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PILOT PROJECT UPDATE 1


BACKGROUND

Since the beginning of the Ingi Bupa Semanba Humbachuha Mendevi project in
August 2020 in the Kofan reservation of Santa Rosa del Guamuéz in southwestern
Colombia, Ovidio Urresty Queta and his wife Oliva Quilindo Muñoz have been
steadfast participants. Ingi Bupa is a food sovereignty initiative for which
Healing Bridges provides material support for agricultural activities and
materials, as well as field meals to the participants who gather biweekly in
mingas or collective work sessions. Ovidio's principal activity is aquaculture,
raising mainly tilapia and cachama, and like most Kofan, their family raises
chickens, and grows plantain, yucca, and corn. Through Ingi Bupa, Ovidio and
Oliva expanded some ponds and built a new one.

A few months before Ingi Bupa began, Healing Bridges began conversations with
Moira Hanes, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Empowered by Light about
the possibility of getting solar energy to the Kofan in Santa Rosa del Guamuéz.
Over the course of many conversation, Ms. Hanes suggested the possibility of
floating solar panels, and towards the end of 2023, Ms. Hanes suggested that we
begin with a pilot.

Because Ovidio and Oliva have proven to be early-adopters, are responsive and
timely in providing receipts, and are highly-motivated entrepreneurs, Healing
Bridges approached them about their hosting the pilot project of the floating
solar cells. The possibility of clean, reliable energy could significantly
bolster their climate resilience, for as the globe continues to heat up, the
weather extremes in their territory become more and more pronounced. Such energy
could power aerators in their ponds to prevent massive fish kills resulting from
oxygen depletion, and, if possible, help move and/or recycle their waters.


MAP OF OVIDIO AND OLIVA'S AQUACULTURE PONDS

Ponds 2 - 9 are active fish ponds. Pond 1 is used as a reservoir, as it catches
water from the surrounding hills and is used to provide ponds 2 and 3 with
water.

To harvest fish, they partially drain the pond into the creek. To refurbish a
pond, they fully drain it and then remove vegetation and excess mud, and firm up
the sides. To refill it, they use water from the creek and springs.



SOME IMAGES OF THE PONDS: CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

Ingi Bupa participants between ponds 2 and 3. Pond 1 is in the background.
Pond 2 in the foreground, pond 1 to its right.
Pond 9 is far left. Pond 4, drained, in right foreground.


CLICK ON THE YELLOW ANGLES BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO FROM THOSE ANGLES.

During our October 2023 visit, we saw the effects of the dry season's heat and
drought and continued our discussion about global warming. Not only do the
ponds' water levels go down, but their available oxygen for the fish is
depleted. We discussed various mitigation strategies, some nature-based like
planting shade trees on the banks, others like purchasing and installing
aerators. We also agreed that we could take advantage of the rainy season to
capture water for the dry season.

As 2024 began, we held a series of conversations about their energy needs and
the machines they may require. This led to conversations about prior steps: if
we took an inventory of only what they had, we might be short on energy later.
This conversation then began a re-thinking of the current practice of simply
draining the ponds into the creek, especially during dry season. This takes time
since it implies changing the until now tried-and-true practice of their most
important economic activity.


PROPOSED WATER MOVEMENT

The main idea is illustrated in this GIF: instead of draining the ponds into the
creeks, we proposed that they could pump the water up into the surrounding hills
and their crops. They know that the ponds' waters and muds are excellent
fertilizer.

When they expressed continuing confusion about the water movements and the
floating solar, we created the GIF and included it in the video we sent below.



LINK TO THE VIDEO SENT ON APRIL 5:



The video did the trick: we were now on the same page.

So we began discussing Pond 1. Since it is used only as a reservoir, has by far
the largest surface area, and lies well exposed to the sun, we agreed that this
could be the site for the floating solar panels. Enlarging it will increase its
available surface area and hold more water (which itself would be protected from
the sun during the dry season by the shade of the floating panels.)

We also discussed the construction of a new pond. We sent them a couple of
sketches of ideas, and they made a decision and sent us the images below showing
the proposed expansion of Pond 1 and the digging of a new Pond 10, which along
with Pond 1 will serve as a reservoir. With a system of new pipes and hoses,
they will be able to send the pond water to their crops, and refill them using
water from ponds 1 and 10, as well as from the creeks as needed.


PROPOSED POND EXPANSION AND CONSTRUCTION: CLICK AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

Projected expansion of Pond 1. Pond 2 is to the far left.
Pond 1 expansion.
New Pond 10.

Once we were in agreement, they contacted a bulldozer contractor whom they trust
and got an estimate of the hours and total cost. They also got estimates for the
necessary hosing and tubing to have the ability to move the waters. Finally,
they got estimates for aerators and a strong pump, as this will need to move
large amounts of water over a distance in an incline. Unfortunately it does not
appear that there are electric pumps in the local market. We also want to learn
more about the aerators before we commit to their purchase.

So on May 20, Healing Bridges wired Ovidio and Oliva $7,500 for the estimated 95
bulldozer hours (about half of the total funds sent) as well as the piping and
tubing: some 500 meters of hosing, as well as tubing, joints, connectors. The
bulldozer is scheduled to begin work mid-June. They will then set up the piping
from Pond 1 and Pond 10 to the other ponds to help refill them. Once this is
done, we will all know which aerators we'll need to purchase as well as a new
pump, which will set us back another $7,500 or so. While this is becoming a
significant investment, representing some 15% of Healing Bridges average yearly
budget, our collective expectation is that with the floating solar panels that
Empowered by Light may provide, Ovidio and Oliva will confront some of the
looming effects of global warming and provide a model of climate resilience.