From Oaxaca - October 11th

We made it to Oaxaca Monday evening October 10th.  We left Seattle on Sunday, the 9th, and spent the night in Houston with Dr. Firdaus Jhabvala (Natural Systems International) and his wife, Josefina.  The next day, Monday, we all went to Mexico City, and ate a late lunch at the airport.  Firdaus (Dr. J) and Josefina left the airport and spent the night in Mexico City, so that they could renew Josefina’s visa on Tuesday.  Rick and Stan left the airport and continued on the final leg of their trip to Oaxaca.  Nelly met us at the airport and took us to the hotel.  This is a government provided hotel which is, by far, more luxurious then the accommodations we are used to.

From Bard College

Tuesday morning we ate at one of our usual breakfast locations, stopped to buy fruit from our usual fruit vendor (it was good to see her again) and proceeded to INSO.  There, we met the INSO staff as they arrived for work, along with a visiting professor and two students from Bard College in New York.  Nelly told us the night before that the plan was to visit Erik Torres (chemistry professor) at 10 AM at the university (UABJO-Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca) and then visit with government officials at 5:30 in the afternoon.  The government was sending a car to take us to the afternoon meeting.  By Tuesday morning, things had changed.  There was a disturbance at the university (strike) and the government meeting was changed to 1 o’clock.  So, Erik came to us and the car picked us up at noon.

Erik from UABJO

When Juan Jose came in we met with him to discuss the planned meetings, our respective roles in them and potential talking points to bring up.  After strategizing with him for about an hour, Erik showed up and we spent time with him.  Erik brought us up to date on his end. He showed us some new data from Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla water samples collected and analyzed by his students.  He has a much closer working relationship with Carlos (at INSO) on the Water Forum.  The UABJO constructed wetland is in good working order and he is trying to reduce its gas emissions to minimize the future fire potential.  Work with Etla is as challenging as ever.  They asked him to recommend a plan to move forward and then refused to sign, cooperate or comment on his proposal.  He has also developed a comprehensive manual for a potential certified lab.  He has been very busy on several fronts.

Our first meeting with Secretary Cajiga

A van picked us up at INSO at noon and took us to the state office buildings about thirty km away.  Besides Mr. Cajiga, the Secretary of Finance, there were representatives from CONAQUA (federal water commission), CEA (state water commission), ADOSAPACO (municipal water department), INSO and WFH.  The discussion centered around rainwater harvesting.  Juan Jose gave a lengthy presentation, which was followed by a discussion of ways to implement rainwater harvesting pilot projects. There was a lot of interest at all levels for trying new ways of obtaining water and most seemed to have an open mind about doing something. However, no concrete plans were made to do anything.  Tomorrow the topic of discussion will be sanitation.

We returned to INSO, ate a late lunch and worked with Nelly to prepare a PowerPoint introduction to and handouts about Water for Humans for tomorrow.  We then ate dinner with Mara (professor from Bard College) and went back to the hotel.  There, we ran into Firdaus and Josephina in the lobby where we spent about ninety minutes bringing each other up to date on our experiences that day and planning for tomorrow.  We went to bed about 11PM to be ready for another long day in the morning.

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

The families of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City have come to Water for Humans for assistance in securing clean safe water access.

Today, we are calling for your action to make a difference!

Imagine your child having to drink Coke in place of safe water.

That's what many Oaxacan families resort to.

The primary school in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla has foregone buying school supplies in favor of providing expensive bottled water for its students.

They've come to us to ask for help to install a water filtration system instead.

Meet the students of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and Prof. Rosendo Barragan Mendoza

Professor Rosendo Barragan Mendoza teaches grade 6 at Valentin Gomez Farias Elementary School located in the village. Prof. Mendoza said, "Sometimes when we run out of water jugs and children are still thirsty, they have to drink water from the tap and this causes many diseases." He tells us that clean filtered water would allow the school to stop buying expensive bottled water - and spend the money instead on school supplies.

How is Water for Humans helping the children, and the school?
In continuing collaboration with INSO, Water for Humans will install a water filtration-purification system on the elementary school's water tank.

Estimated Project Cost: $500

How to Help

1) Spread the word about our efforts:

via our new site. Invite your Facebook friends and email contacts to join in our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage).

Crowdrise is a fast growing engagement tool/network that is helping many great causes fund the work that needs doing. If you have any question about how to join or set up a Team on Crowdrise, please Contact Us.

2) Give to Water for Humans directly at our site.

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans. Our new friends in Oaxaca's Central Valley say, "Muchas gracias!"

PS: Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Water for Oaxaca - Rain Catchment Campaign

Saludos (Hi) from all of us at Water for Humans!

Imagine only getting municipal water once a week for 2 hours!

Imagine not flushing the toilet for 2 days because there is no water!

