1st Micro-Region 1 Mtg of the Communities requesting assistance with water

Record of Event
1st Micro-Region 1 Mtg of the Communities requesting assistance with water

Where: Rancho Nuevo Villa de Guadalupe
When: 12.1.11
Who: Communities represented:
Rancho Nuevo Villa de Guadalupe, San Lorenzo, La Tinaja, 5 senores, Juan Gonzalez, Corralejo de Abajo, La Cienega.
Holly, Chela, Saul, Jesus – Cedesa, Laura Rotary, apologies from Mario & Citlali – Gaia (at the eye doctor).

28 adults including 7 men, + 3 kids inside.

Introduction:
Why are you all here?
“to get help with getting water”
Help only?
“no to work together & organize”

Jesus mentioned the objective was to work & organize ourselves to construct sistemas consecha de agua (water systems).

Attendance at the community assemblies is essential.

Chela-
Important for you to learn to co-ordinate & record & conduct your own meetings, the communities representative on the “consejo” is also here. Chela briefly described the “taking the word” ie taking turn to talk process. It was decided that Margarita will co-ordinate.

What next?
“ we have to raise the point to duscuss”
Each community needs to record what is agreed at the assemblies as a record.

Points for the agenda:
• Sanitarios Secos (dry toilets
• Cisterns (“we came to see about cisterns”)
• Priority of communities
• Clarify who is supposed to attend, ie define the rules of participation
• Water issues

The next part of the meeting was very participatory with Chela asking questions & the participants firing responses…
Chela clarified – we have been working with many communities for months & other communities we have just begun with, this is the first meeting grouping you all together in a micro-region.
We are not part of a govt. program, what do you know about the way we work?
“in groups”
“organize” “consciousness of the problem of water”
How is the water here?
“contaminated with fluorie” “ it damages the teeth, & bones, & gives pain in the legs”
“also contaminated through bacteria in the river”
There was then discussion about different forms of contaminants, mineral v bacteria, & different sources of contamination were asked for
“drainage/sewage”, “plastic”, “rubbish” “detergent in the river from washing clothes”

Water is life, animals, trees, vegetation!


Cedesa & Rotary are not just interested in assisting solve the water issue, it’s bigger than that, about encouraging conscientiousness, an approach by the communities that care about the environment, & their people in the community.
“in our Christmas parties we asked our visitors to bring re-usable plates & glasses, to save having to use polyfoam cups & plates” “even if just 20 people do this it save a whole load of rubbish” “polystyrene is the cheapest but it is the most dangerous”.

What is the point of working in a group?
“learn more, achieve faster, have information exchange, improve relationships, help others, harmony, healthy”

Chela
Directly relate & strengthen human relationships. Each one of you has it in yourselves to solve your issues, when you take it in your hands & work in groups, you have better relations with your neighbours & better learning for the whole community.

In the Opportunities program for example – does it strengthen your inter relations?
“no – it’s about what you can get”
“Vendors come from other communities on the day of the opportunities program because they know there will be a big crowd there & they sell us stuff, but this money goes to other communities, the vendors are not from our communities”

It would be better to spend $$ on making/products for local sales, animals for production, seeds, small plants, nopal…

Production is liberty!
For example
Enedina – in this community can produce
Maiz, frijol, calabaza, hortiliza, gallinas, vacas, nopal, chiras, puercas, burro, miel

Jesus in town, can only do work for money, & has to buy everything…
He would be better to spend his effort directly to grow food, instead of having to work for money, & then spend it to buy food…

Each community was asked to present their information, based on the presentation Saul had told the communities about during the weekend…

Rancho Nuevo – approx. 50 families
• No water,
• The pipas come very infrequently, supposedly every 8 days, but often only 1x per month
• They fill the large buckets but it runs out in a few days
• They have to get water from the river
• They have no water to drink or wash
• They have a big sapasma tank, but it is empty, the community of Coralejo refused to share water with them

La Cienega – approx. 105 families
Only one well in the community, beside the river, approx. 2 mtrs deep, hand dug
They carry in buckets, there are usually 4 or 5 pickups & burros waiting
Most people don’t have burros or cars to carry the water
If they have trucks they visit the river 1x per wk
If they have burros they visit every 3 days
Without trucks or burros they carry buckets daily on yokes across their shoulders
They have pipes, but they are only decoration, they don’t have water! The pipes are broken, the pump is broken
Contractor asked for 20,000 per person to repair but they don’t have this kind of money
Concessions to wells have to be bought on the black market, cant buy one legally now.



