April 2, 2025 • 27 mins
A chance vacation encounter transformed into a life-changing initiative for thousands of students in Cozumel, Mexico. When Matt McElroy, President-Elect of Indio Sunrise Rotary, attended a Rotary meeting during his family vacation, he witnessed firsthand the stark reality facing island schoolchildren – no access to clean drinking water. This revelation sparked what would become an extraordinary cross-border Rotary partnership.
The Green Schools Project tackles multiple critical challenges through a brilliantly simple solution: harvesting abundant tropical rainfall from school building domes, filtering it for drinking, and using additional collected water for on-site gardens. The initiative addresses the alarming fact that bottled water costs more than gasoline on the island, pushing many children toward unhealthy sugary alternatives and contributing to Mexico's highest-in-the-world childhood obesity rates.
Isaac Galvez, a 38-year Rotarian from Club Rotario de Cozumel, shares how this project evolved from teaching backyard vegetable growing into a comprehensive sustainability program. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when tourism – the island's economic lifeblood – completely halted, these gardens became crucial to community survival. Rotary-supported community kitchens served over 1.2 million meals during this crisis, underscoring the vital importance of local food production and clean water access.
Beyond providing safe drinking water, the Green Schools initiative incorporates student-managed composting systems, native fruit tree cultivation, and vegetable gardens that serve as living laboratories for science education. Students proudly plant trees with thoughts of future generations who will enjoy their fruits – a powerful lesson in environmental stewardship and long-term thinking.
What began with support from Rotary partners in Texas has expanded through district-to-district partnerships and global grants. The Indio Sunrise Rotary Club is now hosting a fundraiser on November 1st at the Coachella Valley History Museum to support expanding the project to additional schools. Their goal is to eventually reach all 15 schools on Cozumel, transforming thousands of young lives through clean water access and hands-on sustainability education.
Subscribe and share the Community Heroes of Hope podcast to learn more about impactful Rotary projects making a difference locally and globally. Together, we can spread hope through action and connection.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to the Community.
Heroes of Hope, a podcast wherewe shine a light on the
remarkable individuals andprojects in Rotary District 5330
that bring hope and change toour local and global communities
.
I am Judy Zelfikar, yourco-host and the current District
Governor of Rotary District5330.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
And I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect, and I'm NirenMcLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect.
Together, we're diving deepinto the heart of the community
service, showcasing the impactof dedication and collaboration
in addressing some of the mostpressing challenges our
communities face.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Each episode, we'll tell stories of incredible
people making a difference,innovating solutions and
inspiring others to take action.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We'll also be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at
the projects that aretransforming their lives, and
we'll discuss how you, too, canget involved, contribute and be
part of the positive change.
Whether you're a seasonedRotarian or just looking to give
back, this podcast is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So join us as we explore the journeys, challenges
and successes of people likeyou who have stepped up to make
a difference.
Let's celebrate the spirit ofcommunity and the power of hope
together.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Don't forget to subscribe to the Community
Heroes of Hope on your favoritepodcast platform.
Stay with us on this journey ofinspiration and let's spread
the message of hope further thanever.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thank you for tuning in.
Let's get started, Niren.
We love to go around the worldwith some of the projects that
we do with our Rotary Clubs herein District 5330 and I'm very
excited we're going to Cozumeltoday.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Which is very exciting.
Love Mexico and very excited tohear about this project and how
we are having an impact in thatcommunity.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So we have Matthew and Isaac with us today.
Matt, why don't you introduceyourself and tell us a little
bit about your club and thisproject?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yes, so I'm Matt McElroy here.
I'm the president-elect for theIndio Sunrise Rotary Club and
the club.
The project that our club iscurrently passionate about and
working on, is in partnershipwith Club Rotario de Cozumel and
we have Isaac here with ustoday, and it is a full green
(02:22):
school project.
So essentially they're and I'lllet Isaac explain more but
really what the project is doingis bringing clean drinking
water to the schools on theisland, and it's in two parts,
so it's collecting rainwater,harvesting the rainwater and
filtering it for a couple ofmain purposes One, to provide
(02:46):
the students and the facultyclean drinking water, which they
do not currently have, andallowing them to use the clean
water for irrigation, which isgiving them an opportunity to
have a cultivation andhorticulture program as well
(03:07):
conservation and horticultureprogram as well, awesome.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, maybe Isaac, can you introduce yourself and
tell us why you started thisproject on and in Cozumel.
I'll be more than glad.
Thank you all for being here,for caring about our community.
Well, I am in Rotary for thelast 38 years, so I've been
around a little bit.
I started pushing to teach.
Since we live on an island and,depending on transportation for
(03:37):
providing food and all that, Istarted this program of teaching
the students how to cultivategreen vegetables.
So that's how we started some12 years ago.
People really didn't get intoit much.
We got some volunteers.
We wanted the house ladies tolearn how to grow vegetables in
(04:03):
the backyard.
