This project has been completed under the direction of Rosângela Araújo, Vice President of Instituto Diamante Verde (IDV). To read about the beginning of the project, CLICK HERE.
The project was to build a rainwater catchment system and ferro-cement tank in the village of Gregório.
Rosângela reports:
It took 5 months to complete the project, under the direct supervision of Professor Manuela, now elected head of the Association and representative of the Instituto Diamante Verde in Gregório.
This year something really amazing happened in Queimadas/Gregório village. During the summer season 2010/2011, the news showed the tragic scene of 22 villages facing water shortages due to a lack of rain. However, due to the adoption of a program to build ferro-cement tanks, Queimadas had the capacity to capture sufficient rainwater to fulfill the basic consumption needs of the communities that make up the municipality.
The pictures show the proven construction techniques that resulted in the completion of the collection and storage system in Quemadas. As a result, 580 people now have an adequate water supply.
The completion of this project makes possible additional development efforts, under the direction of IDV, for the benefit of the community. These include a tree nursery and erosion control program as well as a gardening program to grow organic vegetables, legumes and fruits for the consumption of the students. Finally, moringa trees are being planted around the natural water source. This not only prevents evaporation but also produces leaves and other components with significant nutritional benefit.
We wish to extend our thanks to Rosângela for carrying out this great project, and creating a model to follow for similar projects in the municipality.
We again wish to thank The Soneva SLOW LIFE Trust for providing the funding for the project.
To read an update on the project, CLICK HERE.