pm
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Enrique Orvañanos (& Cessy – Enrique’s partner)SMA Rotary. Ernesto Lopez (Sapasma, Subdirector de Apoyo Rural)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
Sapasma is the Municipal water organisation, responsible administering & maintaining supply of water (as directed by the Presidencia Municipal - & CNA) to communities in & around SMA
Discoveries/discussion/decisions:
We explained Rotary’s goals. Then specifically asked which of the communities (with a population of more than 150) needed assistance with the supply of or purification of existing supply, of water.
There was a lot of discussion about the feasibility & cost ‘v’ benefit of water collection systems as a total solution. Ernesto explained that most communities were unlikely to be able to store enough water for the whole year (from rainy season to rainy season) & that there needed to be tight controls over who used the water & for what purpose, for example they shouldn’t waste water on their animals therefore depriving neighbours of water.
The current method of water supply by Sapasma is to identify well sites & then pipe the water to as many neighbouring communities as it can reach. There is often dissention amongst communities as they don’t wish (or can’t afford) to share the water.
We asked if the project supplied a cistern & collection & distribution system for the rainy season (& however long it lasted), could Sapasma then truck water to them for the remainder of the season. As long as we had some form of agreement with the people in the community about the conservation & maintenance of the collection system. Ernesto thought that may be a good solution.
Ernesto showed us a map detailing all of the current Sapasma supplied sites – we asked for a copy & were told that we would need to apply in writing to the director (Alfonso) & then we would be supplied with one. It is a comprehensive map showing the entire SMA region, all communities coded by having water or not.
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
4th Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Ernesto explained that it is essential that a contract is drawn up between the community & the project administrator – ensuring “buy in” from the community. Listing the responsibilities of all parties. We agreed that our approach would be a best practice Developmental approach whereby all stakeholders were involved in all parts of the process from initiation to completion & to ensure it’s ongoing sustainability.
Ernesto showed us a very comprehensive set of books provided by Comision Estatal del Agua de Gto, to members of communities titled
Mejores Comites, Mejores Comunidades. Website www.guanujuato.gob.mx.
They were guides on maintainance, setting up committees to administer the water systems etc, well written to the target audience.
NB They could be a source of other helpful development materials.
Terms to remember:
Comite pro obra.
Comite de agua potable
Apoyo = asístanse
Deposito = cistern/reservoir
Action
Would Enrique –, please write a letter to Alfonso Sautto asking for a copy of the map detailing “donde existen tuberias de agua potable” on Rotary Letterhead – for use in researching the needs for the water project. This would be best in Spanish…
Questions
Enrique – apologies, but since the meeting was entirely in Spanish I may have missed things…
1.did Ernesto make an arrangement for getting the information to us re the communities that have a popn larger than 150 without access (or planned access) to safe drinking water?
2. do you have any info to add, either specifically relating to the project or information for background for the writing of the proposal?
Monday, August 11, 2008
3rd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project
Record of Meeting pg 1 of 2
3rd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Department of Ecology, (Municipal offices on Rd to Queretaro)
When: Monday Aug 11th 2008, 2.15pm
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Enrique Orvañanos SMA Rotary. Julio Gonzalez (Dept of Ecology, “monitoreo de la calidad del agua & aire”)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
Department of Ecology is the Municipal organisation, responsible for monitoring, & improving the quality of, the ecology of the area of SMA.
Discoveries/discussion/decisions:
We explained Rotary’s goals. We specifically asked which of the communities, on the list of communities identified to be affected by dangerously high levels of fluoride (a list previously provided to Rotary & the reason the San Miguel Viejo water collection project was undertaken), the govt. were planning to do projects for & therefore which ones would still need assistance.
Julio identified 9 communities that the Federal Govt. have allocated funding for & 2 that the state govt. have allocated funding for.
The Federal Govt. have apparently allowed $1,270,000pesos (approx US$127k) to do the projects for 9 communities. (approx $US14k per project). (We were not made aware of the funding allocated by the state govt for the 2 projects they are funding).
One community – Guerrero has rejected the Ecology dept’s offer of a water collection project in their area, despite the fact that they have one of the highest levels of fluoride poisoning in their pozos (wells). The Cacique (unspoken boss or Don) has threatened legal action through his lawyer. No reason was given, & the Cacique has prevented it for the whole community.
Julio identified a number of communities that were not on the list for projects.
El Nigromante - has the largest popn (more than 1100). The Ecology dept believed Rotary was planning a project there so did not add it to their list. Therefore we (Bob, Enrique & I) believe it is our responsibility to add this location to the top of our list (assuming they would like to participate).