So we started with this programof one square meter for food
and we did capacitate some 500of them, but not all of them
follow up.
They suspend it, they do it,they often go back.
So we have this facility inwhich we train and teach people.
(04:25):
We bring kindergarten kids andhigh school kids, boy Scouts,
and we have noticed how closethey get into the land, into the
soil and the vegetables.
It's not the same that going tothe supermarket and buying
tomatoes that are grown athousand, two thousand miles
away from here and all theproblems he gets you know, all
(04:54):
the carbon track they leave thecost of it and depending on
importation to be able tosubsist.
So we were in that until thepandemic came.
Until the pandemic came, we hadsome money from Rotary to do a
greenhouse plantation in aschool, but they stopped the
school because of the pandemic.
So we associated with thisparish and we started the
(05:18):
program and it was so successfulbecause, being on an island, we
have no tourism.
We depend on tourism for 95%.
All of a sudden there was noplanes and no cruise ships, no
business open.
It was there and we are talking85,000 people population.
So it created this need ofhaving food.
(05:42):
We got supplies to the markets,to the supermarkets.
Only supermarkets, hospitalsand pharmacies were open.
It was very sad.
I'm not going to get much intoit, but it was.
It changed the island's peopleway of thinking.
So we were growing vegetables.
We opened a community kitchenActually the Rotary Club
(06:07):
participated in four or five ofthem.
We took care of one inparticular and there were nine
kitchens.
Well, the one we took care ofwith the parish.
We collected donations onechicken here, one whatever and
we poured it all in the one samepile and we served 1,206,000
(06:30):
rations during the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Congratulations.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
The lines were 800, 700 people every day, all kind
of different levels, economicand cultural levels.
We were all making a linebecause there was no salaries,
no income, no business at all.
So after that experience itjust blew up.
(06:55):
You know, I have these friendsfrom Texas and the district
sponsored one school because theschools have no drinking water
and along with that we haveobesity.
We are number one obesity inchildhood, which is leading us
(07:15):
to be number one in adults inadult obesity.
So we're going to get the firstplace instead of you, but it's
nothing we are proud of.
So in this significant meaninghealth, drinking water, food
availability and the retaking orreborning of the knowledge of
(07:41):
how to grow vegetables onlyvegetables in the backyard of
the knowledge of how to growvegetables only vegetables in
the backyard.
So we finally got through thatand we got sponsored to do one
green school project.
This high school has 1,200students and they go 1,200 in
(08:03):
the morning and I think 600 inthe evening in the other shift.
So we're talking almost 2,000students that have no water.
Water has become more expensivethan gasoline, which is absurd,
so instead they buy Coca-Colas.
Sorry to mention names, butthose are.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And that definitely doesn't help the diabetes issue.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
It is poison for students.
You know we need to have ahealthy childhood and so that's
how it started.
So we got this support fromTexas, district 10.
And then we did a districtfound, district to district,
(08:49):
which easier our things becausewe could use the money easily.
Then we got into a global grantwith District 5180 in Oregon
5180 in Oregon.
And that's when I met, when wemet in the club, you know, and
(09:12):
we had the visit and he gotinterested.
I'm talking about you, sir,thank you very much, and you're
the one that has been pushingthis.
So we have two options.
The fully green schoolcontemplates composting, so we
create the facility to producecompost.
(09:34):
That has been working very finein there.
Children save their organicdebris from home and bring them
to the school.
We planted 130, some trees fromthe area, fruit trees, and it
was very, very inspiring to seethe kids 13, 14-year-old kids,
(10:01):
you know very enthusiastic aboutwondering the future.
These mango I planted when Ihave children.
I will be very proud that Iplanted these in my school.
So that led us to the next step.
So we are growing vegetables,we have someone that is teaching
(10:22):
them and the physics, thebiology, the botanic teachers,
all those science that are inthe school program found a very
fertile land in which to work,so the chemistry teacher is very
fascinated with it because shecan take chemistry out of
(10:44):
growing vegetables.
We needed the water, because thechlorine water in here is awful
.
It kills every stomach and itkills even the plants.
And it's very short.
You know we get problems withthat when we live in the tropics
and the tropics bring a lot ofrain, so our philosophy is to
(11:16):
respect the aquifer.
Now, beyond the water, we needto let it rest.
We do not want to use the waterfrom the city.
It has too much chlorine, butwe got plenty of rain.
So what is the solution?
We designed and found thiscompany that does a very simple
way by osmosis, very inexpensivefiltering systems.
We collect the water from adome.
(11:38):
The government built domes inevery school, so they have
volleyball and basketball courtsunderneath, so it's perfect for
collection.
So we collect water from therain and one part is dedicated
and filtered for drinking andthe other one is for the
services and irrigation, and wehave succeeded so much.
(12:01):
I got scenes, pictures, videosand that I could.
I'm preparing a presentation soI had to stop it since we
postponed it, but I'm going tobring a video that shows the one
example that is already onwheels.