Water for Humans (WFH) is taking action to help alleviate the life-endangering effects of major water shortages in Oaxaca City, Mexico. We are responding to the cries for help from numerous families in the besieged Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. They are asking Water for Humans and you to help them gain access to clean, safe drinking water. Here is a first-hand portrait of the human toll severe water shortages are exacting from the perspective of one family in Victor Bravo Ahuja!

Meet Susana Eva Vazquez
Suzanna is a community activist in the Victor Bravo Ahuja district of Oaxaca City. She wrote to Water for Humans and the Institute for Nature and Society in Oaxaca asking for our help in solving her neighborhood's chronic water shortages.

This is what Susana told us: "Our neighborhood was a landfill and quarry before becoming a residential district. Originally, water service consisted of two spigots; over time, the delivery system was expanded. Now, due to population growth, it is extremely insufficient. Last year, during the dry season most residences received water only two times per week for few hours per day. The water ... is not potable."

With your support, here is how WFH wants to help Susana and her family...

Together with INSO, we are building 8,000 gallon rainwater catchment systems - a pilot project to be tested in eight homes in the neighborhood. The community members are committed to solving their water shortage problem by putting in almost $9,000, toward the total of $31,000!


Will You Answer Susana's Plea for Help?

You can help Susana and her family in this life-saving effort by helping Water for Humans today with a $25 donation via our site. Our financial goal is to collect $6,000 towards this cause. Your generous contribution will play a critical role in Water for Humans being able to implement this innovative, low-tech, sustainable solution. With your donation, Water for Humans will bring tangible and significant improvements to the lives of Susana and her family and so many others in Oaxaca City!

How to Help

First, you can help us spread the word via our site by inviting your Facebook friends and email contacts to join our funding efforts (by clicking the icons to the left of the "Donate" button on the crowdrise webpage). Your Confidentially is Guaranteed - Your personal information will not, under any circumstances, be shared with any third parties!

Thank you!
You are a person who cares about the world we live in and you have demonstrated that by supporting Water for Humans in its effort to help Susana and her family in Oaxaca City. Susana and her family thank you for your support! "Muchas gracias!"

See the Difference Your Donation Will Make For Susana and So Many Others In Oaxaca City!
Learn how your generous support will impact lives in Oaxaca and elsewhere by following the Water for Humans' Blog, our You Tube Channel and looking for updates on Facebook. We invite you to join the nearly 300 people who are "Followers" of Water for Humans on Facebook!

You can always donate directly at

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution - IPS ipsnews.net

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution
By Emilio Godoy*

An irrigation pond in rural Chiapas, Mexico. Credit:Mauricio Ramos/IPS

MEXICO CITY, Nov 17, 2010 (Tierramérica) - Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.

Pressurised and drip irrigation are two leading-edge options that also make relatively efficient use of water and electricity, reducing power fossil fuel burning and greenhouse gases emissions.

These new systems are expensive, but "they would allow us to grow crops year-round and have more jobs and better incomes," farmer Oseas Espino told Tierramérica. He grows sorghum on about 30 hectares in the Yecapixtla municipality in the southwestern state of Morelos.

Espino is one example of the thousands of small and medium farmers who are unable to modernise their irrigation systems.

The most widely-used system is based on gravity, with electrical pumping equipment. But it "generates inefficiency in the use of water and electricity," Nemecio Castillo, an advisor with the National Institute of Forestry and Agricultural Research, told Tierramérica.

Seventy-seven percent of Mexico's piped water goes to agricultural use. There are some 118,000 wells for farming, but the authorities have rehabilitated just 6,000 of them.

Annually, operation of an inefficient well consumes about 200,000 cubic metres of water and generates 350 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the main greenhouse gases.

A well operated using modern technologies requires half the water and reduces greenhouse emissions to 98 tonnes of CO2, according to calculations by the non-governmental organisations El Barzón and Oxfam Mexico, which are promoting a plan to update the country's farm irrigation systems.

According to these organisations, inefficient water use in agriculture means that more than 80 percent of Mexico's 180 largest aquifers are overexploited and it is already difficult to sustain the total irrigated area.

The total farmed area in Mexico is more than 20 million hectares, with irrigation for 5.3 to 5.5 million hectares, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. The most abundant crops are maize, beans and sorghum, which require a great deal of water to grow.

Maize -- used to make the tortilla, a staple in the Mexican diet -- requires 1,700 cubic metres of water per tonne produced, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. One tonne of sorghum needs 1,200 cubic metres of water per tonne.

Of the 630,000 registered farms in Mexico, just 16 percent have irrigation and 12 percent utilise unconventional techniques, report El Barzón and Oxfam.

There are 85 irrigation districts that cover 3.5 million hectares in hands of 583,000 users, particularly in central and northern Mexico, states the National Water Commission.

Those districts demand 30 billion cubic metres of water per year, 90 percent of which comes from reservoirs and 10 percent from underground sources.

From 2000 to 2009, agricultural electrical consumption jumped 17 percent. Government subsidies for energy purchases for farming -- about 50 cents on the dollar per kilowatt -- have cost 640 million dollars in public funds this year.

