Our Trip to Guanajuato (Part 1)

By Juli Di Chiro

                                                                               

                              

 

A team of 10 Rotarians from the RC of Ashland visited Guanajuato, Mexico during the week of 11-28-22.  The team included President John Scarborough and his wife Margaret, Past President Gary Plano and his partner Mark, Past President Lynn Thompson and her partner Leslie, Past President Juli Di Chiro, former honorary Rotarian Karen Amarotico, Cherstin Lyons, and Rotaractor Nika Harmon.  The RC of Ashland and the RC of Guanajuato have been working together for 15 years, and for the last 7 years, we have focused on bringing clean drinking water to rural communities outside of Guanajuato. 

 

We were visiting Guanajuato to dedicate our 5th water project completion in the community of El Tablon.  Funded by a Global Grant and support from SIMIPAG, the local water agency, we were able to replace a non-functioning system with a new system that resulted in bringing water to every house in the community.  The community had access to a spring about 2 miles from the community, and this is the source of the new water system.  The spring was tapped, and a gravity flow system brought the water to a centralized new cistern.  There the water is purified before being piped out to each home.  We were able to accomplish much more than we had planned because SIMIPAG, the municipal water agency, beyond providing the in-kind technical support we outlined in our grant application, decided to match dollar for dollar the funds supplied through the global grant.  This allowed the pipes to be placed underground, as opposed to the above ground system we had planned on.  Their funding also allowed for the home distribution system, instead of the centrally located water storage tank we originally designed. 

While visiting El Tablon, we met with community members, and they told us how life changing having clean, accessible water has been for them.  They community surprised our team by providing a delicious lunch that added to the celebration of the new water system.  This project is a model of what can happen when strong partnerships between Rotary Clubs connect with local partners to implement projects that change peoples' lives for the better.                                                                 

El Tablon Water project: New buttressed metal

piping from water source to cistern (also shown is

portions of the old flexible hose system which functioned

poorly in the gravity system).

 

 

 

 

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Copyright © 2022 Periódico Correo.

 

English Translation:

 

September 15, 2022

 

The Rotary Clubs of Ashland, Oregon, USA and Guanajuato, Mexico, with the support of the Municipal Drinking Water and Sewage System of Guanajuato (SIMAPAG) and the State Water Commission of Guanajuato (CEAG)

 

The Rotary Club of Guanajuato, Mexico and the Rotary Club of Ashland, Oregon, United States, together with The Rotary Foundation once again joined forces with a key objective: to improve the Quality of Life of the 170 inhabitants of El Tablon, in the municipality of Guanajuato by contributing 1 million 517 thousand 275 pesos to bring drinking water to the Guanajuato community that suffered severe deficiencies of this vital liquid. Likewise, the Municipal Potable Water Sisterna of Guanajuato (SIMAPAG) participated in a relevant way with the elaboration of the project, in the execution and in the administration of the work.

 

The works consisted of the supply and installation of 1,400m of high-density polyethylene and galvanized iron pipes with a diameter of 2 inches in the conduction line and distribution networks, construction of a 20m stone tank for water storage , installation of water chlorination equipment with energy based on solar cells and installation of 17 household outlets.

 

In Rotary's philosophy, collaboration is a very important agent of action to materialize its service projects, which is why the determined participation of the Guanajuato Municipal Drinking Water and Sewage System (SIMAPAG) and the Guanajuato State Water Commission (CEAG) were essential to promote the involvement of the inhabitants of El Tablon in the creation and training of the Potable Water Committee, the result of which led to the sustainable operation of its water system.

 

With this work, Rotary, the Governments of the State and the municipality of Guanajuato, in solidarity, transform the quality of life of our community with inspiring and timely projects.

 

The State Water Commission

From Guanajuato

 

Gives thanks to

Rotary Club of Ashland, Oregon

 

For the great work they do every day, the social commitment

and the international link with Guanajuato organizations to help improve the quality of life of families in the State.

 

 

 

 


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