Building resilience with communities of Guerrero

English below

Gracias a la enorme solidaridad que ustedes manifestaron el pasado #GivingTuesday, en la montaña de Guerrero las mujeres pudieron realizar 27 estufas ahorradoras de leña hechas con tierra. Las estufas complementan el proceso de restauración ambiental, ya encaminado con los viveros de reforestación (informe anterior). 

Beneficios para mujeres e infantes

Al ser diseñadas por las mismas mujeres, reflejan sus expectativas: 

1. Facilitan una mejor postura al cocinar, lo que alivia las tensiones musculares y articulares, y previene de daños físicos;
2. Capturan el humo y lo echan al exterior de la cocina, previniendo de enfermedades respiratorias de mujeres e infantes, quienes pasan buena parte del día en el espacio. 

La señora Martha dice: - Las estufas salieron como nosotras queríamos. Es la primera vez que lo hacemos. Estamos de acuerdo porque se tomaron en cuenta nuestras opiniones, la estufa que elegimos es la que se hizo. 

Beneficios para las comunidades 

1. Las estufas se realizaron mediante tequios (prácticas tradicionales de trabajo comunitario), gracias al cual toda la comunidad se involucra, se restablecen vínculos sociales así como mecanismos de trasmisión intergeneracional del conocimiento; 
2. La producción social de estufas no solamente implica diseño y autoconstrucción, sino pasa por la capacitación técnica y la organización del proceso, lo que genera muchos aprendizajes que se quedan en la comunidad, fortaleciendo su autogestión; 
3. Finalmente, los saberes técnicos, aunado a la paralela concientización sobre la interrelación entre ambiente y actividades humanas, aportan para una mejor gestión integral del riesgo en las comunidades. 

La señora Rosario comenta: - “Aprendimos a  hacer una estufa, sembrar árboles, el cuidado de las plantas y que la unidad hace la fuerza. Estuvo bien usar materiales de la región porque no se gastó dinero en comprar materiales, salió económico y mano de obra de nosotros. 

Beneficios para el Planeta 

En Monte Alegre entre octubre y diciembre del año pasado se codiseñaron y construyeron 27 estufas que lograron el dato asombroso de bajar de la mitad el consumo promedio de leña. Si extendemos el proyecto a más comunidades, esto va a tener un impacto muy positivo sobre el bosque, y, por ende, contribuirá a contrarrestar el cambio climático.  

La señora Hernestina comenta:- Hemos aprendido la organización, el trabajo en equipo, el apoyo mutuo. Aprendimos la compactación de la tierra para más resistencia.

Estuvo bien usar la tierra y materiales locales porque son cosas que tenemos a la mano, naturales”.

Buenas noticias para 2023

Al inicio de este 2023 queremos desearte un año lleno de alegría y paz, y recordar que cada nueva donación mensual tendrá tu primera donación igualada al 100% luego de cuatro (4) pagos mensuales.

Si dona 20 USD al mes, está donando 240 USD al año, ¡que es lo que cuesta una estufa ahorradora de leña en Guerrero!!

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Thanks to the amazing solidarity that you showed the last #GivingTuesday, in Guerrero the women managed to make 27 wood-saving stoves #MadeWithhEARTh. The stoves complete the environmental restoration process in the community of Monte Alegre, together with the reforestation nurseries reported in the previous report.

Benefits for women and children

The women have designed the stoves, according to their expectations:

1. They facilitate a better posture when cooking, which relieves muscle and joint tension, preventing from physical damage;
2. They capture the smoke and expel it from the kitchen, preventing women and children from suffering from respiratory diseases.

Mrs. Martha says: “The stoves were as we wanted. It is the first time we do it. We are happy because our opinions were taken into account. We made the stove we chose”.

Benefits for communities

The stoves were made through "tequio" (traditional practice of community work), thanks to which the entire community is involved; and social ties and mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of knowledge are reestablished.

The social production of stoves not only implies design and self-construction, but also requires technical training and organization of the process. This generates a lot of learning that remains in the community, strengthening its self-management.

Finally, technical knowledge, added to awareness of the impact of human activities on the environment, contribute to better comprehensive risk management in communities.

Mrs. Rosario comments: - “We learned to make a stove, plant trees, care for plants and that unity is strength. It was good to use materials from the region because no money was spent on buying materials, it was cheap and labor from us”.

Benefits for the Planet

The 27 stoves that the women have built in Monte Alegre, between October and December of last year, have achieved an astonishing halving of the average consumption of firewood. If we extend the project to more communities, this will have a very positive impact on the forest and, therefore, will help to counteract climate change.

Mrs. Hernestina comments: “We have learned organization, teamwork and mutual support. We learned the compaction of the earth for greater resistance. It was good to use the local earth and materials because we have it here and it is natural”.

Good news for 2023

At the beginning of this 2023 we want to wish you a very joyful and peaceful year, and remember that each new monthly donation will have the first donation matched at 100% after four (4) monthly payments.

If you donate 20 USD a month, you are donating 240 USD a year, which is what a wood-saving stove costs in Guerrero!!

Thanks to your support the community of Monte Alegre, in the Mountain region of Guerrero, is starting a comprehensive action to save and regenerate the forest. 

Enhancing reforestation

30 families from Monte Alegre donated their garden to implement nurseries for reforestation of local species, made with local and natural materials.

In the last three months, these families have been strengthened in the care of the ecosystem and the conservation of local trees. Subsequently, they built five small nurseries to cultivate oak seedlings and ensure their proper development.

The most significant moments were the tequios (collective work) for the collection and germination of seeds, and then for the transplant, where children and the elderly joined the action.

It will be very exciting to see the 7,200 m2 (8,210 yards) of reforested land, with 923 trees.

Reducing deforestation

Meanwhile, 28 people (22 women and 6 men) are strengthening their skills to design and build a traditional, sustainable and safe stove.

The stove will be designed and built by the participants, with local materials. The exchange of knowledge between CC and the local community will allow the implementation of a new technology adapted to the local geology and culture and friendly to the environment. This will reduce the impact of cooking on the forest environment! 

Call to Action

On October 4, join with us the #RootPoliticalaction to celebrate the World Habitat Day!

For the #UrbanOctober Cooperación Comunitaria will promote #ClimateJustice, by recognising land as a universal human right and its social & environmental function. Follow us on fb @Cooperacioncomunitaria 

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