Stats update 14 Dec 2011

Below is a list of all the Projects completed, in progress & pending...

All up we expect to have completed total of 407 by Mid January 2012, with an additional approx 108 to be completed approx mid March. (grand total will be around 515 cisterns - & counting!!)

Average family size is in our communities is 7 members, x 515 = 3605 (this figure is conservative as many of the cisterns have been placed in schools with average number of beneficiaries being 80).

Projects in Process:

Sapasma Project II mxn$435399

18 cisterns in Los Torres (Phase III in this community) Pilot completed 14-18th Nov, individual cisterns to be completed by mid January 2012

21 Cisterns in Presita de Santa Rosa (Pilot paid for by private donation - thankyou Chris Hosford, 20 cisterns funded by Sapasma)

18 Cisterns in Cienega Juana Ruiz (Phase II in this community)

2 Cisterns in Lomas de Cocina

1 Cistern in Cinco Senores

(all of these cisterns are expected to be completed by mid January.

Project Pending:
$65.3k global grant application stage with Chinook RC in Calgary Alberta Canada, with contribution of $20k by Alberta Government from their Community Initiative Project - Thankyou CIP!

This is to be approx 108 cisterns constructed in 3 communities -

Tallahassee RC has pledged a further $10k to help bridge the price increase in materials since the budget was presented

The projects below have all been completed...

347 to date with more plus the additional ones in construction & in planning.

Tierra Blanca 28
Juan Gonzalez 22
funded by Global Grant from Baton Rouge Capitol City RC & District 6200 US$33,500

(completed June 2011)

Tierra Blanca 14 - direct grant donation from New Braumfels RC $2k, & Port Lavaca RC $7k

(completed June 2011)

San Lorenzo 4
Cinco Senores 11 (incl pilot in JG)
Fondo Verde Mxn$150k

(Completed June 2011)

Villa de Guadalupe 27
Cienega Juana Ruiz 26
Sapasma mxn$435k

(completed June 2011)

Villa Pilot x1
Cienega Pilot x 1
Bellingham RC US$1500

(completed June 2011)

Tierra Blanca completed all 42 cisterns in record time of 5 weeks!!

Water Projects completed from 1st Jan 2009 - March 2011

Los torres 52 cisterns - done in several phases.

Phase II Project : $21,200
Direct Grant Rotary Club Partners amount committed:
RC SMA Midday Mexico 200
Tallahassee RC USA (Bill Webb) 4000
RC of Sechelt BC Canada (Tom Pinfold) 5000
Paso Robles RC USA (Robert Lata) 500
Tyron RC (Jerry Atkins) 5000
RC of Ann Arbor (Len Stringer) 6000
US$ Total of Rotary funds committed 20700
Plus! $500 donation from Skymed/Linda Scholey $500
(this funded 27 in this phase + excess $$ funded 4 extra cisterns & 3 rotoplas added to the phaseIII)

Phase III project: $12,200
SMA Midday 200
Tallahassee 1000 DDF 2000
Tyron RC 2500 DDF 2500
Ann Arbour 1500
Sechelt 1500
Trail BC 1000 N/A
Subtotals, Cash and DDF 7700 4500
San Miguel Community Fund (SMCF) funding grant 1 $2468 SMCF funding grant 2 2235,
(this funded 17 cisterns)


Montecillo de Nieto 30 cisterns $16700
SMA Midday 200
Tallahassee 5000 DDF 11500

Unitarian Universalists funded 4 months of organisation in this community. $400 per month.
Vivienda de Arriba 17 cisterns & Cruz del Palmar 28 cisterns for a combined $24700
SMA Midday $200
RC West U $4500
RC Richmond $3500 District 5890 8,000
RC Tallahassee 2000 DDF 6940 6,500
Subtotals, Cash and DDF 10200 14,500


Capaderillo 40 cisterns $21850
Fondo Verde (Municipal funding)

Palencia 21 cisterns $7k Tallahassee RC(+ balance of excess from other projects)

Vivienda Urbana (Cap II) 25 cisterns $3800 dsg Tallahassee, $6k Tallahassee, $7k Walla Walla

Grand Total of 213 cisterns:

report re completion of dry toilet in Vivienda de Arriba

The completion of the dry toilet was undertaken in Vivienda de Arriba with some remaining funds from a direct grant from Tallahassee & Walla Walla Rotary Clubs.

This dry toilet was begun by a colleague working with Cedesa but was not able to be completed as they ran out of funds...To the rescue came Tallahassee & Walla Walla, & thanks to them, Cedesa & the community, they now have a dry toilet for public use beside the chapel in Vivienda de Arriba. An excellent demonstration example for not only their community but also visiting communities.