You will be proud to be part ofthis.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
I'm going to jump in and just interrupt you here for
just a second.
Matt, tell us again how you gotconnected with this program how
you got connected with thisprogram.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yes, so, yeah, so, um , so actually my family was was
vacationing on the Island andwent to, uh a, the Rotary
meeting on the Island, where wemet a number of the Rotarians
there and learned about whatRotary is involved in on the
island and what projects werethey working on.
It was a kind of a, it was aRotary moment for myself.
(13:03):
It was my first.
My first opportunity to visit aclub in another country and to
really see firsthand the reachthat Rotary has see firsthand
the reach that Rotary has andyou know, get to experience the
different projects that Rotaryis involved in throughout the
(13:23):
world.
And when I got an opportunity towalk through some of these
schools with the fellowRotarians there on the island
and see firsthand what they'reinvolved in and what they're
working towards achieving, Ibrought I, you know, I the.
The.
(13:44):
What impacted me the most wasthe clean water program and I
just it's something that I takefor granted, obviously, living
where I do Right, water just isa thing that I don't spend a lot
of time thinking about.
And when I saw firsthand theamount of students that didn't
have access to clean drinkingwater, it really just touched me
(14:06):
to clean drinking water.
It really just touched me.
So, you know, they were kindenough to really show me more
and give me an opportunity towalk the schools, to meet the
faculty, to meet the students.
And I brought this home to myclub here in Indio, california,
(14:27):
who really got behind it, andwe've been in regular
communication with the club incozumel and have been working on
a fundraising event to bringabout where the awareness of the
project, to raise funds for theproject.
And then also we have chosen aand then also we have chosen a
(14:48):
local nonprofit here in theCoachella Valley Desert, compost
, who does a lot here locally incomposting.
They have a number of programsthat they offer locally in the
(15:11):
schools here for the students inregards to composting, and
because composting was a part ofthe project here in Cozumel, we
wanted to highlight whatthey're doing here locally with
their composting programs forstudents.
So we're also raising a littlebit of funds to support those
programs locally as well.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You know, matt, one of the things I think is
critical is what you said.
You were vacationing on theisland and you attended a Rotary
meeting.
I think that all Rotarians andmy hat is off to you, because
all Rotarians need to, I thinkkeep thinking that Rotary is all
(15:43):
the time right, even whenyou're on vacation.
I've done that as well and I'vegone to wonderful meetings in
other countries whilevacationing.
So because your rotary hat wason all the time, you were able
to get exposed to a wonderfulopportunity where you could have
an impact.
So my head is off to you there.
The question I have is at leastone of the questions I have is
(16:08):
for Isaac.
The water that you collect fromthe domes over the schools,
does that go into a cistern?
Is it going to 55-gallon drums?
How are you collecting it?
Did you dig a cistern thatwould collect everything and
from that you pump into otherareas?
Speaker 4 (16:28):
We have two different cases.
The school we chose andaccepted to do the program, they
did have a cistern.
So what we do is collect thewater and take it into the
cistern, but that would be onlythe water for drinking.
We have tanks 10,000 liters Idon't know that should be.
(16:53):
I don't know 10,000 liter tanksthat collect the water for
irrigation in the growing bedsand the trees.
So we have the two differentoptions.
In that school the dump, it'sperfect to collect the water,
but not every school has acistern.
In the cases they do not have acistern, we are collecting it
(17:16):
into big, huge tanks.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Okay, Go ahead.
I was just going to say thishits so many parts of what we do
in Rotary, Like you were saying, the fact that when you're a
Rotarian, you're part of acommunity that's literally
around the world and you can goto any Rotary club anywhere in
the world.
And obviously, Matt, you didthat while you were on vacation,
which is amazing.
And the second part is it hitssome of the areas of service
(17:41):
with child and maternal health.
It hits our environmentalsection, so quite a lot is water
and sanitation is really packedinto this particular project.
So where do you go from here?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Matt, what's the game plan?
What are you looking to do?
What do you need?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Currently, our club is going to begin working on a
new global grant for the projectto support a couple of schools
that we would like to bring theclean drinking water to and, in
addition, our club is putting ona fundraising event that will
be happening here at theCoachella Valley History Museum
(18:26):
on Saturday, November 1st, sothat is the new date for the
fundraiser.
It is going to be a wonderfulopportunity to bring awareness
to the project.
Like Isaac had stated, Ibelieve he will be traveling
from the islands and will beattending the event.
He's going to bring some videosthat we will have playing in an
(18:48):
auditorium for people to learnmore and to visually see the
project, and you know we'regoing to be.
It's going to be a wonderfulevening and you know it's it's.
I think it's an opportunity forthe community to really see
what Rotary is all about, andnot only the impact that Rotary
(19:12):
has locally here in ourcommunities, but really what
Rotary is doing around the world.