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
3rd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
The other communities with recorded fluoride levels on the “Fluoride List” (that currently have no projects planned) are: (with risk category & popn in brackets)
Guerrero (mentioned above) (high) (190)
Los Torres (high) (335)
San Francisco (high) (172)
Vergel de los Laureles (moderate) (189)
Loma de Cocina (moderate) (283)
Salitrillo (moderate) (276)
Lindero (moderate) (171)
La Cieneguita (moderate) (875)
Cruz del Palmar High manganeso contamination levels (796)
Other communities to be considered are:
These are communities with no Pozos or access to water:
(popn. Figures in brackets)
Cañada de San Jose (23)
Juan Glez (294) neighbouring Los Ortega (12)
La Joyita (11)
Pinicillo (35)
La Angostura (21)
San Isidro de la Cañada (112)
Xotolar (40)
Los Toriles (166)
Los Toures II (51)
Julio gave us copies of the photos of examples of various water collection methods of the communities listed immediately above. Including shallow “wells”, small dams, sulphurous springs & “puddles”.
Julio’s contact details are:
Ph 120 4332 Mon-Fri 8.30-4. Email juliobernal@sanmiguelallende.gob.mx
3rd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Department of Ecology, (Municipal offices on Rd to Queretaro)
When: Monday Aug 11th 2008, 2.15pm
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Enrique Orvañanos SMA Rotary. Julio Gonzalez (Dept of Ecology, “monitoreo de la calidad del agua & aire”)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
Department of Ecology is the Municipal organisation, responsible for monitoring, & improving the quality of, the ecology of the area of SMA.
Discoveries/discussion/decisions:
We explained Rotary’s goals. We specifically asked which of the communities, on the list of communities identified to be affected by dangerously high levels of fluoride (a list previously provided to Rotary & the reason the San Miguel Viejo water collection project was undertaken), the govt. were planning to do projects for & therefore which ones would still need assistance.
Julio identified 9 communities that the Federal Govt. have allocated funding for & 2 that the state govt. have allocated funding for.
The Federal Govt. have apparently allowed $1,270,000pesos (approx US$127k) to do the projects for 9 communities. (approx $US14k per project). (We were not made aware of the funding allocated by the state govt for the 2 projects they are funding).
One community – Guerrero has rejected the Ecology dept’s offer of a water collection project in their area, despite the fact that they have one of the highest levels of fluoride poisoning in their pozos (wells). The Cacique (unspoken boss or Don) has threatened legal action through his lawyer. No reason was given, & the Cacique has prevented it for the whole community.
Julio identified a number of communities that were not on the list for projects.
El Nigromante - has the largest popn (more than 1100). The Ecology dept believed Rotary was planning a project there so did not add it to their list. Therefore we (Bob, Enrique & I) believe it is our responsibility to add this location to the top of our list (assuming they would like to participate).
Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
3rd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
The other communities with recorded fluoride levels on the “Fluoride List” (that currently have no projects planned) are: (with risk category & popn in brackets)
Guerrero (mentioned above) (high) (190)
Los Torres (high) (335)
San Francisco (high) (172)
Vergel de los Laureles (moderate) (189)
Loma de Cocina (moderate) (283)
Salitrillo (moderate) (276)
Lindero (moderate) (171)
La Cieneguita (moderate) (875)
Cruz del Palmar High manganeso contamination levels (796)
Other communities to be considered are:
These are communities with no Pozos or access to water:
(popn. Figures in brackets)
Cañada de San Jose (23)
Juan Glez (294) neighbouring Los Ortega (12)
La Joyita (11)
Pinicillo (35)
La Angostura (21)
San Isidro de la Cañada (112)
Xotolar (40)
Los Toriles (166)
Los Toures II (51)
Julio gave us copies of the photos of examples of various water collection methods of the communities listed immediately above. Including shallow “wells”, small dams, sulphurous springs & “puddles”.
Julio’s contact details are:
Ph 120 4332 Mon-Fri 8.30-4. Email juliobernal@sanmiguelallende.gob.mx
2nd record of mtg 11.08.08
Record of Meeting pg 1 of 1
2nd Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: Sapasma, (Head office across from Liverpool)
When: Monday Aug 11th 2008, 1.15pm
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Enrique Orvañanos SMA Rotary. Alfonso Sanchez (Director of Sapasma)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob, Enrique & Laura with defining the “needs” & determining the best proposal, for a major water Project involving the writing of a competitive grant for approx. US$100K .
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
Sapasma is the Municipal water organisation, responsible for administering & maintaining supply of water to communities in & around SMA.
Discoveries/discussion/
We explained our goals to Alfonso.
He told us that there were essentially 150 communities in SMA, 80 with water & 70 without.
He said that people believed there were more communities, but that they are really small communities or “casario’s”.
Bob enquired about Cruz del Palmar – popn of approx 1100, but with naturally contaminated wells. He mentioned they are building another well there.
He mentioned that there was essentially no surface water usage that lasted the whole year as all the areas of surface water dry up at various stages before the next rainy season.
