Setting up a Water Coop in Jamaica
The issue of access to potable water in Jamaica has been ongoing. To this has been added the effects of changing rainfall patterns resulting from climate change. I believe a cooperative approach to making water accessible is a solution.
I would like ideas from individuals with the technical experience of setting up, managing water systems on this venture.
Billy Smith Tue 9 Jun 2020 4:00AM
Hi Gregory,
One student i came across in London in October-ish last year is Lauren, the founder of the Little Coffee Company. She's studying business in London, but she's originally from Jamaica.
https://www.instagram.com/littlecoffeecompany/ was her first set-up, and https://www.littlecoffeecompany.com/ is what she has done recently.
The coffee being sold is from the farms run by her family and their friends. They're going the FairTrade route.
It might be worth getting in touch with them. I don't know whether they have come across the co-operative model yet, but Lauren seemed interested when i spoke with her about this.
As you're more local than myself, it may come across better coming from you.
At the very least, there's another group of people who have a need for a consistent water supply, as well as having the land available to experiment with a range of solutions. :D
Hope that this helps. :D
Billy Smith · Sun 7 Jun 2020 10:06AM
A good place to start would be Appropedia, as they have some great descriptions and advice about all kinds of technology that can be built by the people that are using them.
https://www.appropedia.org/Welcome_to_Appropedia
They have some technologies that are specific to water supply systems,
https://www.appropedia.org/Portal:Water
They have also published a book that covers a number of projects that were developed independently,
http://www.tocatchtherain.org/
The book can be downloaded from here, http://www.tocatchtherain.org/get-it-free/
This was funded via KickStarter, and they are planning a series covering different aspects of Appropriate Technology.
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Another approach that i will be discussing in the OSHW sessions during the conference will be the SCIM approach. http://resiliencemaps.org/
Simple Critical Infrastructure Maps give a good baseline for a shared map of reality, that allows people to collaborate constructively.
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When you have a group of disparate people, or groups that are operating from different axioms, it can become difficult to get everyone to agree on a plan of action.
By using a specific map as a model of what needs to be worked on, then it becomes possible to work around the disagreements, as you have something concrete to discuss.
Some of the organisational problems caused by this are described as "Goat Rodeo's". A larger description of the situation and some solutions are discussed here, https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/blog/of-warlords-and-rodeos-why-nothing-works/ :D
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If i think of anything else in the meantime, i'll shout you. :D