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People of San Luis Grande digging a gully for the water pipe (2010).
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Frans Cayo (center) guiding people to an old catchment tank (2009).
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Francoise Bourzat of the Circle of Hearts foundation (left) visiting San Luis Grande. (2008)
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Fred Opdam the Amazon Fund (center) meeting people of San Luis Grande in Rurrenabaque. (2009)
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People of San Luis Grande digging for the 2 km long water pipe. (2010)
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People of San Luis Grande
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Pilón Lajas
Pilón Lajas is of international importance as recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve (BR) and Indigenous Territory (TCO) - one of three that exist in Bolivia. It is an integral component of the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP).
This Indigenous Territory (TCO) offers the opportunity to conserve the cultural values and traditions of the indigenous communities that live in the area. It is an important reservoir of water at local and global levels. The reserve is known for its diversity with about 2500 species of plants, 500 species of birds, 95 species of amphibians and reptiles and 100 species of fish.
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After the successful pilot year of our water project in San Luis Grande Bolivia, which was finished end of 2010 we are commited to expand the project to other communities in the Biosphere and indigenous territory Pilón Lajas.
Water project for indigenous tribes in Bolivia
20 July, 2011: Early June of this year was a busy and productive time for our team. We were successful in adding three new members to the team. Carlos Soruco, Antoine Hanzen and David Forster have volunteered to serve as advisers to our staff. Carlos is a lawyer with offices in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Antoine is an architect working for the World Bank and David is an engineer living and working in the United States. Carlos and Antoine accompanied me to Rurrenabaque where we met Fred Opdam from Holland and participated with him in a series of meetings with local officials. David met with Fred separately and has agreed to assist in writing grant requests for the Water Project. We also had discussions with Frans Cayo who lives in El Alto near La Paz.
Jack Allen, chairman Amazon Fund International reporting:
 Clemente Caymani (Presidente Regional Tsimani Moseten [CTRM] of Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve-indigenous territory), Carlos Soruco, Jack Allen, Frans Cayo and Antoine Hanzen during a meeting on the 25th of June 2011 about the water project.
Frans will serve as local project leader for any water development projects we will have in the communities within the Pilón Lajas Biosphere. Provided we are successful in our search fr funding, Frans will conduct a survey of the communities in October or November so we can determine just what is needed in each of them and so prioritise the work of developing a source of safe water for each. It was agreed that we will ask Clemente Caymani, the Consejo Regional Tsimani Moseten (CRTM) to serve as a local partner for this work as well as for disbursement of funds for all work within the Biosphere.
We will also initiate a preliminary effort to explore the development of an Eco-Tourism group to assist in providing a sustainable means of livelihood for those communities that are interested in participating. Frans will discuss this during his visits to the communities to assess the needs for safe water in each.
Clemente Caymani and the map of the communities of Pilón Lajas.
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Our successful water project of 2010:
Clean drinking water for the people of San Luis Grande in Bolivia.
An effort to provide a potable water system in San Luis Grande, a Moséten community in the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve Bolivia.
After months of research and careful preparation, we have initiated our program to provide a water distribution system for San Luis Grande, an indigenous Moséten village in the Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve. For this endeavor, we have joined forces with the American organization Circle of Hearts the Australian organization Aliamos and Alan Perry
Why
The Moséten people of San Luis Grande, have been waiting for years to have a clean water system. Up to the present, these indigenous people drank from the river. But pollution upstream caused by urbanization and gold mining has resulted in increasing illnesses and death among the residents, especially the children. Medical help can be reached only by a journey of at least six hours, under ideal circumstances, with a fast motor-canoe. In the dry season, when the water is low, the trip may take almost one and half days.
In addition to health advantages, clean water systems will enable the community to engage in sustainable sources like ecotourism, an industry in which villagers can earn an income while preserving the local rainforests and resources and simultaneously maintaining their ways of life.
Thanks to
We are indebted to the Bolivian organization AguaTuya that delivered environmentally friendly materials and has offered to train some residents of San Luis Grande, Frans Cayo (involved is water projects for several years) and our Austrian volunteer Christian Scherer.
Dutch organizations like AquaForAll and Waterschap Midden Limburg gave technical support.