A traditional gravity-based system "irrigates one hectare in 24 hours, while a drip system does it in three or four hours," irrigation engineer José de Santos told Tierramérica.

According to Oxfam and El Barzón, the combination of an efficient well and modernised irrigation would be the equivalent of reducing CO2 emissions by 36 percent, energy consumption 40 percent and water use 50 percent.

Mexico emits 715.3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, six percent originating from agriculture.

Drip irrigation, which directs the water to the plant roots through soaker hoses, and pressurised irrigation, which uses closed pipes and sprinklers to create a directed precipitation, are the main alternatives to irrigation channels.

But their costs are quite prohibitive for small and medium farmers: 2,250 to 2,500 dollars to set up a system, according to figures from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

An additional obstacle is the government's slow action on the problem. The Ministry of Agriculture launched the Strategic Project for Irrigation Modernisation, with a budget of 52 million dollars for this year and the goal to update 22,000 hectares, benefitting 1,500 farmers. But the farmers have to put up another four million dollars to obtain the equipment.

"The cost is very high. The problem is that many farmers rent their land, and the owners aren't interested in adding the technology," said irrigation expert De Santos.

Since 2006, the National Water Commission has modernised irrigation on 599,000 hectares, with financing of 240 million dollars. The goal for 2012 is to reach 1.2 million hectares with irrigation.

In addition, "we have to move towards crops that require less water," like garbanzo beans, vegetables, fruits and oil crops. "The farmers need to be aware that water is a finite resource," said farming advisor Castillo.

In any case, there is no alternative to modernisation: one hectare yields 27.3 tonnes if it is irrigated, compared to just 7.8 tonnes without irrigation. And climate change will only intensify the droughts that are already taking a toll on Mexican farming, warns the National Institute of Ecology.

* This IPS story is part of a series supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network http://www.cdkn.org (END)

EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WORLD.

KOREA.
South Korea is, in many ways, a model of reforestation for the rest of the world.  When the Korean War ended, half a

century ago, the mountainous country was quite deforested.  Since 1960, under the dedicated direction of President Park

Chung Hee, the South Korean government put into effect a national reforestation effort.  Basing itself on the formation of

rural cooperatives, hundreds of thousands of people mobilized themselves to dig irrigation ditches and create terraces to

help the trees in the arid mountains.  Today, the forests cover 65 percent of the country, an area that comes to

approximately 6 million hectares.  When I drove through South Korea in November of 2000, I found it gratifying to see the

abundance of trees covering the mountains, which a generation ago were naked. 
www.ecogaia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=306:recuperar-los-bosques-con-elcambio-de-habitos&catid=3:noticias-y-articulos&Itemid=4

NIGERIA.

In Nigeria, the farmers who encountered a serious drought and the desertification of the 1980s, began, while they were

preparing the land for their crops, to allow some acacia shoots that grew in their fields to emerge.  When those trees

matured, they reduced the wind velocity, and with that, soil erosion.  Acacia, a pulse, fixes enriched nitrogen into the soil

and contributes to increased crop yield.  During the dry season, the leaves and the pods supply forage for livestock.  The

trees also provide the farmers with firewood.  This act of allowing 20-150 shoots per hectare to grow to maturity over

about 3 million hectares has revitalized the agricultural community of Nigeria.


DIFFERENT PLACES IN THE USA.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/las-10-tendencias-mas-prometedoras/1480

ONE-EYED ARGENTINE DEER.

COSTA RICA AND THE IRIS.
www.tendencias21.net/innovacion/Papel-de-lirio-un-ejemplo-de-innovacion-para-la-sostenibilidadosustentabilidad_a16.html

USING THE IRIS
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2007/10/18/index.php?section=sociedad&article=045n1soc


www.pym.org/.../ewg/ gaviotas/200506image001b.jpg
www.yesmagazine.org/.../ 33/6_Gaviotas_wind.jpg
www.revistavirtualpro.com/.../ ejemplo.jpg
www.smartcommunities.ncat.org/espanol/buildings/gbsstoc.shtml
www.encolombia.com/medicina/materialdeconsulta/Admon_Salud/Hospital_Autosuficiente.htm

Autonomous Life Conference --Oaxaca

 Water is not a commodity; it is an asset; it is considered sacred, from the ground, from the gods or nature, assured the professor of Morelos University, Jean Robert, a participant in the seminar to rethink the relationship with water.

As part of the meeting for an autonomous life that initiated the investigation Juan Jose dictated the masterly conference.  The tools of autonomous sustainability where he said: They removed from us the water and now pretend to return it as a commodity when water is a good, an asset that does not need to be sold because it is from nature and for those that require it.

He added that the first affected by the transformation of the water to an economic value is the poor.

The problem of the water should be the over exploitation of the aquifers, transference of the waters from another and the desertification stated the investigator.  He considered that one has to look for alternatives before the water crisis that lives in the country and world. He mentioned the Federal District case, where it had the inundation, but it is where the water problem also exists.

