6 July 2015
We finished our second week of work at the Sumpango cooperativa but there is still a lot more work left to be done! Although we finished clearing all the land for the three additional garden beds, we still have to construct them next week. As we dug up the weeds, we discovered that there were a few issues with the irrigation system that was put in place during last year’s project. The system made of barrels and pipes was designed to collect rainwater and has helped the women have a steady, clean water supply. However, the plastic tubing that was used has been damaged in three different places. Our plan was to patch up the holes, but now we’ve realized that the pipes are too close to the surface so we will have to dig them deeper so that they will be more protected from any further damage. Another major concern is that while the system works well in the rainy months, it does not provide water during the dry season so the women have to purchase barrels of water from the nearest supplier a few miles away and carry it back to the cooperativa. Since we are focusing on basil production, we are concerned about the plants drying out so we are trying to devise a plan to make the irrigation system work year round during our next meeting.
After work on Tuesday, we spent two hours getting to know the women from the cooperativa better. We talked about many things ranging from food to marriage. They are a diverse group of hardworking, charismatic, and tenacious people. We hope to learn more about them and from them during the rest of our time with them. One thing that did surprise us a little during our conversation was that the women from the cooperativa didn’t know that this years project team and last years were both from Nourish International. We spent some time on Wednesday talking more about nourish international and our model. While we definitely cleared up many things and a got a better sense of the women’s expectations for us, we also realized that there have been a few lapses in communication between our partner organizations and the Sumpango cooperativa. We learned that the women are most concerned about the irrigation system and finding potential customers for the basil and other plants and herbs that they are producing. We will communicate this and all the other information, concerns, questions, and insight that the women shared with us to our partner organizations during our meeting on Monday. Our goal is to try to make some small changes in our proposed project plans and budget allocations in order to better meet the needs and expectations that the Sumpango cooperativa has.
Written by Wendy Renteria
Photos by Raphael Mawrence