The infrastructure
The nearest clean water source is 1700 m from the village. The altitude difference is about 6 m, which makes it possible to establish a gravity-fed water distribution system. Five years ago a first attempt was made to build the system. The water basin on the photograph was built then. We will complete the basin. To improve the water output of the spring in the dry season we will widen and deepen the spring. A pipe will bring the water to the village. Laying the pipe will require the excavation of a 40 cm (16 inches) deep ditch in the hilly rainforest land. In the village a tank will be placed including two faucets.
To ensure the success of the project, the program will also establish a water committee. Two villagers will be trained by AguaTuya. In addition, all users have to pay a small monthly contribution to maintain the system.
The United Nations Millennium Development Target 7c is “Reduce by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation".
San Luis Grande (Photo: Francoise Bourzat)
Volunteers
Volunteers: Alina Stiefel (Argentinia), Frans Cayo (Bolivia), Johan Koopmans (the Nederlands), Emily Taylor (US), Christian Scherer (Austria), Daniel Manzaneda (Bolivia).
Partners
The American environmentalist Alan Perry, who worked on this project before is co-financer.
Latest News
Up
22-12-2010: Frans Cayo
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Bachelor; Matters of Interested: Mathematics, Biology and World history 1986 – 1998
Building Manager of Sand Bio-filter in Palca La Paz, Bolivia
Coordination and organizing the internship based visit of a group of college students from the United States as they provided the community of San Luis Grande.
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Water Project in San Luis Grande, Bolivia.
We are dealing with the last details to finish work by January 20th, 2011. The San Luis Grande community is very thankful for Amazon Fund's help with the materials for the pipes. This is the only community that employs this material in Eastern Bolivia and it is working very well.
Frans Cayo
16-10-2010: From Alan Perry
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Biologist - Environmentalist. Has been working on the water project in SLG from the start.
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The water system in SLG is working just fine and the water is successfully reaching the village to three faucets. The system needs improvement at the catchment basin and there are plans to take up cement so as to construct an improved catchment basin. Apparently this will be done in December when the water is higher.
It took Frans and the SLG folks FOUR days to arrive to the village with the low water. The water in the rio Quiquibey is apparently the lowest that they have ever seen. Serious dry season.
02-10-2010: From Alan Perry
"Hola, I spoke to Frans briefly today and they will be travelling upriver tomorrow morning. The trip is expected to be at least two days. Rurre is filled with smoke and apparently one can barely see anything. I will try to be in Rurre when Frans and the SLG folks arrive.
10-09-2010: Frans Cayo
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Bachelor; Matters of Interested: Mathematics, Biology and World history 1986 – 1998
Building Manager of Sand Bio-filter in Palca La Paz, Bolivia
Coordination and organizing the internship based visit of a group of college students from the United States as they provided the community of San Luis Grande.
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Hello everyone
We have advanced 80% in our water project in SLG. We are fixing the tank so as to have a better source of water intake and have more water. All has been coordinated with the SLG community regarding the number of pools/washingbasins that there will be in the community. People in SLG are very eager to finish the water project so as to have a better quality of life and health in the community. They also say "Hi" and are always thankful for the help they receive.
I, Frans, will be helping with the coordination they need until the project is finished.
Hope you have understood this information I'm sending. Thanks!
Regards.
Frans Cayo
31-07-2010: Christian Scherer:
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The Austrian volunteer Christian Scherer will assist the people of San Luis Grande with the implementation of the water system.
University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
- Environmental Engineering (Hydraulic Engineering)
University of Vienna
- International Development
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Hey everybody,
Trini (leader SLG) had to come to Rurre for a meeting so I took the chance and jumped into the boat. After a day of pushing the peque downriver (hardly any water in the Quiquibey) we finally did arrive... with a square backside and a boiled brain.
What has happened so far:
We had to change the path a little in order to make it more comfortable and so we spent three days chopping down all sorts of plants with machetes and axes. Don't worry, we were careful and did as little damage as possible. Now there's an almost straight highway leading from the football pitch to the spring basin.
Afterwards we started installing the pipe and noticed that the ups and downs on the way still caused problems for the gravitation system. So whilst laying out the pipes the comunarios started digging deep trenches at the most elevated places in order to get the water running. They are doing an awesome job and seemingly we we won't have any serious uphill parts in the end. Right now I wouldn't know where to place air valves. So far we've laid out about half the tubing and for now it seems like we'll have good pressure.
At this time the comunarios are still busy laying out the tubing and digging and will soon start to carry sand to the basin. They do that kind of work much better without me so I thought after 10 days there it certainly would be nice to take a proper shower again and eat some tourist food. SLG is an awesome place, exciting and just so different to what a European is used to know, but long term it's also very challenging.