The Swiss investigator, a nationalized Mexican, said it is characteristic of the society of that greater the abundance, that greater the scarcity.Jean Robert was collaborator of Ivan Illich—author of a series of criticisms of key instructions of progress of modern culture of 30 years duration and works on water themes, energy, habitation, city and transport.  Actually he develops his reflections in the wheel of material culture.

The meeting for an autonomous life ends April 11th, and in those days in the El Llano Park will have diverse activities and samples that have to strengthen an autonomous life.

We are back in the USA

Our second trip to Oaxaca has come to an end.  Susan, arrived back in Bay area (CA) on 9 Feb. Stan arrived in Seattle on 17 Feb, and I arrived back in Seattle on 24 Feb, after getting some much needed R&R in la Manzanilla.  Judith and I got to stay with our friends Dan and Heidi (who are building a house there, and donated a weeks stay at our Day for the Dead Auction last Oct).

We are now getting back in the swing of working remotely, and following up on all  the loose ends from our time in Oaxaca.  We are had at work researching funding opportunities, coordinating with our partner NGO INSO and our 1/2 time staff person Nelly.  We are focusing our efforts on formalizing our relationship with INSO (formal contract) and opening a "case" with Instituto Estatal de Ecologia (IEE) [State Institute of Ecology] which will then trigger a case with the Federal Water commission.  We are building political support for our black water solution to pressure Etla to step up to the plate and embrace a community wide solution.

February 7, 2010, Sunday—Breakfast at the SD Market
This morning we made our way via bus and taxi to Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla for a fabulous breakfast at the Sunday market. 

The townspeople set up a weekly market in a field adjacent to a soccer field.  It was a great morning with the sun out and not too hot.  There were several kinds of tamales (green, sweet, and mole), memelitas with chorizo and chicharron, salsas, fruit, vegetables, tacos, café and hot chocolate oaxaqueno, a drink made from corn, and pan dulce.  Needless to say, none of us were hungry after that.  Maria set up a table & chairs for us to enjoy the sitting and talk. We sat around the table for awhile and talked about our two cultures, our presidents, where we live, etc. After a while 2 sisters, Ittai and Karla Perez, about 11-13 years old came and wanted to practice English with us.  They learned English in school, starting in kindergarten, and spoke without accents.  In the group setting they were very shy and we tried to make small talk with them.  They were great!

The group broke up when Maria invited us back to the municipio for a meeting. She and two council members sat at the table to discuss a meeting she had with an engineer last Friday (February 5) who had presented a plan for a treatment plant (that we all think is totally inadequate), and go over some of our agreements and discussion from Thursday night.  It quickly became apparent we needed more help with translation.  The 2 girls were called.  These girls did a fantastic job of interpreting the conversation and once they got going they brought themselves into the discussion with their own perspectives and ideas.  It was a truly amazing thing to see these young girls using their fledgling English skills and describing the situation in their community.  At the meeting we discussed the need for a solution to treat 100% of the waste-water with a plant that is easy and inexpensive to maintain.  This is an alternative to that which the engineer proposed which treats 50% of the water. The meeting ended with everyone looking forwarded to the Water Forum (sponsored by INSO) on Friday the 12th.

Camerino Santiago gave us a ride to the taxi stand in Etla where we said “hasta la vista” and not good-bye.  We caught a community taxi back to Oaxaca with the typical capacity of 6 passengers and the driver.

It was such a lovely day I (Susan) decided to take a long walk in search of streets without construction.  I followed Pino Suarez to the end.  The street name changes when crossing the highway to San Felipe.  It was a very pleasant way to spend an hour.  I (Susan) went to church and got lost in the ritual associated with communion.  I was about a half a step behind but did get to say good-bye. I came home to find Rick and Stan gone to dinner.  Francine and I went for gelato down at the Zocalo.

February 5, 2010, Friday

February 5, 2010, Friday
Today we debriefed after our meeting with the Council of Elders of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and discussed peacemaking with Etla.  Later on this morning we met with Carlos Placensia (INSO) who is in charge of health concerns with water.  He gave us a brief outline and agenda for the Water Forum at which Stan, Rick, and Nelly will present on Friday, February 12th.  The forum is structured in a way that everyone has a voice.  It meets approximately every two months.  This one commemorates the 25th forum.  It has continued and survived many administrative changes in government, unlike many institutions in Mexico (or the US for that matter).

 In addition to the Forum, there will be a guided tour of the Botanical Garden, the venue for the Forum, associated with the Santo Domingo Church.  In this garden, there is a nursery for the rescue of endangered plants especially orchids of Oaxaca.
 

February 2, 2010, Tuesday

February 1, 2010, Monday

It was a holiday (Constitution Day) so INSO was closed.  The morning was relatively at our leisure.  We  decided to visit the Textile Museum.  They have a great exhibit of Guatemalan Textiles and embroidery.  The women weave the cloth by hand with a back-strap loom or a large loom with foot pedals.   The back-strap loom is used to make long narrow pieces which the artist can then embroider on.  Many of the pieces incorporate symbols and tell stories of their culture.

