Rebuilding communities affected by 8.2 earthquake

• 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