We ensure access to water for our communities across the country

Monterrey, Nuevo León, December 14, 2020. In an effort to strengthen the population’s resilience during the COVID-19 health crisis in Mexico, the Active Communities Fund is helping to ensure access to and availability of water in various communities.  

Through the partnership between Comunalia, Coca-Cola Mexico, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Mott Foundation, community foundations and grassroots groups are developing initiatives to benefit their communities, primarily to ensure access to this vital liquid for human consumption.  

To help communities facing water access challenges during the pandemic, the Active Communities Fund is supporting projects in the states of Puebla, Querétaro, Chihuahua, and Nayarit. We invite you to learn more about our initiatives: 

• "Community, Safe Water, and Resilience in San Francisco Xochiteopán" by the Puebla Community Foundation, in the state of Puebla.

The initiative supports nearly 1,400 people from 300 families in the community of Xochiteopán, working with them to strengthen their community’s resilience regarding access to and availability of water for human consumption.

The strategies being implemented to achieve this goal are: reducing the cost of water supply through a solar-powered pumping system; installing a system for collecting, storing, and purifying rainwater that will eventually enable the creation of a bottled water business model; conducting workshops on the management and maintenance of water systems; and installing a wireless Internet system for the community.

• For better living conditions and the holistic development of families in El Salitre, supported by Cáritas de Querétaro, in the state of Querétaro.

A total of 50 families—about 188 people—in six neighborhoods in the El Salitre area of Querétaro are participating in the project For Better Living Conditions and the Comprehensive Development of Families in El Salitre which, among other initiatives, trains participants to build six rainwater collection cisterns using ferrocement to support households that face the greatest difficulties in accessing this vital resource.

• "Entrepreneurship for Social Change," 4th Edition, organized by the Center for Leadership and Human Development A.C. in Chihuahua, in partnership with FECHAC.

The initiative supports 125 businesses run by 500 entrepreneurs, who will compete for one of the 12 prizes to be awarded. The 4th edition seeks to encourage entrepreneurs to propose innovative projects that contribute to economic recovery and strengthen social initiatives in the areas of access to water, women and youth, humanitarian aid, and support for small businesses.

• Art inspired by nature from the Center for Conservation Studies and San Pancho Bird Observatory A.C., in partnership with the Punta de Mita Foundation in Nayarit.

Fifteen young people and women from San Pancho, Nayarit, who are marginalized and underemployed, are participating in a workshop on the artistic production of paper and products made from water lilies. 

Among other things, the initiative helps alleviate water scarcity in the region by reducing evaporation and transpiration caused by water lilies.