ICDF Quarterly Report (July - September 2011) ACDI/VOCA Bolivia

By September 30th, the ICDF had a total of 688 subaward projects in its portfolio, with 647 projects concluded. Of the total number of projects, 409 fall under the community development component, while the remaining 279 fall under the economic development component. During the reporting period, USAID informed ACDI/VOCA that the ICDF would only receive 92 percent of the total budget award due to an overall reduction in Integrated Development (ID) program funding. This resulted in an immediate downsizing of personnel as well as the presentation of a partial termination plan. The ICDF was forced to curtail activity in 33 potable water, sanitation, and education projects, reducing the scope from full implementation to the preparation of final construction design documents. The ICDF completed 37 community development projects during the reporting period. It also continued work on three large potable water projects, including one located in the Municipality of La Asunta, which will serve the communities of San Jose, Los Olivos, and 21 de Agosto. Work on these projects focused on construction and community development training, as well as environmental awareness and protection. Within the community development component, construction began on the Siguani Grande sanitary sewer system located in the Municipality of La Asunta. This project will benefit 180 families who will be able to access the service through household connections. The new system will feature an anaerobic wastewater treatment plant that will help solve a current environmental problem by preventing Siguani Grande wastewater from contaminating the Boopi River. The ICDF has also made important progress on projects within its education sub-component. In the Municipality of La Asunta, the ICDF continued work on the construction of twelve classrooms for the René Barrientos Ortuño School. Construction is progressing according to plan and is scheduled to be completed during the following reporting period. The ICDF concluded one multi-grade classroom in the community of Alto Lejna and continued with the construction of three multi-grade classrooms in the communities of Huiri Lanza, Llojeta, and Churubamba, all within the Municipality of Irupana. Another important project within the education sub-component involves the construction of 10 classrooms and bathrooms for the San Antonio School in the Municipality of Alto Beni. Activities for the advancement of this project focused on preparing the worksite terrain, organizing the community construction committee, and general training for the community. Training included workshops that focused on environmental protection and solid waste management. Significant progress was also made on the Improving Quality of Family Life through the Kitchen project in the municipalities of La Asunta, Palos Blancos, and Alto Beni. Throughout the quarter, a total of 520 ecological Malena stoves were built with the project participants, bringing the total number of stoves built to over 1,000. Related activity included the provision of training for project participants on the preparation of improved clay used to build the stoves, stove maintenance, and proper hygiene techniques to be employed during food preparation. In the Zona Tradicional, within the Municipality of Coroico, the ICDF concluded the San Joaquín potable water system, which includes a water treatment plant and a network of pipes that will provide clean water to the community. The ICDF also continued work on the construction of a new school in the community of San Joaquín, which will provide education to children in the area. The ICDF has made significant progress in its efforts to improve the quality of life for communities in Bolivia. Through its community development and economic development projects, the ICDF has helped to improve access to clean water, sanitation, and education, as well as promote economic growth and development.