World Water Day: Community Water Conservation and Education in the Wayuu Indigenous Community

By -

I previously volunteered with Farmer-to-Farmer in the Dominican Republic, but this was my first assignment in Colombia. When I was contacted for a water quality focused assignment in northern Colombia, I was thrilled to accept the assignment. My assignment was to train schoolteachers and other members of the Wayuu indigenous community in water desalinization, water purification techniques, and other agricultural activities. 

After an initial meeting with the local sponsoring organization, Fundación Maria Luisa, and teachers at the school, I was given a tour of typical vegetable, fruit, and livestock production. I was also shown sources of water which include shallow hand-dug wells, a few windmill or solar-powered community wells, and a nearby river. Access to clean and adequate quantities of water is always a struggle, particularly for rancherias further away from wells. During dry months, water is scarce and often has trace salts and other contamination issues. The community was very interested in learning practical water purification techniques, ways to conserve water, and ideas on how to increase food security.

Over the course of two weeks, I taught workshops to teachers and other community members on topics including:  the water cycle, water conservation, source water protection, drought tolerant vegetables and fruit trees, small scale water distillation using a plastic bottle, building a bucket sand filter, other options for water treatment, and composting basics. We also had community members build new compost piles at the school and a nearby rancheria. 

I have taught many courses and workshops throughout my 35+ year career but honestly, this community was the most engaging group I have ever worked with. I found the community extremely receptive to learning how to improve their water situation, grow crops more effectively, and start using compost in their gardens. They were very welcoming, and I appreciate how the whole group actively participated in all the workshops and demonstrations. We had many lively discussions, teachers got up and retaught lessons, just to make sure they fully understood concepts, and folks suggested options for working collectively to solve their problems.   It was truly a heartwarming experience for me. At the end of my assignment, they extended an invitation for me to come back so I could see their progress.

On the final day, we met with students at the local university to share information about the Farmer-to-Farmer program and identify future opportunities to collaborate.

I did find time to fit in some fun on the weekend and day before I flew home. I visited a flamingo sanctuary where I took a boat ride out into a flock of flamingo and got to watch them feed and then take flight---wow. I also took a funicular ride to the top of Monserrate in Bogota and was treated to a beautiful view of the city and surrounding mountains. 

Now that I am retired and have more time to volunteer, I hope to do more assignments for Farmer-to-Farmer. Being able to offer practical solutions to communities is very rewarding. 

By Jan Surface, Water Specialist and Aquatic Ecologist


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case
Read more

My First Goat: A Professor, Students, and some Goats Tackle Food Insecurity in Rural Guatemala

By -
Image
Two Worlds Come Together to Build New Solutions against Malnutrition What does a USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) expert volunteer group from the island of Puerto Rico have to do with combatting food insecurity in Guatemala? Everything.  F2F volunteer Gabriela Colón Rios trains Mam Indigenous women to better care for their goats which will improve food security and reduce high malnourishment rates. Chiantla, Guatemala. Photo Credit: Monica Gonzalez In March 2023, a group of five eager F2F volunteers arrived in Huehuetenango (Huehue), Guatemala, with hearts and minds set on combatting food insecurity in a part of the world unknown to them.  Over the next 10 days, this team of experts would consider Huehue, in Guatemala’s Western Highland region, their new home and office. Accompanying them on their mission would be faithful companions and mighty conduits of change: goats.  Communities in this region live at altitudes reaching 10,000 feet above sea level nestled by captivating mountai
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017.
Read more