A part of the exhibit was a movie (in Spanish) of 10 women who had immigrated to the US in hopes of a better life.  Most of them missed their life in Oaxaca and returned after a period of time.
In another part of the museum, a women’s cooperative had taken over one room to tell their stories.  The women formed the cooperative to sell and market their work in the US and provide income for their families.  At the same time, they wanted to get an education and learn to read and write Spanish.  In return the older women would teach the younger women their native language and pass on their needlework skills. Their embroidery reminds me of the story quilts the Hmong women make.

Lunch was almost a misadventure at a place near the big produce/ artisan near the Zocalo.  We looked at the menu ordered what we thought was bean soup for Rick.  Stan and I (Susan) ordered Garbanzo Bean Soup.  We got the Garbanzo Bean Soup, but I switched with Rick when his Mac and Cheese came.  The main course was, I (Susan) thought, Chicken with Yellow Mole sauce.  It was Chicken and Vegetable Stew.  It was very good and very filling.  Stan had chicken with grilled onions and peppers and refried beans.  Dessert was a guayaba (guava).

We then returned to Rosalinda’s and rested.

Francine, a woman from Nova Scotia, now living in New Westminster, BC, returned and needed to look for sunglasses.  We directed her to the shopping area down by the large market.  I (Susan) decided to walk with her. We found some sunglasses and then walked about a mile or so to find a building she needed to write about for her class.  The building is a Catholic church which was connected to a convent at one time.  Now the convent is an art gallery and cultural center.  We then walked back to the pension.
Dinner was again at the “hole-in-the-wall” around We all had excellent Pozole.  Pozole is a soup of pork, cabbage, and hominy with spices making it rojo.  Without spices, it is blanco and bland.  We also had a pitcher of Jamiaca juice.  Rick said it is the best Pozole he’s had in years.  I translated that for the lady.  She said Pozole is a very old popular dish.  Rick also had a couple of tacos.  The television was blaring again, but the food was great.
 
February 2, 2010, Tuesday
Morning was spent at INSO.  I looked at several sites on the computer pertaining to sustainability and reuse of waste-water. On the way to INSO, we made our usual stop at the “Mango Lady” and found out her name is Elena.  I told her we know her as the “Mango Lady”, and she said or the “Fruit Lady”.  She was very concerned about Rick paying more for his pineapple than Stan and I paid for our papaya and watermelon.  From a morning of phone calls our week is filling up with important meetings.  Nelly is working hard to contact several cities that have functioning wetlands to determine how they cover the O&M costs. We are exploring many opportunities with respect to the O&M issue and some of our leads are panning out as potential solutions.  However, we still have lots of work left to do.

Settling into our remote office and life in Oaxaca

Yesterday was a long day (Wednesday)!  We worked at INSO until 2pm then had a quick lunch.  After lunch we walked across town to the cash machine (to pay for our rooms). One thing we have really noticed is the masses of Americans that are here vs. when we were in the summer.  Our biggest success of the day is getting our cash machine card to work.  I was suffering from 2 errors.  First, I forgot to call the bank and tell them I would be out of the country, and I was using the incorrect PIN.  After talking to the bank everything now works like it should.

Stan and I are working hard to get all the year-end tax receipts to all our donors and update everyone on our email list.  We are finding that this takes a lot of bandwidth to keep our email lists current and clean of duplicate. I spent the afternoon updating our data base and generating spreadsheets for Stan to scrub and proof.  At about 5pm (typical work hours are 9-2, 5-7) we returned to INSO and worked until 7PM (we need to better a job of having a siesta in the afternoon).  After our long day we walked down to the Zocalo for a nice dinner outside. We had the pleasure of hearing a Tango contest that had about 100 people participating.  We are always impressed by the strong sense of community here as at almost any time of day or night the Zocalo is alive and full of folks.  Over dinner we speculated how something like this could happen in the US. One thing for sure is that we would have to re-think our relationship with cars, the TV, and get folks to realize that having public gathering places are really great.  Because this was a long work day we walked straight home and to bed.

Thursday, 21 Jan
Another day at the office in Oaxaca!  Oaxaca has several main streets all dug up as they are replacing some piping systems.  One of these projects is right near our pension.  Traffic from a major street is being diverted onto the road in front of it.  One thing is for sure; Mexico does road work much differently than in the US!  They use lots of manual labor, swinging picks, wrecking bars, and a minimum use of heavy equipment.

 As usual our day starts with a stop at the “Mango lady” for our morning boxes of fruit on our way to INSO.  She is always happy to see us and is amazed that we always return our washed plastic boxes for her to re use.  She seems to save us the “best boxes” for us; she also gave us a small bag of her pepper roasted peanuts as an extra treat.  Stan and I are catching up on lots of computer work and preparing for our upcoming meetings on Friday and next week. We are hoping that we can have a more relaxing afternoon; and meet up with a friend of Stan’s, Rusty and Eliza, who are from Bainbridge Island and staying in Oaxaca.

