(565 mm per year average for 5 years). And infant mortality rates in the region are among the highest in a country where some 57 million of the world’s 156 million malnourished children live. The central component of this Water Harvesting Community, as it’s being called, is a Community Center which will be located in the area where the water harvesting is occurring. The Community Center will provide training in the areas of water collection, agricultural practices, and energy generation and services including a health clinic and educational and vocational training to existing and potential micro farmers and their families. The water harvesting is the key to making these Communities successful. Harvesting the available rainfall requires acquiring local knowledge of the watershed, building catchments using local labor and then planting appropriate grasses to avoid erosion, all of which will be taught at the Community Center. In addition to providing potable water, the water is also used to irrigate high protein crops through a solar powdered low pressure drip feed irrigation system. Upon harvest, the crops are processed using culturally appropriate food processing devices. The purpose of this application is to complete the pilot project with the intent of replicating the Water Harvesting Community model in comparable low rainfall regions in India, and potentially in East Africa.

Describe the current stage of your initiative and your implementation plan over the next three years

A pilot Water Harvesting Community has been established in one of 51 villages in the Vilathikulam area of SE India, which does not have electricity. In 2007 funds were secured and construction on donated land began for an agricultural pond, a one acre farm and a farmer hut. Currently, in 2008, a drinking water pond, plant nursery and additional huts are being constructed and improvements to agricultural practices are being implemented.

In 2009, it is planned that a training center will be constructed, more comprehensive health services will be provided, solar panels will be assembled on site as a revenue generator, and a laboratory built for water, soil and blood testing. It is planned that electricity for the Community Center will be generated by solar power during the day and a 11kW bio-mass unit at night, burning locally available bushes.

$106,000 has been expended to date, and $100,581 is needed to complete the 2009 program. Details are as follows:

Drinking water system $ 8,079
Health Services $ 7,025
Solar Panel assembly $16,393
3 testing labs $ 5,854
Training center $53,864
Utilities and furniture $ 5.854
Education services $ 3,512

Once the pilot is completed the community will be able to generate revenue from the sale of water and other community activities. See http://sites.google.com/site/bccworksite/Home for more information including photos and videos.

Describe how your strategy meets the entry criteria ("What We're Looking For")

The Community Center puts into action all components of the acronym WEALTH - Water, Education / Energy, Agriculture, Livelihoods, low cost Technology and Health. The building block for such a complete development is Water and Energy, both obtained through self generation. All the techniques are proven successful on the ground. But this will be almost the first time, these techniques are being installed under one roof.

Learning by Doing - Hands on training brings all senses into the learning process and stimulates the mind for assimilation of the lesson.
Earn while you Learn - Provides entrepreneurship skills while providing revenue while learning.
Community Service - Community pays for services which are not easily available in villages, besides providing relevant technologies being developed through the students.

Describe the qualifications and experience of you and/or your team and your ability to execute your implementation plan

Ram Krishnan is a native of India and graduate of IIT Madras. He is active in the IIT alumni activities and is president of the IITM alumni group in the US. Ram has lived in Minnesota for 30 years where he founded and operated a logistics consulting company for 15 years in the US. During the last 6 years, Ram has traveled extensively thru Rural India to see and learn various successful elements of rural transformation. He has committed the next four plus years to work on sustainable and scalable projects in India and Africa and specializes in water harvesting.

Dr. K Jothimony is a native of Vilathikulam. He has a Doctorate in Chemistry from IIT, Madras and served in the state owned Oil & Natural Gas Corporation for 18 years. He is actively involved in community development activities in the Vilathikulam area and formed an NGO in 1997 in the field of rural education, health, women & children development and other livelihood activities.

Roger Salway has senior management experience in Europe and North America for Deere & Co. and more than 25 years global manufacturing and leadership experience. He was formerly COO of Paper Calmenson & Co., a St. Paul-based steel products manufacturer, and was Executive Vice President for Capacity Web, a technology based company that facilitated efficient global industrial manufacturing and sourcing. He is currently the Executive Director of Compatible Technology International.