Inaugural Celebration at Las Magueyes and La Palma 19.4.13

It was a beautiful day out in the country today. With the completion of 16 water harvesting systems, we gathered to celebrate the success and hard work of the community work teams that made this happen. There were 38 persons in attendance plus some extra children coming and going. Octavo Perez, the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Sapasma attended and spoke briefly and eloquently about the importance of bringing water to those communities without water or, worse, water contaminated with harmful chemicals that cannot o be filtered out. Octavio emphasized that Sapasma (local semi-governmental water agency) needs to be a player in bringing safe and potable drinking water to all those living in rural San Miguel. Octavio, we are going to hold you to that promise! Although we completed two previous water projects with the previous directors of Sapasma, we are hoping to be able to do a Sapasma funded cistern project with the new administration soon in the community of Juan Gonzalez.

Also we were pleased to be joined by Mauricio Sanchez, Presidente de la Red de Comunicación y Cultura del Agua del Noreste de Guanajuato (President of the Northeast Guanajuato Network for Water Culture and Comunication) y Vice Presidente de Educación y Comunicación del Observatorio Ciudadano de Agua y Saneamiento (VP for Education and Communication for the Citizens Monitoring Group on Water and Sanitation). It is good that we are beginning to form more formal partnerships as we work to resolve water and sanitation issues in the San Miguel villages.

Fellow Rotarians Layla, Ivar, Denis, Alejandro and I went to enjoy the day and the completion of this project that will provide safe, clean and potable drinking water to 120 people protecting them from the harmful effects of excessive fluoride in the water. We had visitors, Pat, Fran and Kelly from La Joya, California that were also interested in these projects and who we hope will join forces with us in a future project. Pat is the president elect of the La Joya Rotary Club. Adriana Felix, a new comer to San Miguel joined us to learn more about the rainwater collection systems. We were also joined by David Burton of the United Universalist Church (The UUs). He came to see a water project and decide whether they want to join with us in another project down the road.

First, we all piled into all of the available vehicles and went to visit three of the cisterns built in La Palma. Ivar Schacke, President of Rotary San Miguel Midday cut the ribbon to officially mark the successful completion of the La Palma part of the project. After returning to Las Magueyes, Lilia guided a short meeting where everyone had an opportunity to introduce themselves. Holly and Saul of Cedesa spoke briefly about the importance of these projects and the importance of participating in the Regional Water Council (Cocira).

It is a bittersweet day for all of us involved with Cedesa. Only two days ago, we suddenly lost Maria de Teresa Martinez Delgado, a founder of Cedesa. Tere labored for more than 50 years in helping develop the communities surrounding San Miguel and Dolores Hidalgo. We will Tere miss terribly. She worked with great passion and dedication in helping the communities and the people living there. Today, in addition to celebrating the completion of this project, I choose to think that we also celebrated the life of Tere and the incredible things that she and her sister, Chela, have accomplished over the previous 50 years. Vaya con dios, Tere.

Next, after a quick tour of the Las Magueyes cisterns and the final ribbon cutting ceremony, we arrived in the best part of the day: lunch prepared by the 16 families to welcome us and thank us for the resources we provided in this great team project. We are grateful to have been able to serve in this way. Finally, we know that we are only a part of the wheel. Real work is also done by the family work teams, by our partner Cedesa, and by the work of the Regional Citizen's Council (COCIRA). I believe that the families in Las Magueyes will continue to conduct community meetings and seek solutions to other problems that they identify in their community. I know they will continue as members of Cocira. They see now that the work invested brought them such a great return; a permanent and sustainable water source free of the injurious chemicals arsenic and fluoride.

This is an especially touching project for me as Lilia, the community representative, came to our English speaking Rotary Club two years ago after she heard on the radio that the Midday Rotary was helping construct cisterns in our communities in San Miguel. After sitting patiently through our meeting, she made her plea for help to several of us. We advised her to contact Cedesa and begin to organize her community. Soon thereafter they were actively participating in Cocira. They earned they way up the waiting list, and now, two years later, her community has its completed their phase project. The finish the full circle, Lilia will be speaking on the radio next week to inform the public about the rainwater harvesting program that Rotary has been supporting since Laura Stewart undertook the first project in November of 2007. I take off my hat to you, Lilia!

It has been lovely working with these two communities. Perhaps I may not be visiting soon on Rotarian business, but I know that I will go there shortly as a friend, and particularly, to enjoy Dona Beatriz’ gorditas and updates from the wonderful Lilia.

Submitted by Lee Carter