ProMexico Volunteer

We are pleased to announce that Eric Marhofer and his wife will be in Oaxaca for the next month or so improving their Spanish and volunteering for ProMexico. Eric will be supporting our efforts to keep our wetland project moving forward. He will be working closely with our partner NGO INSO, the University UABJO and both communities. We welcome his Environmental Engineering experience and the opportunity to work directly with ProMexico.

Jumping in the pool

Our entrepreneurship professors (Paul Hudnut, JimPoss, Gifford Pinchot) have a term for describing launching an enterprise. They use the term “jumping in the pool.” As we look back at our original idea of providing low cost water filters to underserved populations and then having a long term mission of more community based water solutions, we are now focused on our long term mission. After meeting with our initial target communities we have now flipped our priorities from water filters to implementing a natural sewage treatment wetland modeled after the system in place in Arcata CA (marsh 1, marsh 2).

Before coming to Oaxaca, we knew we needed to listen to our partners, to our customers (communities), and to be flexible and open, so that we could provide solutions to their most pressing needs. We were told that with most folks in Oaxaca we would have to talk around our ideas and not be direct. After our initial meeting with Maria of Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla (SD) we knew we were headed toward a solution to their sewage issue. Much to our amazement, as we introduced our ideas to Maria (SD) and Justino Guadalupe Etla (GE), they jumped on the idea almost instantly and wanted to know more about it. Thus, we went from idea stage to solution stage very quickly.

As we look back, we all agree that our original idea was sort of like taking the first step in the shallow end of the pool. With the project we have now taken on, it feels more like we have jumped in the ocean. And, it feels GREAT. We say this because in just a few short weeks we have developed partnerships, relationships and commitments from the local communities, state & federal agencies, the university and our partner NGO: INSO. In building these commitments and partnerships, we have committed ourselves to follow though and put the money where our mouths have been.

Putting the money where our mouth is will be challenging, but we know we have a powerful public health story to tell, as well as, a fully sustainable solution.

We are now in our ocean adventure. The water is warm and GREAT. We know we have many challenging times ahead, but are ready for the adventure.

Sanitation Forum at INSO

We gulped two cups of coffee this morning in anticipation of the Grupo de Saneamiento meeting (Sanitation Group of the Water Forum). Juan Jose of INSO hastily organized the Group meeting (while we are still in town) to facilitate discussion between many key players involved in the potential wetland wastewater treatment project, including federal and state government representatives. Having visited the university’s wetland on Thursday, Justino (Guadalupe Etla), Maria & Camerio (Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla), and Carlos (INSO), were well informed of the ins and outs of this type of wastewater treatment system. Also in attendance were Juan Jose and Francisco of INSO, Federal and State Commissioners of Water, and us, of course.


Carlos and Juan Jose facilitated the conversation by asking for observations, concerns and goals from each of the parties involved. We couldn’t have asked for a better combination to put our thinking caps on and problem-solve; at local, regional and national levels, we’ve gained necessary support to move a wetland sewage treatment project forward in Santo Domingo. The over-riding consensus brought to the table was that the time is now to lead the way in alternative technology, to be an example other communities can emulate, with sewage treatment, household rainwater catchment, composting latrines, and other clean water solutions. The group discussed at length how a wetland sewage treatment system in Santo Domingo could lead as an example to many other communities. Also, support from the national level could coincide with the 2010 celebrations (Mexican Independence bicentennial -- 1810 and Mexican Revolution centennial -- 1910). To honor these special events, all levels of Mexico’s government are supporting many civil projects. As a result, this type of sustainability project may fit nicely into their objectives. Many combined actions, both individual and cooperative, will allow humans and the natural environment alike to benefit. These actions are interrelated, and must be recognized by the government if they are to gain financial and political support.

Maria of Santo Domingo addressed again the issue of getting Etla on board, who up until now hasn’t been a part of the discussion; the State Water Commissioner said he would facilitate a conversation in order to come up with “real” solutions. Furthermore, these officials were very concerned about the damaged sewage pipe which impacts Santo Domingo, and pledged to work to remedy the situation. This fact alone is huge, as it will at least eliminate the sewage overflow into Santo Domingo. It is also important the federal and state government representatives visit the university’s wetland project. They pledged to coordinate with Erik (UMBJO) to see firsthand how wetland technology can work here in Mexico. This will be followed by conducting a follow-up review and looking at the initial project proposal. Depending on the outcome, the government could provide up to 70 percent of the project costs! It is also important to mention that private and state engineers are pressuring pueblos such as these to put in more expensive sewage plants, 70-90 percent of which fail due to lack of resources for maintenance, or poor design and construction. Both Maria and Justino were concerned about the potential wetland project costs, as much as we were about everyone’s commitment from all levels. Juan Jose did a magnificent job of tying this up, in stating that we do not need to discuss project costs at this point, we only need to agree to work together to bring this important opportunity and project to reality. With that said, we all agreed that this is a unique opportunity to demonstrate appropriate sustainable solutions, and pledged to work to ensure its success.

