Tehuacán: every drop is sacred

I’m just back from Tehuacán, Mexico where an entire region’s survival hangs by each liter of water. Beneath the dust plumes that cloud the sky north of town, families shepherd every drop to sustain themselves and their meager crops. The situation for subsistence farmers can be dire — many only grow enough to feed their families for six months of the year. Other times, they must buy their food, and often their drinking water as well. Water means much more than statistics of declining aquifers or the rediscovery of ancient solutions. It’s an axis issue that defines families, sustains or takes away loved ones, lifts or presses down upon poverty. Our team of Brent Stirton, Joseph Contreras, Dr. Scott Whiteford and Brian Robertshaw reported some exceptional stories. Our production team, 12-people strong, will prepare the piece in time to show March 20 in Mexico City.

Margaret Monsour: Special Projects Manager

Margaret oversees planning and partnership development. An accomplished nonprofit organization leader, she has more than 15 years experience building organizational capacity and creating coalitions among educators, nonprofits and corporations at the state and national level. As Director of Programs at Reading Is Fundamental, she created an innovative team structure and designed internal systems to manage 50% increases in staff and programs.

At breakneck speed

It’s all systems go for our Circle of Blue pilot in Mexico. We’re all up to the a challenge — create exceptional, fresh, relevant reportage from the frontlines of the global freshwater crisis in time to present in Mexico City on March 20.