Following is the report submitted by one of the young men working on the project.
Un Cordial saludo a Laura Stewart & Club Rotario Walla Wall y Club Rotario Tallahassee.

Estamos felices por haber concluido el proyecto de sanitario seco el cual gracias a club rotario con ayuda de CEDESA pudimos dar por terminados.

El trabajo fue concluido con ayuda en mano de obra por parte de la comunidad por el cual se termino en cuatro días lo que nos permitió tener una convivencia con las personas de la comunidad. Para el trabajo formamos grupos de 7 personas para cada uno las personas de los otros grupos también participaban los días que no trabajaban llevando comida para los compañeros que andaban trabajando. Gracias a este proyecto hubo una buena comunicación entre la comunidad.

Habiendo concluido con este proyecto, entregamos notas de todo el material comprado al igual que fotos donde se presenta la comunidad en el trabajo.

Hacemos la entrega de la cantidad de: $294.00 pesos dinero sobrante de los fondos del proyecto.

A nombre de la comunidad de: La Vivienda de Arriba damos las gracias por haber recibido el apoyo para terminar el sanitario seco para la Iglesia.

DE ANTEMANO GRACIAS Y HASTA LUEGO.

3rd Meeting at La Tinaja re Water Cisterns

Record of Event

Where: La Tinaja Community – Health Clinic

When: 7 Dec 2011

Who: Holly, Saul, Chela & Laura + 18 community members including 1 man + 7 kids

Purpose of the meeting: To plan wáter cisterns Project re the Calgary Global Grant.

People were absent today as another community meeting was being held at the primary school at the same time.

Chela opened the meeting & asked who would be co-ordinator & record taker for the day, since it was a small room & we were all sitting there freezing & couldnt easily see a board since we were in a circle, we ran the meeting informally, just recording actions in their minutes book.

She also asked why the community representatives from La Tinaja did not attend the regional meeting 26/11 at Juan Gonzalez or the training workshop 19/11 at Cedesa. They sheepishly admitted they forgot.

Chela reminded them that if they dont continue to meet or attend meetings they are failing their commitment, it doesnt matter if you happen to have an appointment that clashes with a meeting you have a responsibility to attend or send someone in your place. She asked what people think will happen if they stop attending meetings & working together, they were embarrassed to reply.

She reiterated that at Cedesa workshop it was only La Tinaja & Cinco Senores who were absent, there were representatives from all the other communities & a turnout of more than 70 participants when it was planned only approx 50 would attend At Juan Gonzalez regional meeting it was only La Tinaja absent, more than 100 people turned up for that meeting. You will forfeit your right & priority as attendance in meetings is a major part of the commitment.

We all agreed La Tinaja is very remote & it is difficult to travel to the other places as they are so far away, as well they have no telephone or cell phone service, so they need to stay in the loop of what is going on with their friends at Villa de Guadalupe (the nearest community).

They were asked to take initiative & fin out the dates of events etc, Alicia, Audelia & Dolores are the Consejo reps, they will advise the rest of the community “we need all of you to take responsibility to continue to work together to improve your living conditions, cisterns dry toilets & other things, if you dont want to that’s up to you, but you need to continue to participate to be part of ths, take account now, improvement in your life & living conditions is up to you, organise & participate together.”

We advised that funds for the cistern Project will be ready in January, Chela asked “what do we need to do next?” “decide which groups we work in” was the reply.

The roll had been called earlier & found that 3 were missing. Work groups were formed, including the appointment of a leader, & number 2 in each group, abaniles in each group & the co-ordinator for the whole Project (ie the person whom each group reports to, who in turn reports any issues to Saul – the regional co-ordinator).

One woman voiced her doubt about her husband being willing to help, & that she didnt feel she could volunteer him, Chela & Saul both explained this Project is for the benefit of all & therefore very important that everyone work together. The cistern needs not to be absolutely perfect (ie with expert masons) but just need proficiency.

There was a description of responsibilities, ie to attend each of the training days, to turn up on time, work in harmony, report issues to your group leader. The leader will work directly with the co-ordinator & the co-ordinator will report back to Saul for any issues regarding tech assistance, materials, deliveries etc.

Adela was voted Co-ordinator for the whole community.

There was discussion re the location for the training Pilot.

Debate was:

Primary School – 200kids, there for 6yrs, have wáter sometimes, other times are forced to drink from the river.

Kinder – 9 kids, there for 3 yrs, don’t have any wáter.