The meeting was essentially a short one as Alfonso advised he was not the best person in Sapasma to be talking to. He advised us to make a meeting time with his engineer Ernesto Lopez.
Meeting ended. New meeting time to be advised.
Friday, August 8, 2008
1st Exploratory mtg 8.8.2008
Record of Meeting pg 1 of 2
1st Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
Where: FAI Office, Hidalgo #13 SMA
When: Friday Aug 8th 2008, 10am - 11.30am
Who: Bob Leonard, Laura Stewart & Gary Peterson(part meeting)(Rotary SMA)
Eugenia (PEASMA), Silvia, Enrique, Carlos (FAI), Julian Gaxiola (UICN)
(FAI= save the children), PEASMA (environmental organisation) UICN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Purpose - SMA Rotary has tasked Bob & Laura with defining the needs & determining the best proposal for a major water Project. This is the first step towards writing the grant for approx. US$100K of competitive grant.
Rationale: As part of the process of defining the “need” we will meet with as many people as possible that are directly involved in the provision of, or are aware of the need for the provision of, safe drinking water solutions to marginal communities.
The team at FAI have been working on this (& other ecological, environmental & conservation) issue(s) for almost 20 years. Likewise has the team of PEASMA for a shorter time. They have been involved in a” hands on” way, working directly with affected communities.
Discoveries/discussion/
At this point we identified the issues as:
Communities with
- No access to water (ie water is trucked in from any available source – potentially contaminated dams & streams, contaminated pozos* etc)
- Water from pozos – containing various contaminants (natural & introduced)
- Water from streams, rivers or lakes (most likely contaminated)
- Water from pozos – where water level is reducing & not replenishing fast enough to keep up with demand.
*a pozos is a well.
The PEASMA & FAI team brainstormed & came up with 6 communities they believe would be good “project partners” for the following reasons –
- They have water issues ie have a “need”
- They have a working relationship with them already
- They are likely to be receptive to outside assistance/involvement
- They have demonstrated their motivation to learn & help themselves in the past
- The govt. is currently providing no direct assistance with their water issues
The Communities decided on initially are
- La Campana (near Jalpa)
- Sosnavar (near Jalpa)
- Pena Blanca (on road to GTO, no water, only river)
- La Venta (road to Dolores)
- El Nina de Atocha (no water, using neighbours’ – near Coral de Piedras- road to Qto)
- Tierra Blanca (largely indigenous community, needing water for subsistence crops)
Cont.d Record of Meeting pg 2 of 2
1st Exploratory Mtg of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Committee
There was much discussion across a variety of associated topics. Some points raised were -
- 60% of villages have drilled pozos (the govt’s previous solution), as a result the aquifer is hugely diminished, the water being used is 100’s if not 1000’s of years old & is not replenishing.
- FAI & PEASMA have been installing dry composting toilets in the villages (more than 600 of them to date) in order to prevent contamination of groundwater from sewage seepage.
- Many communities have demonstrated their willingness & eagerness to learn & to change when educated with the issues & possible solutions.
- Some programs have been implemented where by the receiving village becomes the Starship village & must then demonstrate & replicate their successes for other villages, hence spreading the success.
- The national water institution is called CAN
- Each State has their own commission of water, eg in this State (Gto) it is Sapasma
- Each village has a Committee de Agua Potable, who are tasked with maintaining supply of potable water to the people of the village, for which they are paid (an estimated) $8000pesos per month, for things like electricity, maintaining cuotas, pipes etc. It is questionable about whether the money gets spent for the right purpose.
- FAI & PEASMA have worked with numerous villages in many regions – the results have been mixed, some very cooperative & receptive, others not so. The region of Allende has historically been difficult to work with, Tierra Blanca & Victoria (for example) have been great, & Dolores has been OK.
Note to Board Members – request for guidance in this matter.
It should be noted that there was discussion re payment of consultancy fees for the FAI & PEASMA people involved in the project. They indicated that they would invoice Rotary for the time spent – at this point, driving Bob & Laura to the villages, introducing us to key stakeholders, assisting with identifying the need etc.
This is a point that needs to be clearly specified from the outset, as SMA Rotary does not have ready funding for this, & it would ultimately be contingent on the success of the grant in December, we would be out of pocket if the grant application is unsuccessful. Payment for services would be expected in an ongoing fashion, so we will need to work out how we will fund this. We will need to apply to the board for guidance in this matter.
Next steps:
Meet at FAI 9am Thursday 14 Aug. Enrique (FAI employee) , (& Julian) will drive us to one or more of the communities.
Meet at FAI 8am Friday 15 Aug. Carlos will drive us to Tierra Blanca (no. 6 on the above list of communities)
On both visits we will take notes, photos & discover their need.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)