Los Magueyes and La Palma Exploratory Meeting – 14 December 2012

Attendance: Saul Juarez and Holly Yasui from Cedesa

Denis Beaudry, Alejandro Guerra and Lee Carter from Rotary San Miguel Midday

Veronica Gonzales and Juan Cervantes, Lilia Luna and Juan Juárez[YUN1] , Anastasia Paolino, Arturo Juarez, Rafael Juarez y Lucina Gonzlaes, Filomeno Juarez, Gloria Martinez, and Beatri Ramirez from the community of Los Magueyes

Maria Juarez, Susana Morales, Ma. Socorro Juarez, Patricia Ramirez, Cristina Ramirez, Ma. Guadalupe Juarez, Norma Zapatero and Ma. Elena Ramirez from the community of La Palma

Not in attendance but represented: Concepción, Estela Munoz and Eulalia Granados

Attending from the communities: 14 women, 4 men and multiple children.

The meeting was called to order at 4:20 pm. The meeting began with an introduction of all persons in attendance. The order of the day was set:

1.       Presentation from CEDESA

2.       Introduction of the project and its importance to the two communities

3.       Introduction of Rotary International and Midday Rotary

4.       Requirements and Commitments required of the project.

Each participant offered their viewpoints of the problems with water for their communities. The important points discussed were lack of water, contaminated water, minerals in the water and taste of the water with chlorine added.

Saul (CEDESA) presented the history of the cistern project in San Miguel that includes 587 cisterns spread out through the area. Saul emphasized that each drop of water is sacred and that water harvested into the cisterns should only be used for drinking and cooking. Twenty-two communities have banded together through the water harvesting and other projects, and they have formed the regional organization, COCIRA (Consejo Ciudadano Rural de Agua – Rural Citizens Council on Water), which brings these communities together as a single voice in analyzing and prioritizing their needs, making plans to resolve problems and presenting their case as a single voice to municipal authorities and other organizations. The participation in COCIRA will lead to further advances for these communities (example: dry toilets, training in food production and processing, health workshops). It is the responsibility of COCIRA which has one representative and one alternate from each community, to manage the community needs and set priorities for the represented communities. (The community development part of this water project is as important as the cistern itself.)

The state of the aquifer underlying the municipality of San Miguel was discussed and it was recognized that this precious resource is rapidly being depleted. Many families and communities have no access to water whatsoever except for erratic deliveries by the municipal government to fill barrels and plastic tubs. For the communities that have a well to provide them water, it is increasingly contaminated by Fluoride and Arsenic. In high concentrations, these minerals cause numerous health problems, most notably dental fluorosis (staining and deterioration of the teeth, general indicators of bone deterioration) and cancer. The most recent test of the well water at La Palma showed that it exceeded limits set by the Mexican government and the World Health Organization. It was pointed out that every year the concentration of these minerals in the aquifer increases as its water continues to be depleted.

The community members at this assembly understood that it is a requirement of this type of project that the cisterns be built in mutual-aid groups, which will decide rules of participation; that the building process requires 4-8 weeks; and that to have a cistern, the family must live full-time in the community and have 25 square meters of roof to capture rain, and a ground space of 3 x 3 meters for the cistern itself.

The members of the community presented their prioritized list of families to receive cisterns: 14 confirmed and 5 on the waiting list. The list was made by considering necessity (no water in Los Magueyes) and participation in the project by attending meetings, helping with the organization and willingness to participate in the work teams. It was explained that funding would be sought for 14 to 19 cisterns.

This is the prioritized list of families to receive cisterns as decided by the group.

Los Magueyes
1- Lilia and Antonio Luna
2- Veronica y Juan Juárez
3- Anastasia Paolino
4- Arturo Juárez
5- Lucina y Rafael Juárez
6- Filemon Juárez
7- Gloria Martínez
8- Beatriz Martínez

La Palma
9- María Suárez
10- Susana Morales
11- Ma. Socorro Juárez
12- Concepción Mojica

13- Ma. Guadalupe Juárez
14- Patricia Ramírez
15- Ma. Elena Ramírez
16- Cristina Ramírez
17- Norma Zapatero
18- Estela Muñoz (not present)
19- Eulalia Granados (not present)

Lilia’s husband was there too, in and out, but I don’t know his name -