By Benjamin Blevins | Chief Financial Officer
Dear Apache Builds Partners,
While we are thousands of dollars away from our goal to train three White Mountain Apache tribal members in sustainable building techniques, we are busy laying the foundations for a sustainable future with our Ndée partners.
During the month of June, HSP volunteers worked on infrastructure improvements for the Ndée Bikíyaa organic produce farm in Canyon Day on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. This tribal social enterprise functions to educate tribal members about organic farming, healthy nutrition, and greater sovereignty through food resiliency.
HSP volunteers installed a cool-bot room, a kind of walk-in refrigerator to store produce, upgraded electrical circuits and installed lighting, fans, sensors in the office, greenhouse, and pumphouse. The team completed exterior stucco work on a passive solar greenhouse, painted the interior with reflective paint. The volunteers also completed the drywall, vapor barrier installation, stucco and electrical for a critical pump house constructed by HSP the previous year. The big project was the construction of a massive hoop house to extend growing season for late fall vegetable production.
During the month of June, a greater analysis was completed concerning appropriate design and locally sourced materials. It was decided that rather than a straw bale and cob technique, it would be a better option to utilize adobe brick as the building foundation. In addition to excellent clay that can be sourced locally, the technique is one that has been used by cultures in the region for centuries.
The team of Ndée Bikíya also decided that they would prefer to travel to Guatemala to learn masonry and adobe making techniques from master Maya builder that utilize centuries-old techniques that have proven to withstand the test of time. While not rejecting the valuable contribution of contemporary sustainability efforts, the consensus was that returning to regional roots was more in line with the mission and vision of the enterprise.
Plans have been made for members of the tribe to travel to Guatemala in February 2019 during the dry season, and hence the adobe making time. In addition to learning about traditional masonry, participants will be sharing horticulture knowledge with highland communities and learning about the strong cooperative movement in many Indigenous communities of Guatemala.
If you are interested in joining with the Apache participants on their learning journey, we are offering donors of $1,500.00 through our Global Giving Apache Builds page an all expense included trip. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE AIRFARE.
Thank you for your role in laying the foundations for a sustainable future.
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