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“I was in bed, breastfeeding my baby, when suddenly I heard a big BASH. My partner and I went to have a look, then suddenly he screamed: RUN!” Rachael, 28, mother.

We are members of a community called "The Women's Field" fundraising to rebuild after a devastating flood.

In February, the Alpujarra Mountain Range in Southern Spain, was hit by extreme weather, and our community, “The Women’s Field”, was deeply affected. Our flood wall collapsed and a 15-metre by 5-metre sinkhole opened just metres from the doors of our homes. We live close to a river, and with our main line of defence from the river gone, our community is now vulnerable.

After weeks of heavy rain and sudden snowmelt in the mountains, the Guadalfeo River beside our community swelled before our eyes, tearing the earth and even washing away a bus. The river burst its banks and violently changed course, slamming into our flood wall - a structure that has always protected our land. For days, the force of the water created a vortex beneath the wall, eroding the earth and undermining its foundation. We hoped the worst had passed, but then one night we heard an unusually loud CRASH, and when we rushed outside, we watched sections of the wall collapsing into the raging river, while the ground beside our homes gave way, opening a massive sinkhole where solid land had stood just hours before.

Twenty adults and fourteen children are directly affected. We urgently need support to rebuild the storm wall and stabilise the land so our homes and community can remain safe. Our goal is to raise funds to restore this vital protection.

“It was dark when we checked the river wall after hearing a loud rumble. The wall looked intact but it looked like there was a puddle in the path. It hadn't been raining for a couple of days so it was strange. As we pondered, in a split second the earth around it fell into itself and a hole opened up. It was obvious at that point that the river had breached the bottom of the wall, so we raised the alarm.” Bob, 38, Father of 3.

Your support will help cover:

-Receive expertise about what steps are needed to create safety on our land.

-Safely removing the unstable section of the flood wall that is at risk of further collapse.

-Building a strong new foundation to ensure the wall can withstand future flooding.

-Reconstructing 20 metres of flood wall at 4 metres high. Each structural block costs €80 (including the work), and we will need approximately 150-250 blocks to rebuild it.

-Reinforcing the wall to make it stronger and more resilient in case the river floods again.

-Filling in the sinkhole, which currently poses a major safety risk for our children, and replanting trees to stabilize the land and restore the ecosystem.

-Rebuilding the access ramp that was damaged during the floods.

Will you help us? Every donation will be gratefully received.

Why this place is worth saving:

The Women’s Field is an off-grid community centered birth and midwifey and families living together, learning from each other, and supporting one another while staying connected to the earth. We are here to explore and reinvent healthier ways of living in community, and to raise our children together in an environment of respect for each other and for nature. We have chosen a simpler lifestyle so that we can truly show up for what is most important to us.

Because our lives are so intertwined, we place a lot of value on celebration, mutual respect, and gathering in circles where we can truly listen to and see one another. These moments of sharing are a very important way for us to build trust, which we see as our deepest form of security. Respect for nature is central to the way we live and many of our homes are built from natural materials that we gather from the land, and we eat as much as we can from our garden. In this way we try to live lightly on the earth and move toward a healthier relationship with the land that sustains us and our children.

Many of us have come here because the culture we grew up in no longer aligns with our values, especially around community, relationship to nature, women’s health, and birth. In this valley there is a long and living connection to birth and the support of women as they bring new life into the world. Care for women, mothers, and families during the journey of welcoming a child is something we value very deeply. We see the care of our natural cycles and rites of passage as closely interlinked, and as an anchor point for the whole community, reminding us why we choose to live this way and what we are here to nurture together.

“What is being created here is what should be created on this earth.” Esther, 44, mother.

“Arriving here feels like a hug. Being held by the trees and the people“ Mirjam, previous community member.

En español:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHDXtAtvW0/4E1tNAAlSS0DMzAqU3fT_w/view?utm_content=DAHDXtAtvW0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h442b2e0540

Want to know more? More stories below:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHDX3txt_E/HTPF5--ueL6qoy6QSE-HXA/view?utm_content=DAHDX3txt_E&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hac4cfec81d

More photos and videos of the flood damage:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SQjHv5ztRVpQa00JcQ_3WNqAYRAEJ6qy?usp=sharing