Because I'm asked that so manytimes when people want to know
what Rotary is and they couldsee the things that we're doing
in our community, but many timesthey're not aware of what
Rotary is doing as a wholearound the world.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
So, Matt, tell us how people can find out more about
it, about the fundraiser onNovember 1st and just about this
project in general.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Yes.
So we are going to be puttingout some information hopefully
that we will have some supportfrom the district that we can
have it on the district eventspage.
So District 5330 has their ownwebsite that you could go to and
look at the various events thatare happening throughout the
district.
We will make sure that thatinformation is readily available
(20:02):
on there readily available onthere.
We are visiting our neighboringclubs out here and making sure
that all the Rotarians locallyare doing their part to spread
the word throughout thecommunity and hopefully we will
have a couple of neighboringclubs that will be coming
alongside us to really worktowards ensuring that this
(20:26):
fundraiser and that the projectitself is a success we are
working to putting together.
We have another Rotarian herelocally by the name of David
Hammer, who's part of the E-Club, the E-Club of World Peace, who
has been generous enough tosupport or to provide a
(20:47):
seven-night stay on the islandfor our raffle, and he does have
a property there on the islandthat he is making available at a
very, very affordable rate forthose that would like to travel
to the island to stay there, totake part in the project and to
visit the schools.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Awesome.
So does the Indio Club have.
Do you have a website that youcan also have information on?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
That is a great question.
We do While you look that up.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I'll let everybody know it's district5330.org is
where you'll be able to findinformation as soon as we get it
up on that site.
That's also where the podcastwill be.
And then, Isaac, is there awebsite for your project down in
Cozumel?
Can you give that to us?
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Yes, I can get it to you.
You can get all the informationand we keep posting it all the
actions that we do.
We are a small club but veryactive and I'm positive and sure
that you will enjoy our doing,because we really work a lot
Sounds like it.
(21:59):
And the community.
The Rotary in Casa Mel is bigin the sense of we have their
trust.
They really rely on us, theybelieve in us and they trust us.
They love Rotary, but we havenever grown more than 25 somehow
.
But people collaborate and ourrichness is like Matt said you
(22:20):
know all these Rotarians thatcome and pay us a visit?
Said you know all theseRotarians that come and pay us a
visit.
While we talk about and discusswhat we do, I mean we create a
good impression and they do wantto get involved.
That's why I am in charge ofinternational services for many
years and that's how I havelinked our club to other clubs.
(22:42):
Now we have one district grantapplied.
We are working on the secondone and the third one is almost
to be authorized.
That's three schools.
So with this project we've met.
We are aiming to two moreschools, so that would be the
(23:03):
fifth and sixth school.
We are 15 schools and that'samazing our goal.
our goal is to provide drinkingwater we're in all of them but
also this issue of collectingthe making compost.
Save that we do have a landfillthat is already filled, so they
(23:27):
want to cut more jungle to makeit larger, and I talked to the
mayor and said we need tocapacitate the population not to
create more trash.
We should stop trashing Instead.
We have to teach them not totrash instead of building
another landfill.
So that's the issue.
(23:48):
That's why it's so important.
We have made some surveys and50 or more than 50% of our waste
is organic.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
It is amazing what your club, the small clubs, are
amazing and what they can getdone and how much impact that
you can have and how much it isthat we're able to connect from
all over the world.
So, matt, did you find thatwebsite?
I?
Speaker 3 (24:15):
did so.
You can go toindiosunriserotaryorg and you
can find out more informationthere.
There's a link that will takeyou to, or you can go directly
to,indiosunriserotaryticketspicecom
, and that is the pagespecifically for the event,
(24:35):
where you can read about theevent and you can buy your
tickets there.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Wonderful.
Well, thank you both forjoining us today.
Any final thoughts?
Nyron?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Well, I think, as you were saying, the small clubs
are really the dynamos, I think,in Rotary, and small but mighty
, and so it's very exciting.
And again, matt, kudos to youfor being Rotarian 100% of the
time, including on vacation,because the unique opportunities
you're able to bring to ourdistrict and expand the district
(25:06):
to the rest of the world, Ithink is fabulous.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And Isaac, we're going to come visit you when we
come to Cozumel.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Absolutely, Please please, please, we'll be more
than glad and you'll besurprised.
I promise you we are reallyworking on it.
We are installing the filtersin one school, we are planting
trees in the other school.
So what I want to make sure youguys understand is that we are
(25:32):
aiming to both district todistrict and grant the grants is
because the foundation aims tothese WASH programs, and WASH
programs do not contemplateanything but the water, from
obtaining it to distributing it.
But that would leave aside theteaching of growing the
(25:57):
composting thing and theplanting trees, and we really
want to include that in theGreen School project.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
We need to really be specific on it.
One budget should be submittedto the foundation and the other
one.
We managed to do it district todistrict, so we are a little
bit more free, because we dohave to contemplate expenses
like pumps, utensils, tools,seeds and soil, the teaching
(26:34):
itself, and that does not comein the WASH program.
