IDEX Program Officer, Katherine Zavala, recently traveled to Mexico to spend time in the field with our grantees there.

Today I visited International Institute of Renewable Resources (IRRI-Mexico) at their new office in the Colonia Condesa. To reduce costs, IRRI-Mexico shares their office with a green technology business and the organization Global Youth Action Network. I met with 6 staff members and the founder/board chair of IRRI-Mexico Ilan Adler.

IRRI-Mexico was founded in 2003 and has been providing workshops, and developing renewable energy programs in Mexico City and 6 other states in Mexico. Their programs focuses mainly on 3 areas:
• Rainwater capturing and water treatment
• Biogas energy (through biodigestors)
• Wood-saving stoves, and solar energy

In November 2008, IRRI worked together with community members in rural Yucatan, to install a biodigestor to provide energy for students who travel long distances to their local school so need to stay at the school during the week. The community was already raising several animals, including pigs. It made sense to convert the pig manure into biogas and supply energy for the kitchen that feeds all the students.

One of their new community projects in Mexico City is called "La isla urbana" (the urban island) in Ajusco in the district Tlalpan in the south of the city. Enrique Adler took me to this community and introduced me to Clara Gaytan.

Clara is a 58-year old woman who, thanks to IRRI-Mexico, now has access to water whenever she needs it. IRRI-Mexico installed a rainwater-capturing tank that can hold 70,000 liters of water in Clara's house. Clara lives with her grandchildren and sister’s children. She also rents rooms to 4 people. 9 people in total now have access to water whenever they need it.

"It has changed my life," announced Clara, "The municipal water system used to pump water to us from Monday to Thursday, but they shut down the system Friday to Sunday. But recently they’re not even sending water to us from Monday to Thursday. So having a rainwater capture tank helps me to collect water when I can’t depend on the municipal water system."

Labels: biogas, IRRI, Mexico, water

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