Decision was Primary School.

Meeting closed, & next planning assembly is 18 Jan 11am

Cienega Phase II Pilot

On Monday 28th the Pilot in Cienega Juana Ruiz began.

This is phase II in this community funded by Sapasma Project II.

The pilot was being conducted at a private house & 17 other individual cisterns will be constructed in this phase, adding to the 26 cisterns completed in the first phase.

Total number of cisterns in this community will then be 42.

Saul conducted the training with assistance by Fili & on the 29th Saul's 2nd baby - Emiliano was born.

The families of Cienega are currently constructing the remaining 17 cisterns & are due to complete around the middle of January.

Presita de Santa Rosa Pilot 21st-25th Nov

The Pilot at the Presita de Santa Rosa Primary School went ahead on the 21st to the 25th November.

This pilot was funded by a private Donor - Chris Hosford, as part of the Sapasma Project II, where by the time the funding was received the prices had risen & we were no longer able to completed what we had committed to 3 mths earlier... Thankfully we have people like Chris to come to our rescue...

20 individual cisterns are being constructed by the families participating in this first phase at Presita de Santa Rosa, as part of the Sapasma Project II (funding in total 59 cisterns).

Unusually there were a majority of men working at the Pilot, when I jokingly referred to the fact that it was usually the women working & the men only on weekends, sadly they said they were on "compulsory" vacation ie they were all out of work.

They are currently all working on their individual family cisterns now & due to be finished approx middle of January...

44th Event of the SMA Midday Rotary Water Project Los Torres

Where: Los Torres Community Pilot Project private house

When: 14.11.11

Who: Saul, (Cedesa), Miguel Cruz (technician) Denis & Laura (Rotary), 27 adults plus 5 kids

Purpose:

1^st Day of Pilot training session (train the trainer type) for Phase III of Los Torres Water project, This project funded as part of the Sapasma Project II grant.

Denis & I arrived approx. 10.45am the session was well underway & had begun at 8.30.

The materials had been delivered as requested, by Hierro Comercial Dolores Hidalgo, on Friday afternoon.

The first phase was almost completed, the women & some men were weaving the chicken wire either side of the electrosoldered maya. They were using ganchos (hooks) created by grinding down cut pieces of the maya. This community has done 2 other phases + cisterns at the kinder & School so they were fairly well versed in the phases, & were working quickly to complete the weaving.

Next was to cut the length for the cylinder & for the cone top, & flat base. The cylinder was joined to the flat base. 2 of the guys worked on the inside of the cylinder & Denis & I joked about how the heck they were going to get out, since they had joined the bottom. Saul explained when finished they would tip the cylinder (with bottom attached) on it’s side & they guys would climb out.

Everyone was in good spirits & many people working.

Delivery of the maya & wire had been made for the families to begin work on their cisterns at night after the pilot, the delivery had been made to one place as it turned out the co-ordinator was not present when the truck arrived to guide them to each participant’s house. The groups therefore had to work out delivery of the maya & mesh on their own.

We congratulated everyone & left.

This was Denis’ first visit to Los Torres & we noted how particularly dry the terrain is, since rainy season (such as it was) had recently finished. The maize plants in 2 fields were on avg less than 1 mtr high.

We will return when the family construction is in progress & see how things are going.

Global Grant Approved!!! #25437

On 21st October 2010 Norman Myden from Chinook Rotary Club emailed me to see what we could get going re a water project - I told him he'd come to the right place, & we immediately set to work... In December we applied to the Alberta's Govt Community Initiatives Program (CIP) for funding which we hoped to match with Rotary Club & District & the Foundation to achieve a large grant of US$65,300.....

Well, I am very happy to announce that a year later on Oct 25th we received a very happy email from Ashley at The Rotary Foundation informing us our application had been successful & we are to receive the funding!!

District 5360 (located in Canada and includes all of the Rotary clubs in Alberta from Ponoka south and also clubs in the south-west region of Saskatchewan) is providing US$10,000, Chinook RC is providing $10,000 + Alberta Govt $20,000, SMA Midday is providing US$200 (& lots of blood, sweat & tears!) & this is all being matched by The Rotary Foundation with US$25,100.

For a grand total of US$65,300 & a planned cistern count of 108 cisterns in 4 communities decided by the Consejo (citizen's council) of 18 communities.

We are working through the small details now, opening bank accounts, transferring $$ & are expecting to be able to begin the project early December!!

The communities will be
Guerrero
La Tinaja
Cruz del Palmar
& 3 Esquinas (near Palencia)