This meeting cascaded us even closer to reaching our water goals. Our business plan is significantly different now (all for the better), as it looks like we are implementing a major project related to our long-term mission. The group still needs to decide on a fix for the currently leaking black water pipe in Etla (which routinely overflows through Santo Domingo and lower communities). We are hopeful the state and federal representatives, who now are aware and very concerned about the issue, can assist in finding a speedy solution. In addition, we need to think about our overall business plan and other possible revenue streams such as the original filter idea.

On Monday afternoon, we will head back to Santo Domingo with Erik and other university staff to survey the site. This will include preliminary water testing, slope analysis and other basic design parameters. These data will allow Tressie and the UABJO team to scope out a preliminary design and project plan, as well as provide us with the necessary information for the proposals we will use for fundraising.

Many-Meeting Martes

Tuesday, July 28th was another busy day for us, with three major events scheduled. “Mango Lady’s” several trays of fruit (mango, pineapple, watermelon…) got us going as we made our way to the patio office below INSO.

Event #1
We packed up our bags and joined Nelly for a trip up to INSO’s permaculture demonstration site, El Pedregal. The site rests in the foothills SE of Oaxaca, only accessible via a steep, bumpy road meant for 4-wheel drive vehicles only. Arriving at the entrance, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the greater Oaxaca valley; the ominous clouds had yet to roll in and obstruct our view. The site is about 3 hectares (7.5 acres) in size, and was donated by a local land owner. INSO has been improving the site for the past 5 years, turning an arid, rocky mountainside into an arable, green and healthy land.

A major part of INSO’s work is centered on reforestation. The old growth forest, once extending to the valley floor, now starts another 300 ft up the hillside. In performing reforestation one must “slow the water down” while it flows down a treeless hillside. This is where the techniques of permaculture come in to play. One of these techniques is “terracing” of the hillside, in which trenches are dug along the hill’s contours. In these new trenches (area #7 on the map) they have planted grasses to slow soil erosion. (Please see the site map showing the major features below for the major features of INSO demonstration site.)















We spent several hours hiking around the site as Nelly explained each of the major features and how they contribute to the overall system, as well as pointed out many local plants and birds that have begun to inhabit the area again. Main features include water catchment systems, hillside stabilization-re planting and green houses. The two main water catchment basins hold over 3.3 million L. combined.











The black “green house” is really a big bird net to protect the 1,000+ tree seedlings, while the big white “green house” grows tomatoes and other produce (recently yielding over 5 metric tons from just this site!).



















Specially designed composting latrines also play an integral role in the project. These latrines are designed to directly produce compost that can be used to grow food crops without any contamination, INSO has another ongoing latrine project in Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla, and have used the compost on corn fields for outstanding yield.


Event # 2 "The Oaxaca Hub"
We arrived back in town just in time for a short siesta before the next two meetings of the day. At 5pm we met with the “Oaxaca Hub.” Started by Mark Beams and Sten Maldonado who are modeling this project after the “Hubs” in Europe, the “Hub’s” premise is to be a shared office space for small local NGO’s that work in the country and need a central place to call home. More importantly, it is a place where everyone can collaborate for the common good. The “Hub” is in its infancy. We met at a local restaurant and talked about our common goals and challenges, and devised ways to collaborate to help each other realize our dreams. After an hour and a half, we walked back to our casa for a second siesta before meeting with a local Rotary club at 9pm.




Event # 3 Rotary Club
We were typical gringos as we arrived at the meeting place about 8:45, and the first Rotary folks showed up about 9:15. It seems like either folks here in Oaxaca are really prompt or they are on more of a Mexico time schedule. By 9:30, the bulk of the group had arrived and we began with introductions. This meeting was called especially for us, and the rotary president rang the honorary bell they received on Rotary International’s 100 Anniversary (in 2005). In typical Rotary fashion the meeting was formally called to order, and we all saluted the flag of Mexico. Then Claire described what we were doing in Oaxaca and what we hope to accomplish. The club members asked many great questions about how we have built the relationships with INSO, the University and the communities. As the questions and answers flew back and forth, they became increasingly supportive and interested in what we are trying to do. Then the formal part of the meeting ended and we all shared a meal while small-talking and stories about ourselves. We staggered back home and arrived well after midnight. Luckily, Wednesday was a “no meeting day,” and boy did we need a rest day! I (Rick) was suffering from a “gluten hangover” from some wheat I ate on Tuesday. I am Gluten intolerant and when I eat gluten (wheat) I get a big allergy reaction that manifests itself by zapping all my energy for a day or two. Good thing there’s gelato!