Do I explain it myself?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yes, thank you for that Well.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Thank you both for coming out today.
We appreciate it Again.
This podcast will be up on ourdistrict website,
district5330.org, and you'llalso be able to view it on or
listen to it on your variouspodcast channels as well.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Thank you, Judy, Thank you.
Nyrod and thank you to District5330.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Thank you very much to all of you.
Thank you, Matt.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Thank you, you're awesome.
Thank you very much to all ofyou, Thank you.
Matt, thank you, you're awesome.
Thank you, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Thank you.
So that wraps up this episodeof Heroes of Hope.
We are so happy that we have anaudience out there listening.
We want you to subscribe, shareand tell your friends about the
Rotary Community Heroes of Hope, because that's how we get the
word out about the impact we'rehaving in this world.
Hello and welcome to the Community.
Heroes of Hope, a podcast wherewe shine a light on the
remarkable individuals andprojects in Rotary District 5330
that bring hope and change toour local and global communities
.
I am Judy Zelfikar, yourco-host and the current District
Governor of Rotary District5330.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
And I'm Niren McLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect, and I'm NirenMcLean, the Rotary District
Governor-Elect.
Together, we're diving deepinto the heart of the community
service, showcasing the impactof dedication and collaboration
in addressing some of the mostpressing challenges our
communities face.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Each episode, we'll tell stories of incredible
people making a difference,innovating solutions and
inspiring others to take action.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We'll also be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at
the projects that aretransforming their lives, and
we'll discuss how you, too, canget involved, contribute and be
part of the positive change.
Whether you're a seasonedRotarian or just looking to give
back, this podcast is for you.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
So join us as we explore the journeys, challenges
and successes of people likeyou who have stepped up to make
a difference.
Let's celebrate the spirit ofcommunity and the power of hope
together.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Don't forget to subscribe to the Community
Heroes of Hope on your favoritepodcast platform.
Stay with us on this journey ofinspiration and let's spread
the message of hope further thanever.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Thank you for tuning in.
Let's get started, Niren.
We love to go around the worldwith some of the projects that
we do with our Rotary Clubs herein District 5330 and I'm very
excited we're going to Cozumeltoday.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Which is very exciting.
Love Mexico and very excited tohear about this project and how
we are having an impact in thatcommunity.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So we have Matthew and Isaac with us today.
Matt, why don't you introduceyourself and tell us a little
bit about your club and thisproject?
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yes, so I'm Matt McElroy here.
I'm the president-elect for theIndio Sunrise Rotary Club and
the club.
The project that our club iscurrently passionate about and
working on, is in partnershipwith Club Rotario de Cozumel and
we have Isaac here with ustoday, and it is a full green
(02:22):
school project.
So essentially they're and I'lllet Isaac explain more but
really what the project is doingis bringing clean drinking
water to the schools on theisland, and it's in two parts,
so it's collecting rainwater,harvesting the rainwater and
filtering it for a couple ofmain purposes One, to provide
(02:46):
the students and the facultyclean drinking water, which they
do not currently have, andallowing them to use the clean
water for irrigation, which isgiving them an opportunity to
have a cultivation andhorticulture program as well
(03:07):
conservation and horticultureprogram as well, awesome.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
Well, maybe Isaac, can you introduce yourself and
tell us why you started thisproject on and in Cozumel.
I'll be more than glad.
Thank you all for being here,for caring about our community.
Well, I am in Rotary for thelast 38 years, so I've been
around a little bit.
I started pushing to teach.
Since we live on an island and,depending on transportation for
(03:37):
providing food and all that, Istarted this program of teaching
the students how to cultivategreen vegetables.
So that's how we started some12 years ago.
People really didn't get intoit much.
We got some volunteers.
We wanted the house ladies tolearn how to grow vegetables in
(04:03):
the backyard.
So we started with this programof one square meter for food
and we did capacitate some 500of them, but not all of them
follow up.
They suspend it, they do it,they often go back.
So we have this facility inwhich we train and teach people.
(04:25):
We bring kindergarten kids andhigh school kids, boy Scouts,
and we have noticed how closethey get into the land, into the
soil and the vegetables.
It's not the same that going tothe supermarket and buying
tomatoes that are grown athousand, two thousand miles
away from here and all theproblems he gets you know, all
(04:54):
the carbon track they leave thecost of it and depending on
importation to be able tosubsist.
So we were in that until thepandemic came.
Until the pandemic came, we hadsome money from Rotary to do a
greenhouse plantation in aschool, but they stopped the
school because of the pandemic.
So we associated with thisparish and we started the
(05:18):
program and it was so successfulbecause, being on an island, we
have no tourism.
We depend on tourism for 95%.
All of a sudden there was noplanes and no cruise ships, no
business open.
It was there and we are talking85,000 people population.
So it created this need ofhaving food.
(05:42):
We got supplies to the markets,to the supermarkets.
