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