5th April 2017
Report By Lee Carter, Rotary San Miguel Midday
Report By Lee Carter, Rotary San Miguel Midday
Rotary San Miguel Midday. in a cooperating partnership with Centro de Desarollo Agropecuario (CEDESA) & the families/communities involved, have built more than 1,000 rainwater
catchment cisterns in 54 rural communities within the Independence Aquifer of
central Mexico.
That means 1,000+ families in & around San Miguel now
have contamination free water for drinking & cooking for the rest of their lives & the lives of their grandchildren.
Also achieved as a result of the ongoing investigative efforts of Dr Ortega (of National Autonomous University of Mexico - UNAM), & his findings of the contaminated ground water resulting from depleted Aquifer in San Miguel & the
surrounding area. The region's aquifer is contaminated with concentrated excessive levels of arsenic & fluoride (often more than double the levels considered safe to consume, according to the
World Health Organization).
Arsenic & fluoride are not detectable by smell or
taste. 1000's of people are unknowingly ingesting toxic water.
Since 2009 San Miguel Midday Rotary has managed the investment of almost USD$500,000 to help alleviate the problem, & we are just getting
started!
In order to provide clean water to poor rural families, Midday Rotary
developed a program whereby Rotary provides the funding & project management to
build rainwater catchment cisterns; CEDESA, provides technical expertise, community development skills &
training; & labor to construct the cisterns is provided by community members/recipients.
Rainwater is collected from roofs in a 12,000 liter, ferro-cement tank next to
a family home. During the summer rainy season, ample water can be collected &
stored to serve a family of seven until the next rainy season.
Because they are built
above ground,
the cisterns are easily accessed for maintenance. A three-day education
workshop highlighting the importance of water in daily lives, conservation, & maintenance of the cisterns
is an integral part of the program.
There is a need for many, many more cisterns; there are at least
10,000 more families in the region whose health & well-being will benefit
from replacing contaminated well water with rainwater.
Rotary, collaborating with
CEDESA & the communities themselves, intends to continue to work with
international Rotary clubs & The Rotary Foundation (TRF) to provide funding for as
long as there is demand for the rainwater collection projects.
100 more
cisterns are scheduled for construction under the current global grant, a
partnership with the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise & D5240. The next grant to
build an additional 200 cisterns is already being planned. We hope that we can
continue to work with D5240 & its clubs will continue to be our international partners.
Midday Rotary’s cistern
program reaches well beyond every human’s right to clean water for drinking & cooking. The thoughtful implementation of this program has proven to be highly
effective in organizing communities to collectively analyze their problems &
seek solutions.
Anyone familiar with life in Mexican rural communities, understands that
cooperation rarely exists outside the immediate family. And yet more than 1,000
families have managed to work together building cisterns for & with each other. Participation
is voluntary. One person from each family commits to 250 hours of meetings,
training, & labor.
Working in teams of six they build one cistern a week for
all six families within their group. Personal investment & self-determination
are key to the success & sustainability of the program. Communities stay
organized by taking advantage of other CEDESA initiatives such as back yard
gardening, bee keeping, holistic healing with medicinal plants, & the list
goes on.
70% of the cistern program to date has been funded by grants
from 23 International Rotary Clubs, 12 Rotary districts & TRF. The remaining 30% has come from strategic alliances with various
foundations & the local municipal water board. Significant funding has come
from the Lotus Foundation, San Miguel Community Foundation, & the Alberta
Canada government.
It is a great pleasure to see so many different & varied
organizations commit to assist this program to support campesinos as they work to solve their
problems & collectively transform into independent & self-sustaining
communities.
For more information, please contact Lee Carter, VP of Community
Projects: leecarco@gmail.com
San Miguel Midday Rotarians
at the 1000th Cistern Celebration
Chela Martinez of CEDESA
and Lee Carter of Rotary San Miguel Midday
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
at the 1000th Cistern Celebration
agua dulce
Rainwater Harvesting in
the Independence Aquifer
Lunch at Vivienda de
Abajo – 1000th Cistern Celebration
By Lee Carter, Rotary San Miguel Midday