Morning Work Routine in Oaxaca

Bird calls awaken us bright an early as strong Oaxacan sun shines through our homestay windows. After tasty tortillas and pinto beans for breakfast, we open our front door and are bombarded by rainbow-colored homes lining our quiet street. The typical Oaxacan architecture -- squared, modest two-stories with inner courtyards – is inspiring. Mexicans are certainly not afraid of color. We pass rose vendors and freshly sliced mango stands as we tread the cobblestone streets leading to our patio “office” below.


Juan Jose Consejo, the executive director-- Ashoka Fellow, of The Institute for Nature and Society of Oaxaca INSO, lets us use his WiFi service during the week, making our lives much easier. This very fact alone saves us lots of time and money as we use our own Netbooks to do email, Skype calls and write letters. We all agree this is the must say this is the nicest office we’ve ever had, encircled by plants and tall columns under a blue sky. A few hours pass quickly as we type away, translate and prepare for community visits that happen most afternoons.

News from Oaxaca

We arrived in Oaxaca on Sunday, 7/12. Our accommodations are excellent. We had asked Juan Jose Consejo, the executive director of The Institute for Nature and Society of Oaxaca (INSO, an NGO), to suggest some residents to us for some extended home stays. He connected us with a small hotel-like facility that specializes in extended stays. We are very happy.

Monday morning we met with Juan Jose, an Ashoka fellow. He has been in Oaxaca for twenty years working on water issues. Our long term plans are totally in line with the work he has been doing for some time now in our initial watershed. He spent several hours with us going over the details of the programs in which they are currently involved. The three principles that underlie all of their work are:

1. Don’t push communities.
2. Work on social enhancement and natural processes together.
3. Do this work in a collaborative way with governments (federal, state and local), local communities, social organizations and research institutions.

INSO basically assists those who want to help themselves.

Tuesday we accompanied Paul and Nellie, two INSO employees, to Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla. There, we met with Maria Soledad Diaz Gonzalez, the mayor. After introductions and a brief overview of what we do and the overall water situation there, she took us on a tour of the village. There are approximately 3000 residents in Santo Domingo, one school and one well. We started the tour at the sewage treatment plant, which is currently not functioning. (Juan Jose later told us that 90% of the waste water treatment plants built in the watershed do not work.) She said that the plant was built in 1996 and stopped working in 2000 because of maintenance issues. Since then, raw sewage has flowed out of this area downhill to the next village Guadelupe Etla. Right next to the broken sewage treatment center is a dump which includes medical waste. The dump has been building up for fifteen years, but none of the trash is from Santo Domingo Barrio Bajo. It was all illegally dumped there from other areas. The community now has a twenty-four hour guard (citizens of the town) on duty to insure that no more dumping takes place.

On our way back to the mayor’s office, we passed a broken sewage pipe. She said that during times of heavy rain, sewage flows out of that pipe and comes into Santo Domingo, contaminating the village and residences. From there it continues downhill to Guadelupe Etla. The broken pipe belongs to the main municipality in that area, Etla, but they have not been able to get Etla to fix it. Maria believes that there are many illnesses in her community that are caused by ‘dirty’ water, not drinking dirty water (everyone uses clean bottled water for drinking), but being around raw sewage. She spoke of one particular home that was flooded with rainwater mixed with wastewater. Since then, the family has been plagued with eye irritations, skin rashes and many other unexplained illnesses. The town has been working with INSO for one year now to replace flushing toilets with dry latrines (composting toilets). This will help the situation in Santo Domingo and Guadelupe Etla, but Etla also needs to participate in any solution that is brought forward.

We have been in email contact with the mayor of Guadelupe Etla and plan to meet with him next Wednesday. These two communities work well together and should be able to work together in any joint effort to solve their water issues, but Etla also needs to participate. Santo Domingo’s relationship with Etla is not good. We will return to Santo Domingo on Tuesday to see some of the good things they are doing about water and, while we are here in Oaxaca, will introduce ourselves to Etla in an effort to begin a dialogue with them about water issues.

As we left Santo Domingo, we felt that the site of the failed treatment plant and adjacent dump may be a good potential location for a natural wastewater treatment area. It is, however, right next to a cemetery which, by all means, must be protected.


On Wednesday, 7/15, we met with Erik Martinez Torres, the Director of the Chemistry Department of the Universidad Autonoma Benito Juarez de Oaxaca (UABJO). He offered his department’s expertise to test the water in Santa Domingo Barrio Bajo Etla and in Guadalupe Etla. His department will do the testing, that they have the capability of doing, at no charge and will help facilitate testing for metals (which they cannot do) in Oaxaca. He assured us that there would be little or no charge for heavy metal testing.

He has also offered to accompany us on our trips next week on Tuesday and Wednesday to the communities of interest to initiate the testing. They will provide transportation with a van that seats ten. He also stated that if it seems appropriate for other departments at the university to get involved with this project, then that would not be a problem. The medical and microbiology schools are prime candidates.