Only supermarkets, hospitalsand pharmacies were open.
It was very sad.
I'm not going to get much intoit, but it was.
It changed the island's peopleway of thinking.
So we were growing vegetables.
We opened a community kitchenActually the Rotary Club
(06:07):
participated in four or five ofthem.
We took care of one inparticular and there were nine
kitchens.
Well, the one we took care ofwith the parish.
We collected donations onechicken here, one whatever and
we poured it all in the one samepile and we served 1,206,000
(06:30):
rations during the pandemic.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
Congratulations.
Speaker 4 (06:35):
The lines were 800, 700 people every day, all kind
of different levels, economicand cultural levels.
We were all making a linebecause there was no salaries,
no income, no business at all.
So after that experience itjust blew up.
(06:55):
You know, I have these friendsfrom Texas and the district
sponsored one school because theschools have no drinking water
and along with that we haveobesity.
We are number one obesity inchildhood, which is leading us
(07:15):
to be number one in adults inadult obesity.
So we're going to get the firstplace instead of you, but it's
nothing we are proud of.
So in this significant meaninghealth, drinking water, food
availability and the retaking orreborning of the knowledge of
(07:41):
how to grow vegetables onlyvegetables in the backyard of
the knowledge of how to growvegetables only vegetables in
the backyard.
So we finally got through thatand we got sponsored to do one
green school project.
This high school has 1,200students and they go 1,200 in
(08:03):
the morning and I think 600 inthe evening in the other shift.
So we're talking almost 2,000students that have no water.
Water has become more expensivethan gasoline, which is absurd,
so instead they buy Coca-Colas.
Sorry to mention names, butthose are.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And that definitely doesn't help the diabetes issue.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
It is poison for students.
You know we need to have ahealthy childhood and so that's
how it started.
So we got this support fromTexas, district 10.
And then we did a districtfound, district to district,
(08:49):
which easier our things becausewe could use the money easily.
Then we got into a global grantwith District 5180 in Oregon
5180 in Oregon.
And that's when I met, when wemet in the club, you know, and
(09:12):
we had the visit and he gotinterested.
I'm talking about you, sir,thank you very much, and you're
the one that has been pushingthis.
So we have two options.
The fully green schoolcontemplates composting, so we
create the facility to producecompost.
(09:34):
That has been working very finein there.
Children save their organicdebris from home and bring them
to the school.
We planted 130, some trees fromthe area, fruit trees, and it
was very, very inspiring to seethe kids 13, 14-year-old kids,
(10:01):
you know very enthusiastic aboutwondering the future.
These mango I planted when Ihave children.
I will be very proud that Iplanted these in my school.
So that led us to the next step.
So we are growing vegetables,we have someone that is teaching
(10:22):
them and the physics, thebiology, the botanic teachers,
all those science that are inthe school program found a very
fertile land in which to work,so the chemistry teacher is very
fascinated with it because shecan take chemistry out of
(10:44):
growing vegetables.
We needed the water, because thechlorine water in here is awful
.
It kills every stomach and itkills even the plants.
And it's very short.
You know we get problems withthat when we live in the tropics
and the tropics bring a lot ofrain, so our philosophy is to
(11:16):
respect the aquifer.
Now, beyond the water, we needto let it rest.
We do not want to use the waterfrom the city.
It has too much chlorine, butwe got plenty of rain.
So what is the solution?
We designed and found thiscompany that does a very simple
way by osmosis, very inexpensivefiltering systems.
We collect the water from adome.
(11:38):
The government built domes inevery school, so they have
volleyball and basketball courtsunderneath, so it's perfect for
collection.
So we collect water from therain and one part is dedicated
and filtered for drinking andthe other one is for the
services and irrigation, and wehave succeeded so much.
(12:01):
I got scenes, pictures, videosand that I could.
I'm preparing a presentation soI had to stop it since we
postponed it, but I'm going tobring a video that shows the one
example that is already onwheels.
You will be proud to be part ofthis.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
I'm going to jump in and just interrupt you here for
just a second.
Matt, tell us again how you gotconnected with this program how
you got connected with thisprogram.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Yes, so, yeah, so, um , so actually my family was was
vacationing on the Island andwent to, uh a, the Rotary
meeting on the Island, where wemet a number of the Rotarians
there and learned about whatRotary is involved in on the
island and what projects werethey working on.
It was a kind of a, it was aRotary moment for myself.
(13:03):
It was my first.
My first opportunity to visit aclub in another country and to
really see firsthand the reachthat Rotary has see firsthand
the reach that Rotary has andyou know, get to experience the
different projects that Rotaryis involved in throughout the
(13:23):
world.
And when I got an opportunity towalk through some of these
schools with the fellowRotarians there on the island
and see firsthand what they'reinvolved in and what they're
working towards achieving, Ibrought I, you know, I the.
The.
