Rebuilding communities affected by 8.2 earthquake

Back to San Mateo del Mar: Women continue self-building with local materials.

We are very excited to share with you, that after two years that reconstruction activities were suspended, in the community of San Mateo del Mar due to socio-political issues, the reconstruction of women's productive spaces have been resumed.

Since then, many women could not finish the construction of their kitchens. Even so, thanks to the constant communication through digital media with the local women's organization "Monapaküy" and the participants of the process, we arranged several visits to evaluate the possibility of restarting the pending construccions, in wich by common agreement through community assemblies, we agreed to continue activities.

The "Ikoots" women have shown us their perseverance and great strength of collective work. Thanks to the "tequios" they have organized, they have already finished the kitchens of Elisa and Daniela, and those of Virginia, Rocelia, Katya and Gemima are still in construction process using local materials such as palm, wood, earth and stone.

Exchanging knowledge to conserve cultural heritage

Since we finished the construction of earth homes for the 10 families of La Blanca, at the beginning of this year we have continued the participative evaluation stage with collective workshops and spaces to share ideas. 

During the conclusion of this process we have also focused on the exchange of technical knowledge between participants, with the goal of maintaining and improving the earthen constructions that have been already built, such as: houses, kitchens and composting toilets.

Most of the exchange of knowledge was nurtured by the oldest members of the community, who remembered and shared the ancestral ways of maintaining and repairing their homes.

Recovering the forest and food sovereignty in La Blanca

Over the last months, the inhabitants of the community of La Blanca have continued the reforestation. To ensure the growth of the young trees, the participants are organized in "tequios" (traditional community work based on mutual support) , to bring them water and nutritious soil. One year after the beginning, the group has evaluated the process with participatory exercises to provide feedback.

As a result of this collective organization, the participants gathered forces to continue growing plants, but now with the objective of growing their food sovereignty. The group of young people, women and men asked "Cooperación Comunitaria" for advice on how to create family productive gardens, and for this purpose, a place has been adapted as a Community Garden, to practice their skills and exchange their knowledge and experiences within the group. 

Currently they have  grown vegetables and medicinal plants and during the process, the community has emphasized the need to revalue traditional ways of farming, including the use of simple tools and community work.

In these times marked by conflicts, epidemics and instability, Cooperación Comunitaria continues in its mission to strengthen the rural communities in their sovereignty and self-management. 

We are deeply grateful for making it possible!

Links:

• Check our website!

• Self-management and autonomy strengthened in La Blanca 

With the tequio (traditional community work) for Anita's house, in La Blanca community, we culminated the social and comprehensive reconstruction of houses. In 2021, 10 families recovered their homes, participating in their social production and self-construction,  with the traditional construction system called Bajareque. 

Natural disasters accentuate inequalities, damaging the social fabric. Thanks to the technical advice as well as by working through “tequios”, families together with friends and neighbors learn to build and maintain safe spaces against strong winds and earthquakes, exchanging and creating knowledge. The tequio is the space to rebuild not only homes, but also the sense of solidarity and Community.

During the process, the families had the opportunity to strengthen their construction skills, recover the traditional practices of community work and feel the importance of the right to adequate housing. 

• Saving the forest in La Blanca: the nursery and the ecotechnics

 During the last three months of 2021 the reforestation process had an exciting end. 560 trees were distributed among the participants. Most have been planted on community land, 30 have been planted in the gardens of the houses built in La Blanca.

People who participated in three local specimen nurseries have testified that they learned a lot about their own natural heritage. Now they know how to distinguish the cycles of the seed harvest calendar; how to recognize and store the seeds; and they know the principles of environmental education. In addition, the young people who were involved during the process, triggered a new community debate on environmental issues throughout generations. They also learned the power of community work for the common good. The three local promoters trained during the process (Marcelina, Marili and Sandra) are now ready to spread their knowledge in nearby communities.

In the same period, 7 women, Sandra, Sara, Olga, Elida, Sandra R, Marcelina and Marili, got together with local advisors of Cooperación Comunitaria to develop an ecological stove, in order to stop the strong deforestation in the area decreasing the use of wood. 

Through a participatory and educational process, led by a national expert of ecological stoves and accompanied by cooperacion comunitaria, they have designed and built a new oven model, equipped with both an ecological stove and an ecological comixcal oven (traditional clay oven), and with an extractor hood for cooking fumes.

This eco-technique, in addition to the obvious environmental and health benefits (protecting women from respiratory diseases), is adapted to the local culture and can allow women to recover or strengthen their productive project and continue to protect the local food culture.

• Women together to enhance food and constructive sovereignty 

 During the last quarter of 2021, with the Marquelina, Bernarda, María Elena and Elia families, we began in Chimalapas the self-production of 4 kitchens, built with Bajareque, which are sustainable, adapted to the local climate and culture and reinforced against strong winds and earthquakes. Thanks to that, women can restart their economic life and enhance food sovereignty, in a safe and comfortable space.

The Municipality of San Miguel Chimalapa, on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, is an area of high cultural and ecological diversity, but highly marginalized, where the 6,711 inhabitants speak their native language. The loss of traditional knowledge, the fragmentation of the social fabric and deforestation have left communities very vulnerable to socio-natural events.

Two earthquakes (2017 and 2020) severely hit the communities of Chimalapas, destroying lives and the economy and installing a climate of fear and insecurity. Four years later, the pandemic increased the unemployment rate, worsening the situation of affected families, especially women.

• Next steps

2022 is expected to be a year rich in news, despite the epidemiological circumstances. Together with the women of San Miguel Chimalapas we are going to build sustainable and safe kitchens and firewood-saving ovens. With that, we will recover the local food culture, save the forest and reduce the vulnerability of the communities. 

We want to extend our greatest gratitude to you, both for what we have achieved and for the new path to which you are contributing.

We wish you a happy new year!!

Links:

• Lessons learned about social reconstruction
• Articulo en espanol: el derecho al habitat