La Tinaja – approx. 60 families
• They need water but feel the dry toilets are a higher priority as they do have some water.
• Their houses are very close together so not easy to go to the toilet in the “wild”
• They are currently contaminating the river as many go to the river to toilet.
• They have a well with a pump, when no electricity no water, but this is infrequent.
• They assume their water is fluoride contaminated, as others all are, but not tested.
• They have damaged teeth (so fluorosis is likely)
• River is contaminatied

Juan Gonzalez – approx. 70 families
• Some have family wells, some family wells are salty
• New generation (ie the kids) all have bad teeth, so assume fluoride is high
• If they do have family wells, they are approx. 20 mtrs deep
• They use rope to raise the buckets, cant afford pump or electricity
• River is a 20 minute walk, (longer on way back!)
• Some have burros to carry the water or by yoke across shoulders
• They store in small plastic tanks or large buckets
• In April/May the river is dry & they have to go further
• The river is contaminated, sometimes the stones are black & slimy
• They have to do their washing in the river, sometimes when all are washing the dirt from one just goes into the next ones washing!...(they joked)

Cinco Senores – approx. 20 families
• 200 metres to carry the water from the river
• They carry water 2 or 3 times a day, some have burro, others carry on their heads
• 20 litre containers
• River is contaminated with virus & bacteria (they have had it tested)
• They requested trucked water from Sapasma, the truck came once but never again.
• If they have to buy it privately it costs 300 per family to a private contractor, but they can’t afford it, & don’t know where the water comes from
• They made an application 3 yrs ago for well, but were told they have the river
• It is the San Damien river
• When they bathe in the river they often get rashes on their skin

San Lorenzo – 4 families
Closest to Juan Gonzalez, so will join with them & do Pilot at Juan Gonzalez school.
They use water from the river like Juan Gonzalez
Dry in April/May
The water truck comes once per mth, sometimes 1.5 mths, & only fills 2 big buckets.

Corralejo – approx. 70 families
Dry toilets are their priority – their houses are close together & so no room to “poo” outside, they have to go a long way.
They have a sapasma well, & fluoride contaminated water.
They are not part of the consejo – they need to do their establishment paperwork

La Palmita – approx. 23 families (close to Don Francisco) on the road to GTO)
This is their first visit/contact.
They have a sapasma well (& likely fluoride contaminated water)
They would like dry toilets
Their houses close together so no room to “poo” outside, they have a long way to go.
Their closest river is Pena Blanca (on left hand side of Carratera)
They are not part of the consejo – they need to do their establishment paperwork


Next Item – Rules of participation
These were the suggestions from participants:
• Attend meetings & training
• Agree to work in groups
• Work without bad feelings, ie in agreement
• Punctuality
• Be responsible
• In Vivienda they made their rules it’s one community so makes sense to create internal rules by group & community.

Next Item - Priority of Communities
Decision will be based on who needs & who deserves it…
Priority will be given for attendance historically, highest need, ie worst water situation, contaminated water.

A table was drawn up with a list of the criteria, ie participation, river water, pozo but not functioning, contamination, distance to carry water.

The participants were asked if they would prefer private or public vote.
They agreed on public vote.

A list of the communities was created, with 2 votes for each community, 1 vote for themselves & 1 vote for another community,

Saul, pointed out that the new communities, Corralejo, La Cienega & La Palmita are not part of the consejo that was established in December & as such are not officially able to vote. Everyone agreed, they need to join the consejo to have a voice.

The toilet communities have only 1 vote since they wont be voting for themselves.

The following priority was decided:
1. Juan Gonzalez/San Lorenzo
2. Rancho Nuevo Villa de Guadalupe
3. 5 Senores
4. La Cienega

Dry Toilets:
Coralejo & Palmita were invited to do the paperwork to join the Consejo before they can go on the list to solicit the govt. for dry toilets.
Action – Saul will visit to assist organization of this

General
We decided to explain SODIS – the method of solar disinfection, since so many of the communities are drinking bacterially affected water. Holly & Chela did the demonstration.

Chela informed the group that there is a Workshop on climate change at Cedesa on the 28&29/1 all are invited to attend & stay the night. Anyone interested in attending will advise Saul.

Action
Chela suggested they all have their water tested – they will have to pay a small contribution towards the consumables, she will bring water bottles to the next meeting & take samples.

Next Micro-region 1 meeting 2nd Wednesday ie 9/2 at Cinco Senores at 12 midday.
Next Regional meeting (Consejo), Presita de Santa Rosa at 2pm