(13:44):
What impacted me the most wasthe clean water program and I
just it's something that I takefor granted, obviously, living
where I do Right, water just isa thing that I don't spend a lot
of time thinking about.
And when I saw firsthand theamount of students that didn't
have access to clean drinkingwater, it really just touched me
(14:06):
to clean drinking water.
It really just touched me.
So, you know, they were kindenough to really show me more
and give me an opportunity towalk the schools, to meet the
faculty, to meet the students.
And I brought this home to myclub here in Indio, california,
(14:27):
who really got behind it, andwe've been in regular
communication with the club incozumel and have been working on
a fundraising event to bringabout where the awareness of the
project, to raise funds for theproject.
And then also we have chosen aand then also we have chosen a
(14:48):
local nonprofit here in theCoachella Valley Desert, compost
, who does a lot here locally incomposting.
They have a number of programsthat they offer locally in the
(15:11):
schools here for the students inregards to composting, and
because composting was a part ofthe project here in Cozumel, we
wanted to highlight whatthey're doing here locally with
their composting programs forstudents.
So we're also raising a littlebit of funds to support those
programs locally as well.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You know, matt, one of the things I think is
critical is what you said.
You were vacationing on theisland and you attended a Rotary
meeting.
I think that all Rotarians andmy hat is off to you, because
all Rotarians need to, I thinkkeep thinking that Rotary is all
(15:43):
the time right, even whenyou're on vacation.
I've done that as well and I'vegone to wonderful meetings in
other countries whilevacationing.
So because your rotary hat wason all the time, you were able
to get exposed to a wonderfulopportunity where you could have
an impact.
So my head is off to you there.
The question I have is at leastone of the questions I have is
(16:08):
for Isaac.
The water that you collect fromthe domes over the schools,
does that go into a cistern?
Is it going to 55-gallon drums?
How are you collecting it?
Did you dig a cistern thatwould collect everything and
from that you pump into otherareas?
Speaker 4 (16:28):
We have two different cases.
The school we chose andaccepted to do the program, they
did have a cistern.
So what we do is collect thewater and take it into the
cistern, but that would be onlythe water for drinking.
We have tanks 10,000 liters Idon't know that should be.
(16:53):
I don't know 10,000 liter tanksthat collect the water for
irrigation in the growing bedsand the trees.
So we have the two differentoptions.
In that school the dump, it'sperfect to collect the water,
but not every school has acistern.
In the cases they do not have acistern, we are collecting it
(17:16):
into big, huge tanks.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Okay, Go ahead.
I was just going to say thishits so many parts of what we do
in Rotary, Like you were saying, the fact that when you're a
Rotarian, you're part of acommunity that's literally
around the world and you can goto any Rotary club anywhere in
the world.
And obviously, Matt, you didthat while you were on vacation,
which is amazing.
And the second part is it hitssome of the areas of service
(17:41):
with child and maternal health.
It hits our environmentalsection, so quite a lot is water
and sanitation is really packedinto this particular project.
So where do you go from here?
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Matt, what's the game plan?
What are you looking to do?
What do you need?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
Currently, our club is going to begin working on a
new global grant for the projectto support a couple of schools
that we would like to bring theclean drinking water to and, in
addition, our club is putting ona fundraising event that will
be happening here at theCoachella Valley History Museum
(18:26):
on Saturday, November 1st, sothat is the new date for the
fundraiser.
It is going to be a wonderfulopportunity to bring awareness
to the project.
Like Isaac had stated, Ibelieve he will be traveling
from the islands and will beattending the event.
He's going to bring some videosthat we will have playing in an
(18:48):
auditorium for people to learnmore and to visually see the
project, and you know we'regoing to be.
It's going to be a wonderfulevening and you know it's it's.
I think it's an opportunity forthe community to really see
what Rotary is all about, andnot only the impact that Rotary
(19:12):
has locally here in ourcommunities, but really what
Rotary is doing around the world.
Because I'm asked that so manytimes when people want to know
what Rotary is and they couldsee the things that we're doing
in our community, but many timesthey're not aware of what
Rotary is doing as a wholearound the world.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
So, Matt, tell us how people can find out more about
it, about the fundraiser onNovember 1st and just about this
project in general.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
Yes.
So we are going to be puttingout some information hopefully
that we will have some supportfrom the district that we can
have it on the district eventspage.
So District 5330 has their ownwebsite that you could go to and
look at the various events thatare happening throughout the
district.
We will make sure that thatinformation is readily available
(20:02):
on there readily available onthere.
We are visiting our neighboringclubs out here and making sure
that all the Rotarians locallyare doing their part to spread
the word throughout thecommunity and hopefully we will
have a couple of neighboringclubs that will be coming
alongside us to really worktowards ensuring that this
(20:26):
fundraiser and that the projectitself is a success we are
working to putting together.
