Water Culture

Water is an indispensable element for our life, development and well-being. It is a limited resource that we must take care of. That is why it is necessary to find the bond that unites us with water, not only as a resource, but it is also necessary to understand where the water comes from, the cycle it goes through, where our liquid waste goes, etc. In this way to be able to apply actions to optimize their use and sensitize people about their importance.

The Gaia Pacha Foundation within its work axes since 2018 and through the Autonomous Departmental Government of Cochabamba, with the support of the Swiss Cooperation for Development – Integral Water Management and within the framework of the Cochabamba Water Agenda and as an initiative part of the Kunturillo Platform, has carried out the training of young promoters in water culture as citizens of the future; this implies that we have to develop early and opportune actions to involve the student community, with participation and co-responsibility in projects that can generate this bond and connection of the population with the water, and also be able to link together these actions with public and institutional policies.

This year we count with the support of the Mexican Institute of Water Technology IMTA, with the juvenile magazine Agua Simple. Where young people are involved in the development of informative materials about the environment and water, such as videos, articles, infographics, interviews, etc.

In this way, we have the participation of young people with environmental issues in their local situation, where they can contribute with their own actions and inform the citizens in a didactic way. As well as making demands to the authorities and contributing to the generation of public policies.

Public

We worked with young people from 3 educational units of the municipality of Colcapirhua, due to its proximity to Rocha River and water problems that occur in this municipality.

Achievements

• Training of 1326 young men and women in tenth and eleventh grade of high school education about water and environmental issues
• Formation of 3 ecological brigades, with a total of 28 promoters
• Actions implemented to promote the care and conservation of Rocha River
• The brigades prepared didactic presentations appropriate to the activities they were holding and to other students of the educational units, as well as to other interested public. In all three cases, this was coordinated with the educational units and with its directors.
• There was a fair and joint exhibition between the three units. In this way, an exchange of experiences between the different educational units was also carried out.
• This year we are part of a virtual magazine, Agua Simple made by young people for young people, it is promoted by the Mexican Institute of Water and Technology, this magazine will be promoted for the first time in Bolivia with third tenth and eleventh high school leaders in the city from Cochabamba. Institutions from Brazil, Spain and Austria are part of this international project.

Conclusions

The initiative sought to articulate environmental education with commitment and direct action, through the training of water culture promoters, environmental conservation and personal development of students; in order to benefit the community and offer an experience that contributes to the training of young people interested and committed to the environment, the Rocha River and water culture.

It is important to generate again the bond we used to have with water and the environment, in order to understand how our actions affect our environment, in this way young people can be involved in these awareness actions that can act as replicating agents of information in their educational units and their communities, also that allows to put into practice acquired knowledge, care, commitment to the environment and water.