Disaster Response Mexico Project #29816

Rebuilding communities affected by 8.2 earthquake

by Cooperación Comunitaria A.C.

Project Report | Sep 7, 2023
6 years balance: more resilient communities

By Cooperacion Comunitaria | Project Leader

Building resilience together

Sigue español

Our collaboration with the communities in Oaxaca ends

After 6 years working with the communities of Oaxaca, which were severely affected by the 2017 earthquake, and then revictimized by a disaster management policy unable to respond to the demands of the rural population; as well as the needs of women; We continue in the field, building and rebuilding knowledge together with the communities.

They have been difficult years. We went from the urgency and pain of immediate reconstruction to the deep work of social and environmental reconstruction, to reduce the vulnerability of the population to all kinds of socio-natural events.

To date we have accompanied the reconstruction of 88 homes; 102 kitchens; 267 eco-techniques; as well as 1,335 participants in training activities; but what matters most to us is that the people who have traveled this long road with us now revalue their culture; they know the socio-territorial risks and can replicate efficient solutions.

Along with this story, it is also essential to recognize the amazing generosity and solidarity that made all this possible, like yours. That is why we want to express our deepest gratitude. The donations we received allowed us to reach many more communities than initially anticipated.

After 6 years, the communities no longer need to rebuild but plan their own development projects, so at the end of the month the reconstruction project will be closed in GlobalGiving.

However, if you are interested in collaborating with the most vulnerable or highly marginalized communities in Mexico, you can do so by donating to these other projects:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/enable-54-rural-mexican-families-rebuild-homes/

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/education-resilience-chiapas/


or looking for other options on the website of cooperacioncomunitaria.org

Exchange of knowledge about Bajareque and food tradition in Los Limones

Over the last three months, in the community of Los Limones, the self-production of the kitchen-school was completed, where the participants observed and learned about the construction system, and then applied it in the construction processes of their kitchens.

The CC technical team didactically explained the seismic-resistant reinforcements that are integrated into the kitchen walls. From this exchange, the group reflected on the importance of the implemented reinforcements, as well as the relevance of conserving “tequio” (community work) as an organizational form of the community.

Elizabeth shares with us: “Before, people supported themselves without the need for money; when my house got muddy* many people came to help me.”

* Fill the walls with earth.

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Termina nuestra colaboración con las comunidades en Oaxaca

Después de 6 años de trabajo con las comunidades de Oaxaca, las cuales fueron duramente afectadas por el sismo de 2017, y después revictimizadas por una gestión de los desastres indiferente frente a las demandas de la población rural; menospreciante de su conocimiento e incapaz de abarcar las necesidades de las mujeres; seguimos en campo, construyendo y reconstruyendo saberes.

Han sido años complicados, donde se pasó de la urgencia y del dolor de la reconstrucción inmediata; al profundo trabajo de reconstrucción social y ambiental, para disminuir la vulnerabilidad de la población frente a todo tipo de evento socio-natural.

Al día de hoy hemos acompañado en la reconstrucción de 88 viviendas; 102 cocinas; 267 ecotecnias; así como a 1,335 participantes en actividades formativas; pero lo que nos importa más es que las personas que han andado ese largo camino con nosotros ahora revaloran su cultura; conocen los riesgos socio-territoriales y puedan replicar soluciones eficientes.

Junto con este recuento, también es fundamental reconocer la increíble generosidad y solidaridad que hizo posible todo eso, como la tuya, y por esto te queremos expresar nuestro más profundo agradecimiento. Los donativos que recibimos nos permitieron llegar a muchas más comunidades de lo inicialmente planeado.

Después de 6 años, creemos que las comunidades ya no necesitan reconstruir sino armar sus propios proyectos de desarrollo, así que finalizando el mes se cerrará el proyecto de reconstrucción.

Pero si te interesa colaborar, seguir colaborando con las comunidades más vulnerables o de alta marginación, puedes hacerlo donando a estos otros proyectos de Cooperación Comunitaria:

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/enable-54-rural-mexican-families-rebuild-homes/

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/education-resilience-chiapas/

o buscando otras opciones en la página web cooperacioncomunitaria.org.

Intercambio de saberes sobre Bajareque y tradición alimentaria en Los Limones

En la comunidad de Los Limones, concluyó la autoproducción de la cocina-escuela, en donde las y los participantes observaron y aprendieron sobre el sistema constructivo, para que posteriormente puedan aplicarlo en los procesos constructivos de sus cocinas.

El equipo técnico de CC explicó de manera didáctica los reforzamientos sismo resistentes que se integran en los muros de la cocina. Las y los participantes simularon con su cuerpo la posición de los parales (maderas), y su posible movimiento si ocurriera un sismo. Después, se explicaron los elementos técnicos que conforman los muros: los parales verticales y diagonales, la función de las varillas horizontales, y la importancia del cerramiento para unir los parales.

A partir de este intercambio, el grupo reflexionó sobre la importancia de los reforzamientos implementados, así como la relevancia de conservar el tequio como forma organizativa de la comunidad.