We have another Rotarian herelocally by the name of David
Hammer, who's part of the E-Club, the E-Club of World Peace, who
has been generous enough tosupport or to provide a
(20:47):
seven-night stay on the islandfor our raffle, and he does have
a property there on the islandthat he is making available at a
very, very affordable rate forthose that would like to travel
to the island to stay there, totake part in the project and to
visit the schools.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Awesome.
So does the Indio Club have.
Do you have a website that youcan also have information on?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
That is a great question.
We do While you look that up.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I'll let everybody know it's district5330.org is
where you'll be able to findinformation as soon as we get it
up on that site.
That's also where the podcastwill be.
And then, Isaac, is there awebsite for your project down in
Cozumel?
Can you give that to us?
Speaker 4 (21:38):
Yes, I can get it to you.
You can get all the informationand we keep posting it all the
actions that we do.
We are a small club but veryactive and I'm positive and sure
that you will enjoy our doing,because we really work a lot
Sounds like it.
(21:59):
And the community.
The Rotary in Casa Mel is bigin the sense of we have their
trust.
They really rely on us, theybelieve in us and they trust us.
They love Rotary, but we havenever grown more than 25 somehow
.
But people collaborate and ourrichness is like Matt said you
(22:20):
know all these Rotarians thatcome and pay us a visit?
Said you know all theseRotarians that come and pay us a
visit.
While we talk about and discusswhat we do, I mean we create a
good impression and they do wantto get involved.
That's why I am in charge ofinternational services for many
years and that's how I havelinked our club to other clubs.
(22:42):
Now we have one district grantapplied.
We are working on the secondone and the third one is almost
to be authorized.
That's three schools.
So with this project we've met.
We are aiming to two moreschools, so that would be the
(23:03):
fifth and sixth school.
We are 15 schools and that'samazing our goal.
our goal is to provide drinkingwater we're in all of them but
also this issue of collectingthe making compost.
Save that we do have a landfillthat is already filled, so they
(23:27):
want to cut more jungle to makeit larger, and I talked to the
mayor and said we need tocapacitate the population not to
create more trash.
We should stop trashing Instead.
We have to teach them not totrash instead of building
another landfill.
So that's the issue.
(23:48):
That's why it's so important.
We have made some surveys and50 or more than 50% of our waste
is organic.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
It is amazing what your club, the small clubs, are
amazing and what they can getdone and how much impact that
you can have and how much it isthat we're able to connect from
all over the world.
So, matt, did you find thatwebsite?
I?
Speaker 3 (24:15):
did so.
You can go toindiosunriserotaryorg and you
can find out more informationthere.
There's a link that will takeyou to, or you can go directly
to,indiosunriserotaryticketspicecom
, and that is the pagespecifically for the event,
(24:35):
where you can read about theevent and you can buy your
tickets there.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Wonderful.
Well, thank you both forjoining us today.
Any final thoughts?
Nyron?
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Well, I think, as you were saying, the small clubs
are really the dynamos, I think,in Rotary, and small but mighty
, and so it's very exciting.
And again, matt, kudos to youfor being Rotarian 100% of the
time, including on vacation,because the unique opportunities
you're able to bring to ourdistrict and expand the district
(25:06):
to the rest of the world, Ithink is fabulous.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
And Isaac, we're going to come visit you when we
come to Cozumel.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
Absolutely, Please please, please, we'll be more
than glad and you'll besurprised.
I promise you we are reallyworking on it.
We are installing the filtersin one school, we are planting
trees in the other school.
So what I want to make sure youguys understand is that we are
(25:32):
aiming to both district todistrict and grant the grants is
because the foundation aims tothese WASH programs, and WASH
programs do not contemplateanything but the water, from
obtaining it to distributing it.
But that would leave aside theteaching of growing the
(25:57):
composting thing and theplanting trees, and we really
want to include that in theGreen School project.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
That's awesome.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
We need to really be specific on it.
One budget should be submittedto the foundation and the other
one.
We managed to do it district todistrict, so we are a little
bit more free, because we dohave to contemplate expenses
like pumps, utensils, tools,seeds and soil, the teaching
(26:34):
itself, and that does not comein the WASH program.
Do I explain it myself?
Speaker 2 (26:40):
Yes, thank you for that Well.
Speaker 1 (26:42):
Thank you both for coming out today.
We appreciate it Again.
This podcast will be up on ourdistrict website,
district5330.org, and you'llalso be able to view it on or
listen to it on your variouspodcast channels as well.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Thank you, Judy, Thank you.
Nyrod and thank you to District5330.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
Thank you very much to all of you.
Thank you, Matt.
Speaker 2 (27:05):
Thank you, you're awesome.
Thank you very much to all ofyou, Thank you.
Matt, thank you, you're awesome.
Thank you, have a great day.
Speaker 1 (27:08):
Thank you.
So that wraps up this episodeof Heroes of Hope.
We are so happy that we have anaudience out there listening.
We want you to subscribe, shareand tell your friends about the
Rotary Community Heroes of Hope, because that's how we get the
word out about the impact we'rehaving in this world.
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