The Chiapas Water Project – Building Community in the South of Mexico

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The Problem

Water is a chronic issue in Chiapas State, particularly among the indigenous Maya communities. Periodic drought impedes agriculture, threatening the livelihood of millions. The consequent need to fetch water from long distances prevents women from attending to other priorities and children from attending school. Water-borne diseases also damage the health of communities, particularly those far from health centres.

Working with the Community

Founded in 1972, Concern America (CA) focusses on long-term community development in Mexico and other developing countries throughout the world. In the early 1990s, CA launched The Chiapas Water Project “to provide clean water to indigenous Mayan communities in Chiapas, Mexico.” The goals were to ensure access to food, generate income, promote hygiene, prevent disease, and distribute time fairly among household members.

CA’s action plan is based on “working with the most abundant resource in the communities: the people themselves.” Meetings are held with community members to explain the scope of the work and foster community involvement. A community water committee is established to receive technical assistance and commit to maintaining the system. The committee includes an active village leader with connections to governing structures, and younger members who are bilingual (Spanish and Maya) and able to travel. A few community members are trained carefully to assess the water system and maintain the water project without outside intervention.  

Training and technical assistance are critical to sustainability. They focus on connecting, repairing, replacing, and expanding capacity. All materials and tools are familiar, locally accessible, and readily available to the water committee.

Although Chiapas suffers from conflict, material poverty, and extreme weather, these obstacles have never prevented a water system project from moving forward once a community is committed and ready. Patience and good communication with the community have always overcome occasional delays within a month or two. To date, Concern America has built 40 water systems in the region, benefitting more than 12,000 people.

Visible Benefits

Time lost on fetching water is now devoted to other useful tasks. Water-borne illnesses are largely eliminated and skin-related illnesses greatly reduced.

Underlying all of this is community building resulting from a collective success. And communities demonstrate their pride! Religious and cultural celebrations always accompany inauguration of a village’s system. Many take great care to paint their water tanks, often involving the school children, who depict their village’s history.

Upcoming Ventures

Next steps of The Chiapas Water Project include installation of five additional water systems and construction of additional water filters in three communities. This is combined with additional training diffusion among community members, and improvement of monitoring and evaluation practices.

These will directly benefit 300 members in some 60 families of the Mayan coffee-growing community in Chiapas, Mexico.

A Replicable Solution

CA’s community-centered approach can be replicated in any number of situations, be they water systems or other community projects.  The organization’s work throughout Latin America and in Africa on health, education, and income generation (in addition to water and sanitation) follows the same model of building community empowerment and ownership.  CA is always open to sharing and collaborating with other groups.

School Water Kiosks – Empower the Community

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The problem

In Kenya over half the population lacks access to affordable, safe drinking water. School children in small villages often have to walk miles to nearby villages to get clean drinking water. As a result, they are often absent from school and tend drop out altogether.

An Entrepreneurial Approach

Venuste Kubwimana, grew up in a large rural family of seven siblings in Rwanda. In Nairobi, Kenya, he established the International Transformation Foundation (ITF), a youth-led nonprofit organization to develop youth leadership and creative entrepreneurship in Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. In 2009, ITF identified lack of affordable, clean water as a major issue impeding children’s development and family resilience.

In 2013, ITF partnered with Netherlands-based Join the Pipe Foundation (JTP) to design and produce water kiosks for schools across rural Kenya. The innovative design features: a water-saving tap station, drip taps for hand washing, recyclable water bottles, easy push transport carts.

Shared Responsibility

After discussion with ITF, a school administration commits formally to the project; it is understood that students will manage the business under teacher guidance. A complete installation costs approximately US$10,000. ITF, the school and community members work together to estimate the funds needed to liquidate the costs within 24 months; water sales to community members funds construction costs. JTP has funded tap stations, bottles, sanitation facilities, and carts through a Buy One Give One” campaign in the Netherlands.

School and ITF book keepers maintain detailed records, updated and cross-checked daily. With teacher support, students submit weekly and monthly reports to ITF.

Multiple Benefits

To date, nine kiosks have been installed in three areas of Kenya, benefitting some 4000 students and 70000 community members. These encouraging results have led ITF to expand operations into Rwanda and Tanzania.

This community-based business provides affordable potable water to the entire community independent of third parties. It also develops valuable business skills among the schoolchildren, the community’s future leaders.

Environmentally, the initiative reduces plastic waste and CO2 emissions caused by the production and transport of water bottles and containers.  

Looking Forward

ITF plans to hold an annual conference for all participating schools to share their experiences and expertise. The conference will lay the foundation of an international entrepreneurial network to meet community social challenges and fund sustainable education.

Restoring the Farmers’ Lifeline in India

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The Problem

In Warda district of Maharashtra State, India, silted seasonal rivers could no longer supply water for agriculture. Monsoon rains burst their banks, flooding fields, destroying crops, and eroding land. This desperate situation provoked increasing suicides. After mobilizing the community in 2009, Kamalnayan Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation (KJBF) initiated studies to restore the river system.

