Record of Event pg 1 of 3
1st Mtg of the Presita de Santa Rosa Potential Water Project
Where: Presita de Santa Rosa, off the GTO hwy, on the right just past Cienegita Bridge (approx. 40 mins from SMA)
When: Wed Aug 25.8.10 11.10am
Who: Saul, Holly (Cedesa), Laura (Rotary), delegado Jose Luz Ramirez Vazquez, 25 adults incl 7 men, 7 kids, 3 dogs
Purpose: Initial meeting to determine community needs, outline Cedesa & explain the water projects process.
Representatives from the community of Presita had come to previous assemblies at neighbouring Capaderillo, asking about the process re the projects. They invited us to visit to know their community more. This is our first visit.
We were met at the turn off from the highway & guided to the community Salon.
It was constructed as part of a govt. program through CONAFE. This is the only community we have visited that have a public meeting place.
As we arrived women were bringing buckets of food, tortillas wrapped in embroidered cloths, rice, beans, casseroles, we thought they were for the kids who they feed at 11am at school each day, but we soon found out it was for us!
We entered the Salon, it was decorated with brightly coloured pictures for children, & I noticed what looked like a “toy library” in one corner.
We were presented with a list of the 157 people in 58 families of the community.
We noted the families were very small, mostly 3 or 4 people, unlike other communities which have been on average 7.
We asked if there were a lot of men in the USA, they said no maybe 3 or 4, the majority are still in Presita…
We were waiting for the rest of the community to gather & they insisted we eat first & then have the meeting. The food was delicious & including lentil casserole, chickpea casserole, wild greens, especially nutritious.
We revised our visits, their first was to Vivienda de Arriba on the 7th July, & 2nd was to Capaderillo on the 11th Aug, attending assemblies & asking for us to visit their community.
There was a young boy sitting on his grandmothers’ (Maria Isabel’s) knee. His name is Jesus, he is 3 yrs old & obviously handicapped, very cross eyed, rigid body movements, I asked about him & apparently he can say 3 words – Mama, Papa & Agua! He demonstrated cognitive behaviour, was sucking his thumb & can drink from a cup held for him.
An older woman came in late with a particularly huge container of rice & placed it at Holly’s feet saying it was for the “chinita” – Holly is Japanese American & looks Asian to her I guess. There was a lot of laughing, as Holly’s reputation as a big rice eater had obviously preceded her!
After eating, we got down to business..
Record of Event pg 2 of 3
Introductions
Saul asked everyone in the room to say their name, this is usually a good way to break the ice as many people are embarrassed to do this, & it usually results in giggles!
Saul, Holly & I introduced ourselves.
Saul asked why we were all here.
1. To find out more info & how to get cisterns
2. One woman has a woman in Vivienda de Arriba (another project community) & wanted to know how to get cisterns
3. I don’t have clean drinking water, no running water, I have to call & ask for Pipa (water truck) to come & pay for it.
4. In the upper section of the community we only have water in the rainy season, no water in the dry season (the majority of the year)
5. My children & myself have teeth turning yellow, I think it is from the water, I would rather drink water from the sky.
Jose Luz (the delegado) went to the presidencia & was told by Ecologia dept, that there is an NGO helping resolve water issues. He was ver surprised we would respond so quickly.
Holly described Cedesa in a general description, being all about the development of communities & achieving communities to achieve sustainability & self reliance.
I described Rotary & what it is all about & the global service aspect.
Saul & Holly explained we are not here to help you but to work with you to achieve resolution to issues. We come & meet with the communities, get info regarding their water & their situations & work towards finding resources to resolve the issue.
Currently we are working on 3 sources for funding, Rotary, Sapasma (local water authority) & Fondo Verde (green fund – part of the Ecology department of the local council.
None of these sources are certain, they are possibilities re assisting with resources
1st step is to collect statistics by community & then collate by community, then we can attempt to find the necessary resources together.
Saul gave a brief history of the projects, that Los Torres, Montecillo de Nieto, Vivienda de Arriba & Cruz del Palmar were all funded by Rotary, & that Capaderillo is the first govt. funded project.
The commitment from the communities includes working together & participating in assemblies.
Holly reiterated that it’s not just about working to build the cisterns, but also in participating in the organisation process & learning collaboration.
Saul – today’s objective is to meet & know the community better to see what we can do together. He mentioned a change in the way Rotary funds projects & that it now makes sense to combine multiple communities in the region to work together in one big project.
Saul suggested forming a commission who can continue to co-ordinate the community & attend assemblies in Capaderillo & report back to Presita.
Record of Event pg 3 of 3
One of the women described what she knew of the project process in Vivienda de Arriba, that they all worked together, agreeing what hours they would work & then committing to it.
Laura (with Holly’s help translating) described a little of the process of the project, what was involved, from pilot, to attending assemblies etc & the level of commitment expected.
These points were raised
• The 12,000 ltr cistern is sufficient for a family of 14 for drinking & cooking for the whole year.
• It’s a good idea to share cisterns if there are 2 families living near
• Older people can not help with the heavy work, but can participate & it may make sense for them to receive plastic tanks if they are living solo
• Lots of young families in this community it is a new community
• 40 years ago there were only 4 houses here.
Saul provided the delegado with a copy of the general community questionnaire.
Holly suggested a commission should come to Cedesa to know more about them
The commission to represent Presita at assemblies will be
Mayra Guadalupe Ramirez Ramirez (“she is very interested in learning more” )
Maria Apdonia 415 119 2361
Joze Luz 415 155 9453 (Delegado)
Lionel Gonzalez 415 119 0737 (this is the young man that went to the presidencia)
Rosalia 415 149 3920
Rita Gabriela/Antonio
Action – (Lionel) will come up with a list of people who wish to visit Cedesa in approx. 2 wks. Holly will co-ordinate this visit with Lionel.
Next assembly will be representatives attending assembly at Capaderillo 8/9/10 at 3pm
General info on the project can be seen at
WWW.02h2o.blogspot.com
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