1st – MINI MEETING WITH: Holly & Rafael & Laura
Discussion re the manufacture of doors for the cisterns, & also the ¨niples¨item for the cistern.
Holly, Rafael & Laura met at El Cortijo as Rafael had some questions re the doors & ordering process.
The “nipples” (basically a slice of metal tubing) are to be supplied by the Hardware supplier & taken to the door maker. The door maker solders them onto a piece of rebar & they are used in the construction of the cisterns.
Laura needs to collect the niples from the hardware store (once ordered & paid for) & take them to the door maker - once we decide on the door maker.
In total we will need 82 doors (+niple component).
Juan & Saul are both checking with potential suppliers, re the price & delivery schedule.
We have budgeted $300 pesos so need to get it down to that price, metal has now gone up in price so cost is now being quoted at $350…
Rafael will write up the variable materials order… He is asking for MdN to be delivered in 2 parts, 12 cisterns initially & 13 to conclude.
Rafael will get the Variables order to Materiales Rivera (this was changed & he gave it to Holly to give to me).
Laura will need to organize the money for the doors & place the standard materials order & delivery instructions.
Guillermo & Juan are still working on the Los Torres order.
The order for CdP & VdA will not be made until after the assemblies on the 14th April.
End of mini meeting 11.10am
NEXT MEETING - ASSEMBLY @ CAPADERILLO
Where: Capaderillo Community (40 mins from SMA)
When: Wed 7th April 12pm
Who: Laura Stewart (Rotary), & Chela Martinez (for Cedesa) + 33 adults (including 3 men) & 4 kids.
Purpose: Next Assembly re potential future water project in this community
We arrived & again made our apologies for being late, Chela had thought the meeting was to begin at 12 & so timed our arrival accordingly, actually we were supposed to be there at 11am, so we were an hour late… They were all seated in a circle & waiting for us.
Chela asked for proposals for co-ordinator & record taker for the day.
One woman proposed Lupe, who in turn proposed that woman – lots of giggles.
They were all a little hesitant, not really knowing what the roles entailed.
Chela suggested Saul be co-ordinator for this first time, & so people would learn the role. Everyone happily agreed!
Saul called for Items for the Agenda.
• Presidencia visit update
• Doubts/questions re the previous meeting
• Objective of this meeting
• Planning next steps
• Update of progress of other communities
• Solar distiller workshop
Record of Event pg 2 of 3
Chela asked before we start – do we have a list of attendance from the previous assembly & could we do one for today, so we have a record of participation. There was no list taken at the previous assembly, as the meeting was intended to see who was interested only.
A list was created & handed around. 27 people from previous meeting were here, & 3 new ones. (then later 3 more arrived).
Saul made an introduction:
The idea is to make sure everyone knows why we´re here & what we´re trying to achieve.
Brief introduction of :
Laura - & Club Rotario & it´s global function
Chela – re Cedesa & our collaboration, & our history with Saul, he came to various assemblies in Los Torres & began organising in Capaderillo.
Each person attending was asked to introduce themselves, just say their first name. There were a number who were too shy to even say their first name, & they passed onto the next person, but we coaxed them to at last say their name!
Chela said she was so happy to see so many young women ready to take responsibility into their own hands…
Item 1. Doubts/questions re the previous meeting & Objectives
“any questions about what we´re doing here?” “why are you here today”
“I´m interested in this project so my kids can have better health”
“I want to organise for my kids & my grandkids here in this community”
Someone else said ¨ditto¨
“I´m here because I have broken teeth” – everyone laughed!
“to participate”
“principally we are occupied with the health of our people”
“we are here mostly to resolve the water problem”
What is the option for Safe Water?
“rain water”
Chela asked where the water comes from & a young boy said “the sea, because it evaporates, to the clouds, & forms rain clouds”.
Chela explained more, yes, starts off liquid, turns to steam (a gas) & gathers in clouds & arrives back as liquid. Called the cycle of water, & is the same process that happens in a solar distiller.
The objective is to obtain safe drinking water.
Any doubts & questions?
What about single sons who might need a cistern?
Chela said the most important thing is to meet & discuss who wants to participate & then we can decide who gets cistern or not. First we need to decide how we will all work to resolve the problem, the cistern doesn´t just arrive overnight, Los Torres worked for months to get to where they are at.
Who can we work with to ask for resources…Sapasma, Ecologia & Presidencia.
Item 2. Presidencia meeting update
Laura was at a meeting with Ecology & Sapasma on the 11th March & told them of the request by the community of Capaderillo to meet to discuss the issue. Denia of Sapasma made a commitment to sort out a meeting time, but never responded to Laura.
The mini commission who wishes to make a representation to the Presidencia are
Saul, Hermelinda, Elvia, Reina & Reina (2 Reina´s)
Record of Event pg 3 of 3
There was some discussion as to the best method of representation to the govt. departments. Whole group go or just a commission?
“Everyone needs to demonstrate their interest more strongly”, they agreed might be best to all go to Luci to ask for assistance. It is a 1 hr walk to Los Torres, there was a vote to all go. (majority decided yes). IE there is a visit being planned for Luci to Los Torres, & it is suggested that other communities attend & make their representations at the same time.
Item 3 – Planning next steps
There are 2 main options for funding – Municipality & Rotary.
Laura is working on Rotary.
There is also the possibility of doing a pilot project at primary school via San Miguel Community Fund (SMCF).
There are 200 kids at the primary school.
1 ltr per day for 5 days = 1000 ltrs per wk
X 40 weeks = 40,000 ltrs per year.
40,000 / 12,000 = approx 3 cisterns needed for whole school.
Laura will complete an application for grant from SMCF – before 15 April!!!
Chela asked Laura to describe the pilot process – I did, in really bad Spanish, which Chela interpreted into good Spanish… (Chela doesn´t speak English, but she does understand bad Spanish!!, which is a big plus, she managed to relieve some blank faces, & everyone had a good laugh at my attempts)…
A lot of the men in Capaderillo are currently in the States, but the work is not difficult, & it´s a good place to chat & work & eat together.
This region is a small micro-region, Los Torres, Montecillo de Nieto, Cruz del Palmar, Vivienda de Arriba & Capaderillo, & can have an impact on many other communities, this is the area with bad water & it´s only getting worse. The deeper it gets the more contaminated it gets.
You will learn lots of skills, like how to apply for assistance & to work constructively on other issues, as well as how to improve lifestyles.
Cedesa is interested in promoting integral development, they are having a workshop for “promotores”, in the Cedesa Campesino University.
The first Tuesday of each month, with the first workshop being on the 4th May.
There is also another workshop on this Friday & Sat. from 10-5 on the construction of Solar Distillers. Saul & one other are invited to attend.
Next Assembly in Capaderillo will be Wednesday 5/5 at 11am (10am in El Cortijo)
