How to Build a Cistern Part 1

At the beginning of June 2008 we received money from the New Zealand embassy to fund 4 cisterns and 32 family gardens. At the end of June, our family went to Tlanicingo to start the cistern construction. Tlanicingo is a small community of about 7 families, most of which had turned in an application for family gardens earlier in the year. With money from MCC and the New Zealand embassy, each family that wants to participate in the family gardens project this coming fall was able to build a cistern in June, to collect and store this summer's rainwater. (Since I am posting this in September, I'll add that all of the cisterns are now full of rainwater.)
It's not often that all 4 of us are out in a community together. The kids were out of school, so we all went along. Isaiah and Micah were able to participate in a variety of ways, most of which were helpful.

First we level the ground. The cisterns are 3 meters in diameter and 2 1/2 meters high. They can hold almost 17,000 liters of water.
Next, we put up the exterior walls of the mold. MCC has two cistern molds. Then we line the inside of the mold with wire mesh (not show).