Support Oaxaca's EcoReconstruction
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As many of you know, Mexico experienced two major earthquakes in the past several weeks. The most recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Mexico City, while the first earthquake on September 7 hit the southern coast of Mexico, including the states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. While we experienced the tremors from the earthquake, the region where we are living was spared any major damage. However, we have many friends in the Isthmus region that were particularly hard hit by the first temblor.
Thousands of homes have been damaged, and many folks lost their lives. According to a close friend and natural construction expert, Marcos Sánchez, the Mexican government has been assessing the damage done to houses, and pressuring families to demolish homes and rebuild them using concrete.
For many families in Oaxaca, natural ways of building, including adobe, waddle and daub (bajareque), brick and cob (blá) are an expression of their worldview. The way we build our homes reflects how we choose to interact with our families, create safety and comfort, and navigate our daily needs - physical, emotional and spiritual. In the wake of the earthquake, many families have been forced to choose between receiving government assistance (using only concrete) or attempting to repair their homes with their own savings.
With that said, Oaxaca is full of brilliant, creative people who are bringing attention to deficiencies in the government’s rebuilding efforts, and working directly to help folks rebuild their homes as they choose. Our close friend and mentor, Marcos Sánchez, is an arquitect working directly with families to rebuild their homes. Marcos and his wife Alicia own a natural building company called Eco Constructores Oaxaca and have deep respect for communities’ autonomy and knowledge about natural building. Marcos is spearheading an effort to donate skills, expertise, tools, and money to assist families looking to rebuild and/or repair their homes. We hope this campaign will magnify his efforts.
Here are a few examples of costs:
- $10 = shovel
- $25 = a month's supply of water for 10 volunteers
- $50 = rebuilds a family's oven (main income source)
- $75 = load of fired clay bricks
Please consider giving what you are able! All funds will go directly to the reconstruction of communities that were affected by the earthquake, and would be deeply appreciated.
**10% of funds raised will also go directly to assisting a friend and co-worker, Oscar de Leon Sarabia, and his community in San Blas Atempa, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. His grandmother’s house suffered severe damage in the quake and he will be working on repairing it over the coming months. Due to GoFundMe's country restrictions, funds will be withdrawn from a U.S. bank account (Jenny's) and then will be provided directly to Marcos and Oscar.
PRESS LINKS
La Jornada "Buscan reconstruir con los ladrillos de las casas caídas"
Istmo Press "Afectados por el sismo exigen a las autoridades salvar sus viviendas y no derribarlas"
DemocracyNow! "Oaxacan Residents Plead for Water & Food After Mexican Earthquake Kills Over 90 People"
Thousands of homes have been damaged, and many folks lost their lives. According to a close friend and natural construction expert, Marcos Sánchez, the Mexican government has been assessing the damage done to houses, and pressuring families to demolish homes and rebuild them using concrete.
For many families in Oaxaca, natural ways of building, including adobe, waddle and daub (bajareque), brick and cob (blá) are an expression of their worldview. The way we build our homes reflects how we choose to interact with our families, create safety and comfort, and navigate our daily needs - physical, emotional and spiritual. In the wake of the earthquake, many families have been forced to choose between receiving government assistance (using only concrete) or attempting to repair their homes with their own savings.
With that said, Oaxaca is full of brilliant, creative people who are bringing attention to deficiencies in the government’s rebuilding efforts, and working directly to help folks rebuild their homes as they choose. Our close friend and mentor, Marcos Sánchez, is an arquitect working directly with families to rebuild their homes. Marcos and his wife Alicia own a natural building company called Eco Constructores Oaxaca and have deep respect for communities’ autonomy and knowledge about natural building. Marcos is spearheading an effort to donate skills, expertise, tools, and money to assist families looking to rebuild and/or repair their homes. We hope this campaign will magnify his efforts.
Here are a few examples of costs:
- $10 = shovel
- $25 = a month's supply of water for 10 volunteers
- $50 = rebuilds a family's oven (main income source)
- $75 = load of fired clay bricks
Please consider giving what you are able! All funds will go directly to the reconstruction of communities that were affected by the earthquake, and would be deeply appreciated.
**10% of funds raised will also go directly to assisting a friend and co-worker, Oscar de Leon Sarabia, and his community in San Blas Atempa, in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. His grandmother’s house suffered severe damage in the quake and he will be working on repairing it over the coming months. Due to GoFundMe's country restrictions, funds will be withdrawn from a U.S. bank account (Jenny's) and then will be provided directly to Marcos and Oscar.
PRESS LINKS
La Jornada "Buscan reconstruir con los ladrillos de las casas caídas"
Istmo Press "Afectados por el sismo exigen a las autoridades salvar sus viviendas y no derribarlas"
DemocracyNow! "Oaxacan Residents Plead for Water & Food After Mexican Earthquake Kills Over 90 People"
Organizer
Jenny Taylor
Organizer
