Rebuilding communities affected by 8.2 earthquake

Last September marked one year after the earthquakes that severely affected the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region, in Oaxaca state, Mexico, where we developed the Comprehensive and Social Reconstruction of Habitat project, that has consisted in the recovery of constructive traditions, adequate to the environment and local culture; as well as in the use of local materials and adapted technology that enables safe systems, which resist the strong winds and earthquakes in the region.

During the last trimester of the year (September-November) several commemorative, reflective and training activities have taken place with the purpose of placing the inhabitants as key players for decision-making and taking action in the reconstruction’ process. Also, we sought to foster the recognition of the different processes that compose the whole project by the participants of each one of them; and to exchange their experiences and learning during this last year.

Throughout the project, we have built three school-kitchens where the constructive process serves as practical workshops to learn the reinforcements of bajareque, a traditional constructive system of the region, that adapt to each locality to resist the strong earthquakes and winds in the area.

The first one was built with the Ikoot community of San Francisco del Mar in December of 2017; and two others with the Binnizá communities of Ixtepec and Xadani, this last one was built along with the Centro Operacional de Vivienda (Copevi).

Besides, the last three months two more kitchens were concluded in Ixtepec —three in total— while six other are still in process. All of these have been built with the system of bajareque cerén, based on the traditional bajareque, but instead of placing tree trunks, the branches of trees are woven into columns for each corner. This contributes to diminish the severe deforestation that we have identified in the region.

Also, between September and November, thirteen traditional bread ovens have been finished and six more are in different phases of the construction process.

On the other hand, since last trimester we started the planning and design process of 22 kitchens of bajareque cerén in Niltepec along with Fundación Origen; and the reconstruction of seven bases of comixcal ovens in Santa María Xadani, in coordination with the civil association LUUM, with totopera women (who produce a regional kind of tortilla toast) that work with those organizations to improve the production, distribution and sale of their products.

This part of the project also includes 40 kitchens in San Mateo del Mar, where we reunited with the local Reconstruction Commitee to continue relations and pending commitments since September and October of 2017.

In the case of the housing reconstruction, 18 have been inhabited again by the families who lived there before the earthquakes damaged the structures. Meanwhile, the construction process of 17 new houses continues, as well as 44 reinforcements against the strong earthquakes and winds in the region. To this process, ten houses have been added, which include two of them that will be rebuilt with the system of traditional bajareque, with materials that were recovered from collapsed housing, such as trunks and roof tiles.

In the Center of Arts and Crafts the phase of walls flattening has ended, and it is currently in the roofing process. The construction of this Center has enabled the training of the builders in the technique of bajareque cerén, so now they are also tasked to build the kitchens.

As a transversal axis of the whole reconstruction process, tequios and workshops have taken place, based on their traditional ways of collective work and mutual support; as well as a part of the collaborative methodology proposed by Cooperación Comunitaria AC that engages the community with the constructive work. This fosters the assimilation of the proposal and the people's active participation during the construction of all structures. This allows them to know about the proposal of reconstruction with reinforcements and its appropriation.

Finally, during September and October we developed an environmental diagnosis related to the productivity of traditional ovens and a series of workshops about territorial risks' management and analysis; raising awareness about the use of local materials; and the right to adequate housing as a constitutional law and a human right.

When we arrived to Oaxaca, after the earthquakes in September 2017, we developed the Comprehensive and Social Habitat Reconstruction project along with different communities in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region.

As a result of the first phase of diagnoses, we decided to focus on the construction of the bases of comixcal ovens, used to produce a kind of tortilla toast called totopos, which is one of the main economic activities of the women in the region.

This way, we seek to contribute to the reactivation of local economy, while the process of housing reconstruction advances, as well as the construction of the first Center of Arts and Crafts (CAC or CAO, in the Spanish abbreviation) in Ciudad Ixtepec.

Strengthening productive activities

As part of this need to strengthen local productive activities that collapsed due to the earthquakes, we also proposed to build 34 bread traditional ovens, used for self-consumption as much as for commerce. In july, we started with ten people who have a wood shed where the constructive process wouldn’t be affected by the rainy season. Until now, three bread ovens have been finished.

At the same time, we started the construction of kitchens, a productive and family space used mostly by women. The first one was concluded with Venancia and her family, process that served as a hands-on workshop for other women to contribute to the construction by preparing the mud to fill into the walls, and to learn the constructive technique in practice, since they have already observed the process in the CAC construction. This working dynamic constitutes the second school-kitchen done in the region, since the first one was built in the municipality of San Francisco del Mar in the beginning of 2018.

All of this has resulted from a second phase of diagnoses, developed in May, when we could identify that, although most of the kitchens in Ixtepec are still affected, some of them have been rebuilt with perishable or industrial materials, which increase thermal sensation inside, in temperatures that raise up to 45 degrees Celsius, and their structures are not safe, so women lack of a secure and appropriate space.

After this, we implemented workshops of collaborative design in Ciudad Ixtepec, but also at the municipalities of Niltepec and Santa María Xadani, where participants proposed the materials and shape needed for the kitchens to be fresh, ventilated and comfortable. At the end, they decided to build with mud, a tile roof and bricks for the floor.

This is how we started working with 42 women in Ixtepec and Niltepec that are willing to do collaborative work in the construction of their own kitchen, as well as supporting others’ building process. Besides, 22 women in Santa María Xadani will participate in the reconstruction of traditional comixcal ovens.

Traditional techniques to diminish deforestation

Along with the people involved in the project, we decided to use the technique of bahareque cerén for kitchens and the CAC, since it recovers the tradition of building with wood and earth. In this case, the use of trunks (from young trees) is substituted with sticks, which contributes to diminish the severe deforestation in the region —that we identified throughout the project— since it only requires trimming, instead of cutting down the whole tree.

This technique comes from El Salvador, and its resistance to earthquakes has been proven in different regions of Latin America, so it has been adapted by the technical team of Cooperación Comunitaria AC to resist the meteorological conditions of the Isthmus.

In the Center of Arts and Crafts, we have led several workshops with voluntaries from different parts of the country, and people from the community, so they can learn the reinforced technique of bahareque cerén (a framework of wooden rods with a stone base, covered with mud and a tile roof) and contribute to the construction.

Advancement in the housing reconstruction

In the case of housing reconstruction, our team led 30 structure reinforcements —from 44 planned— that provide resistance against the strong earthquakes and winds in the region. Also, from 18 constructions of traditional houses proposed, 7 are already in the roofing process to be concluded.

As part of this process, many activities of mutual help have been developed with the participants of the project to support the building advance of each others' houses, such as making natural paint and sealer for the bricks and walls. We also visited the finished houses for each family to share their experience during the process, and for others who haven’t finished to solve their concerns.