Community Commitment

Farmers were reluctant to donate land for stream revival. However, through respectful dialogue, they came to support the project. KJPF’s research, shared with all stakeholders, was key to this process. KJBF organized beneficiaries into user groups, which were active in all aspects of the project.

KJBF set  farmers’ contribution at 10 % of the cost and let user groups decide how to share the cost. Because farmers supported the project, they contributed quickly; some even contributed for less fortunate colleagues. During implementation, village volunteers marked the channel and supervised the work.

Resources

KJBF generally funds its projects; some are implemented in collaboration with government, NABARD and TATA Trusts.  Community contribution, in cash and labour, ensures ownership and maintenance. Community volunteers assist KJBF’s experts and social worker. KJBF’s machines excavate at less than half the market rate rentals.  A “no profit no loss” formula covers operations, maintenance, salaries, and depreciation.

Spreading the Word

As word has spread of the benefits, user groups now organize themselves to raise their share. The Water Resource Team does a feasibility check, prepares a design, and works out details with stakeholders. When all stakeholders are on board, KJBF starts work.

Ongoing Improvements

KJBF has made three major changes to optimize results. First is excavating ponds for storage, recharge, and silt capture. User groups distribute the silt to farmers. Second is improving embankments. Third is raising farmers’ contribution to 17%, with their agreement; the additional 7%, contributed in kind, purchases pipes to drain overflow back into the river.

Stakeholders are also working together to develop organic farming and learning water-saving techniques to mitigate climate change. KJBF collaborates with all stakeholders, levels, castes, and shades, including women.

Obstacles

Maintenance is the main obstacle; government funding is scarce. KJBF trains user groups; some village committees contribute. KJBF is working with stakeholders to improve management.  

Measurable Success 

On the supply side, 91 check dams conserve monsoon water, reviving 135 watercourses. Ample water from wells and conserved runoff has eliminated the need to bore into the aquifers. On the demand side, drip irrigation and sprinklers save water. Conservation measures and captured silt rejuvenate the soil. Consequently, agricultural production has increased substantially and the water table has remained stable. There have been no suicides among families in the programme.

This programme is replicable throughout India. The WAFA Award can also help to communicate this possibility globally.

Solar Power for Night Fishing in Sri Lanka

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The problem

Due to growing demand for their product, traditional fishing communities were fishing at night with kerosene lamps and other fossil-fuel lighting. These tools polluted the air and aquatic ecosystem. They also impacted community health and cost families up to a third of their income.

The Solution

The Sri Lankan Nagenahira Foundation focuses on  environmental conservation, climate change and capacity building among communities in sensitive environmental locations. Identifying kerosene lighting as an urgent environmental and community issue. the Foundation introduced an effective, reliable, and affordable replacement: solar­-based lighting.

The technology consists of an affordable LED lanterns powered by a rechargeable 12 volt 4­6 ampere lithium ­iron ­phosphate battery with a three-year lifespan. The low-energy system provides improved lighting for up to 16 hours. The lanterns are recharged cheaply with 30 watt photo-voltaic (PV) panels, minimising the environmental footprint. The lightweight lanterns are also easy to maintain.

Worldwide Benefits

This low-maintenance LED technology is affordable, effective, and environmentally friendly. It is immediately applicable to artisanal fishing communities worldwide.

SPOUTS of Water

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The Problem

The majority of Ugandans lack what so many of us take for granted – clean water. As a result, water-borne illnesses, like diarrhea, are the number one cause of death for children under five. To protect themselves, most people boil their water. Unfortunately, the wood consumed to boil water has led to massive deforestation.

In addition, fetching and boiling water are laborious tasks. The burden falls largely on women and children who are thereby hindered from going to school or attending to other important responsibilities.

Appropriate, Affordable Technology

In response to these problems, a group of Harvard University undergraduates founded Spouts of Water in 2011. Working to develop technology suitable for an emerging market, they created Purifaaya, an affordable ceramic filter made from local materials. The device is easy to use and maintain; unlike other devices, Purifaaya requires no replacement filters. The one-time $20 outlay can be financed through local microfinance institutions.

A Successful Startup

In 2011, the developers moved to Uganda to start up Spouts of Water (Spouts). After establishing a factory, they set up a distribution process through multiple channels: NGOs, government agencies, and supermarkets. In 2014, Spouts   established a second factory in Uganda; production tripled to 600 filters a month. By 2015, Spouts had installed 3,800 Purifaaya filters, including 2,000 filters in public institutions, like schools, hospitals, prisons, and refugees camps.

To date, over 44,000 persons are using this innovative, affordable technology, and Spouts staff are seeing users’ health improve. Spouts has also begun the process of quantified impact assessment with a local partner, Innovations for Poverty Action.

Growing Success

Demand continues to exceed capacity! Spouts is now working to build a larger factory that can produce 2000 filters a month. The next steps are to optimize the current operations and scale up to keep improving Ugandans’ lives.