Mexico Earthquake Relief Fund

This September, Mexico was struck by two of the most powerful earthquakes the country has ever experienced. On the 7th, the first earthquake hit off the southern coast and rumbled through the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. Just two weeks after, on the 19th, a second temblor struck central Mexico causing widespread damage across Mexico City, Puebla, and Morelos.

The loss of life and the destruction of buildings, infrastructure, and livelihoods have put many communities in vulnerable states in the wake of these two natural disasters. Thanks to the generosity of GlobalGivers like you who’ve raised more than $3.9 million to support locally driven nonprofits in Mexico, we were able to send funds immediately to organizations on the ground to address urgent relief needs. Now, almost three months after the first quake, your donations are continuing to support the people of Mexico with long-term rebuilding efforts, including work to build local capacity and increase disaster resilience for the future.

Since our last update, we have sent funds to incredible organizations, which are transitioning their efforts to long-term recovery work, and we’re excited to share stories of progress from our partners with you today.

• Cooperacion Comunitaria A.C. is working with communities in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca to evaluate and plan efforts that address the needs of the community. They have met with local women to determine the best strategy for rebuilding their kitchens to resume producing totopos (corn chips), which are one of their main sources of income. They have also evaluated the damage to infrastructure and housing and met with construction workers to negotiate fair prices for rebuilding resilient housing and kitchen structures.
• Fondo Unido I.A.P. is working closely with local schools to help repair structural damage and build safe buildings for students. Through workshops, they’re supporting affected communities by providing knowledge about preventing damage from future natural disasters; for example, they’re teaching community members how to identify risks and vulnerability factors in their homes and other buildings in advance of future disasters. The goal is to improve community response times and identify shelters in advance.
• Located in Chiapas, Proyecto Impacto Consultores A.C. is providing food, water, medicine, and psychological support to communities outside the major cities. They are a lifeline to those living in rural areas with less direct access to relief services. Your donations made it possible Proyecto to purchase a vehicle for distribution of aid from the coast of Chiapas to smaller, more isolated communities such as Tonalá. Their team also specializes in geologic analysis and safe construction techniques, and they are assisting in rebuilds to ensure that structures are built to the appropriate code and will withstand future earthquakes.
• Proforestal A.C. has a dedicated team of nine people delivering shelter supplies to three communities: Santa Maria Huamelula, Santiago Astata, and San Pedro Huamelula. The team has persevered through the heavy rains the region after the earthquake to continue to provide blankets, tents, cots, and tarps to people in need.
• Jakes’ Diapers is providing diapers at no cost to families impacted by the earthquakes in Mexico. During times of disaster, families face additional stress and burdens, and basic necessities can be difficult to obtain. Jake’s Diapers seeks to alleviate some of those worries by providing cloth diapers, a necessity for young babies.  
• The International Community Foundation is working with Dibujando Un Mañana to support schools and orphanages in Oaxaca and Mexico City and a medical team in Morelos. They are also working with Cantaro Azul to install water filters for rural communities.
• IsraAid is transitioning to their long-term recovery strategy and working with response teams to share medical and psychosocial expertise with families communities affected by the toll that these earthquakes have taken on their lives.     

With long-term relief efforts now underway, the people of Mexico are beginning to recover and our partners are committed to working with communities until safety is secured, resilience plans are in place, and optimism is restored. Thank you for your continued support of the people of Mexico, and we look forward to keeping you updated on the progress being made.

Warmly,
Iliana + the GlobalGiving team