Elizabeth nos comparte: "Antes se apoyaba la gente sin necesidad de dinero; cuando se embarró* mi casa muchas personas asistieron a ayudarme".

*Rellenar los muros con tierra

Links:

6 years building resilience thanks to you

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May 10, 2023
19 women and their families improved their habitat

By Diana Cortese | Cooperacion Comunitaria

Family and their kitchen

In rural communities, women and children usually spend between 7 and 9 hours a day in the kitchen, which most of the time is a precarious space with an open fire. Thanks to your contribution, together with the women of the Las Conchas community, we build safe, sustainable and adequate kitchens, made with local materials.

1- kitchens are borned!

In the community of Las Conchas,19 new sustainable and safe kitchens are born!

Thanks to the self-construction process, the participants, mostly women, reduce their vulnerability, learning to maintain the structures. Thanks to local materials, the kitchens are affordable and sustainable.

2- A healthy recipe to save the forest

Each kitchen is equipped with a wood-saving oven, with a tube and an extractor hood to evacuate kitchen fumes. These ovens are adapted to local materials, climate and local culture; They are also technologically improved to save wood, which means a benefit for the environment and savings for families.

3- Together is better

The participants enjoyed the collective work. When asked how they have seen both the organization and the group, they answered: “very good, the truth is that it has worked very well because we all help each other”; “We have made a good group, because we understand each other and we have not had any problems”.

The participants appreciate and value the management of the process carried out through a committee, made up of three women directly involved in the construction. It was a good self-management practice.

Finally, the participants enjoyed the community work "Because throwing mud was heavy, but we helped each other as a group, making the work easier for everyone."

Remember: If you donate $10 a month, you're donating $120 a year, which is what a safe, traditional and wood saving oven costs!

Happy with her wood-saving oven

wood-saving oven and stove

Watching from the new kitchen

Mother and child in the new safe kitchen

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Jan 16, 2023
New challenges but with the same eagerness

By Diana Cortese | Cooperacion Comunitaria

Thanks to your past generosity, the families of Oaxaca are fulfilling their dream of equipping their home with a new sustainable and traditional kitchen.

1- kitchens are growing

In San Miguel Chimalapa, in the community of Las Conchas, after the participatory design, the families meet to define cooperation agreements in terms of people's involvement, acquisition of local materials, schedule and security, among others. We have gathered all the agreements, tasks and responsibilities in a "commitment letter" signed by all the participants and Cooperación Comunitaria. Moreover, a committee was made up by the designation of three women, who will be in charge of calls to meetings and process management. With the signing of the "commitment letter" the implementation has officially started. Currently, 19 families are involved in the construction of their kitchen. We have closed 2022 with 6 covered kitchens and we continue working on 8 more.

Juana, while plastering her kitchen with mud, shared with us: “I really like my kitchen. Before I used to spend time inside the kitchen, never seeing it. Now I like to stay outside just to see it. I am happy because my husband and I built it together and now I see that it is not that difficult”.

2- Community participation and self-management

The social production of habitat is the process in which people dream, design, plan, build and appropriate living spaces. The Las Conchas community knows this very well, since they are participating throughout the process, recovering their traditional practices of community work (tequio or mano vuelta).

In the Chimalapa region, the communities organize tequios with their family to build the roofs, which is very important to lower construction costs and strengthen the social fabric. Auria and Georgina explained that in angpon language the tequio is called “netsan tsco oye”, and it means “I am going to help you”.

Through the tequio, people can give their contribution according to their abilities and possibilities. It is very exciting to see all the members of the community, including women, children and the elderly, organize to contribute by building, providing food and water, transporting materials, throwing mud to raise the walls, and gathering wood for the roofs. The community work is basic to share and transmit the traditional knowledge to the youth.

3- New challenge for 2023: design and build a wood-saving oven adapted to the climate, geology and culture

The families, especially the women, are designing their oven through participatory design workshops, which are aimed at identifying the routines, problems or obstacles that women present when cooking on wood stoves; collect data on ways to save energy and decrease the use of firewood; identify the bases of the design of a wood stove adapted to local materials, that can satisfy the needs of each woman and that improve the conditions of habitability.

They shared with us some challenges, among which they need to take care of the use of firewood to optimize the amount of wood as well as to save time; the smoke affects the eyes and the respiratory system and wears out the pots; on various occasions, they need larger, more resistant and lower spaces to to adopt healthier and safer postures.

The level of participation that women have had in the design of the stove has been surprising. After an initial mistrust and timidity, the women began to feel that they were the owners of the stove production space, and expressed the core importance that this has in their lives and for their families.

Good news for 2023!

At the beginning of this new 2023 we want to wish you a year full of joy and peace, and we remind you that each new monthly donation will have your first donation matched at 100% after four (4) total payments.

If you donate $10 a month, you're donating $120 a year, which is what a safe, traditional stove and oven costs!

Kitchen wall

Kitchen's roof

Participatory Design for the oven

oven mockup

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