AHAH Monthly Program Update - Mexico (November 2021) - English

MEXICO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF UPDATE NOVEMBER 2021

TOTAL IMPACT TO DATE

TOTAL IMPACT 75

STUDENTS IMPACTED

38

VOLUNTEERS

806 1

Current Activities Progress on Guillermo Prieto Primary School is moving fast. The volunteers have been busy completing the groundwork block laying, backfilling and placing the rebar for the grade beam pour. This will mark the completion of the foundation for the new school building. During the excavations of the septic tank, absorption well, drainage and cistern, the team found large rocks that are proving difficult to remove. Our construction team is looking into a number of different options to overcome this challenge.

VOLUNTEER DAYS SCHOOL IN PROGRESS

Work on the retrofit of the largest existing school building is moving along well despite challenges with the flooring. When breaking up the existing concrete slab, the team discovered the soil underneath would also have to be removed and replaced. The team has successfully broken up the slab, replaced the soil and added a vapor barrier in the three classrooms of Building 2. The first two concrete pours were a huge success, and there is only one more classroom to go before all slabs are poured.

Photos: (top) Rocks discovered when excavating on site proved to be a challenge for the construction team, (left) Creating the first altar to celebrate Día de los Muertos.

Community Spotlight: Día de los Muertos This month, the team celebrated Día de los Muertos. Day of the Dead is one of the most important traditions in Mexico, and the team was incredibly grateful to be invited into the community celebrations for this holiday.

This event was especially poignant as it was the first opportunity to closely connect with the local community since reopening our program in Mexico.

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Learning from local traditions, the team built an altar at the base. Staff, volunteers and community members were invited to place photos of their ancestors and provide offerings of their favorite foods. The team celebrated the final day of the festival by gathering in the graveyard with the local community.

Disaster Profile In September 2017, one of the most lethal earthquakes in Mexican history hit close to the southern state of Chiapas, with a devastating magnitude of 8.2. Just 12 days later and a few hundred miles away, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked central Mexico, toppling buildings, breaking gas mains, knocking out electricity and sparking fires across the city and other towns in central Mexico.

Our Work Our efforts in Mexico began in 2007 after the Tabasco floods. When the 2017 earthquakes shook southern Mexico, we intensified support through the application of our unique volunteer model in the impacted areas. Volunteers began work in March 2018 in El Jicarero, Morelos, to reconstruct and retrofit two primary schools. Since then, we’ve run three volunteer programs in Oaxaca and have rebuilt another six schools, including playgrounds, libraries and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) facilities.

In addition to our construction work on the schools, our teams collaborate with local partners to identify Renewal Projects with an aim to build community resilience. To date, we’ve implemented three community Disaster Risk Reduction training programs, reactivated a community waste management system and piloted an agricultural education program. We’re delighted to continue our work in Mexico on Escuela Primaria Guillermo Prieto, which will mark our 21st school rebuild in Mexico.

About All Hands and Hearts

We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure.

Photos: (top to bottom) Volunteers celebrating Día de los Muertos; A volunteer repouring the slab; Rebar and forms of the grade beam prepared for the concrete pour.

Our Partners

We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the seventh year in a row.

This year only seven percent of rated nonprofits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency.

info@allhandsandhearts.org