July 1, 2015
Today I met with Chela Martinez, Director of CEDESA and Cece,
coordinator of CEDESA promotors. We discussed in depth future plans for water
harvesting within the Independence Aquifer.
Particularly we were able to lay
out plans for who will be the promotor for various micro-regions of COCIRA and
UNCANG. We will be submitting a new Rotary Foundation Global Grant request in
August that includes a robust education program, “water days” in the
communities, and the construction of the next 250 to 300 cisterns. I am pleased
how the additional education program can be integrated into our community
development and organization process.
COCIRA, the regional water council of communities in the San Miguel
area, and UNCANG, the regional water council in the northern part of the
aquifer, will be taking on the responsibility of evaluating and inspecting all
cisterns between the end of the construction period and the final celebration.
They will administer a survey that will give us specific information to be used to improve future projects and to achieve that critical last 5% in
assuring that we finish each mini-project with 100% of the water harvesting
systems fully functional.
We also discussed leaving a small inventory of
cistern parts and repair materials in communities that stay involved with
COCIRA and UNCANG so that small problems can be immediately attended to before
they develop into bigger problems.
The COCIRA/UNCANG groups will also returning to visit each of
the 725 cisterns we have constructed since 2009. This is an intermediate term
program that will take 12 to 18 months to complete. We want to assure continual
monitoring and maintenance as to have the maximum number of functional water
harvesting systems possible.
I look forward to receiving the surveys so that we
can guide beneficiaries to do the best maintenance possible and maximize the
quality of their drinking and cooking water. This work will lead to even better
success in our new projects.
After lunch, Chela and I went to our third community organizational
meeting in Ojo de Zarco and Purisima de Ojo de Zarco. Eighty-five percent (85%)
of the community turned out for this meeting.
There were 54 families stating
their interest in joining together for a project. We explained the process of
what they must do to become eligible for the Rotary/CEDESA resources. They
learned of the water harvesting program from some families in Los Torres where
there have been four phases of cistern projects resulting in almost 100 cisterns
in that community. It was agreed that the next step would be all potential
families willing to do the work to earn cistern resources would meet in Los
Torres on July 22 to see the cisterns at work and talk with past participants
about the work necessary to have a successful project. It is a great pleasure
to travel to these communities with Chela who now has 43 years of experience in
community development work.
Submitted by Lee Carter, Rotary San Miguel Miday