My plan is to return to SLG together with Frans, taking the next available peque upriver. We'll then transport the cement that's still missing and some adaptors for the tubing system. Unfortunately we noticed that the already available tubing is also 32mm (1") and not 25mm as we were told (well, we noticed after we had removed it only to replace it with the same tubing). So now we have the problem that some of our connection pieces are useless and we'll need to organize some new ones in La Paz.
One big issue left open is the basin itself. It's in a very sad condition and obviously deteriorating. It seems like the students who constructed it didn't use enough cement because there are large chunks already breaking away and I can cause damage just beating the construction with a wooden stick. We could somehow fix it but the comunarios wouldn't agree with that. Too many of them have already seen other potable water spring basins and want a proper installation that will last. So the plan is to construct a new square basin using more cement and none of those huge stones. The comunarios will start cutting boards for the construction of that basin soon.
Okay, that's enough for now, I'll send some pictures soon.
Saludos
Christian
Clearing a path of 1600m for the tube (Photo: Christian Scherer)
18-07-2010: Christian Scherer:
Hey everybody,
we've arrived in Rurrenabaque (freezing cold as well) and if Trini and company also make it here on time then we'll leave for SLG tomorrow. Things are fine except that I'm not prepared to wear so many cloths all the time.
We've done a great deal of our shopping already in La Paz where prices are considerably lower. Frans' Señora was a great help there, unfortunately she couldn't join us on our trip. So far we've spent pretty much exactly 1000 Bs and tomorrow morning when the shops open we'll buy what's still missing. I've noticed that we have forgotten to include the tank into our calculations (apart from a few minor things). A 600l tank here costs about 700Bs, that will have to be added but also that's about the amount we expect to stay below our budget... so we might be just fine. Jorge Steiner is just returning from La Paz, not sure if we'll still meet him, but anyways we've already found what we were looking for.
Concerning the amount of faucetts: After talking again with the guys and Frans (unfortunately Trini hasn't arrived on time) the decision was made to install 2 faucetts in the comunidad and one at the cabañas. This means we'll need to buy one more. That's it for now.
15-07-2010: Francoise Bourzat:
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Founder of Circle of Hearts and sanluisgrande.com.
She has been working with the people of San Luis Grande for sevaral years with the aim to improve their situation and promote eco tourism. The construction of sevaral convenient cabins for visitors where sucesfully finished in 2009. A new website of her is www.corazonvisits.com
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Hello everyone,
I spoke with Frans this evening. They are back in La Paz.
The class was very interesting and they learned a lot.
Feliciano and Nicanor VERY MUCH enjoyed the whole experience!
They had to go through Oruro to come back.
They had never travelled so far and they loved it!
12-07-2010: Christian Scherer:
Hey everybody,
Frans, the two people from SLG and myself have met up in CCB. My luggage arrived just on time a couple hours before I had to leave Sta Cruz. We had our first very helpful training session at Plastiforte this morning and tomorrow we'll have a look at a current project somewhere near CCB. The people from Plastiforte are a great help answering all our questions and this visit was so far definitely worth the efford. We also have taken some pictures, you'll receive them some time later.
08-07-2010: Christian Scherer:
I've arrived in Santa Cruz at 4 a.m. this morning after 48 hours of cancelled and changed flights and without luggage. So my plans were already in a mess even before I reached Bolivia. Anyways, I hope my luggage will make it until Sunday and then we should have an on-time start in Cochabamba. I'm in contact with Frans and Plastiforte and all seems to be in place.
Frans has made a budget proposal for the travelling and accomodation of the two people from SLG and himself. You find the document attached. If Jack can organize accomodation in Cochabamba that would be even better. I'll try to add the other things like materials until Monday if possible (need to meet Frans for it).
Water team in San Luis Grande (Photo: Frans Cayo)
Water team in San Luis Grande (Photo: Christian Scherer)
Water team in San Luis Grande (Photo: Nicanor)
Agua Tuya tubes ready for transport, Cochabamba (photo: AguaTuya)
Frans Cayo, Feliciano, instructor Plastiforte, Nicanor, Christian Scherer. Cochabamba 12-07-2010 (photo: AguaTuya)
Christian Scherer, Nicanor, instructors Plastiforte. Cochabamba 12-07-2010 (photo: AguaTuya)
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