When the 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck on January 2, many women in San Marcos lost the kilns that sustain their livelihoods. Together, we can help them rebuild these vital spaces, restoring both income and cultural heritage.
After a 6.5-magnitude earthquake destroyed 100% of the bread ovens and pottery kilns in San Marcos, Guerrero,-the main productive economic activities of the community-the disaster received neither official recognition nor public support. With no government aid and little visibility, women potters and bakers are leading the effort to rebuild what was lost. With strength, skill, and solidarity, they are restoring the fires that sustain their families, their traditions, and their community.
Thanks to the women of the AfroRaiz collective-an alliance of women activists from the Costa Chica who work to build better conditions for women in the region while reclaiming and valuing their Afro-Indigenous identity-Cooperacion Comunitaria was able to carry out a community-based damage assessment. This diagnosis made visible the scale of the loss and opened the path to begin rebuilding the ovens and kilns that sustain families, traditions, and local livelihoods.
Through this project, 25 pottery kilns and 25 bread ovens will be rebuilt using natural materials, ancestral techniques, and earthquake-resistant structural reinforcement. This will enable 25 women to recover their livelihoods and their craft, strengthen their resilience, and help preserve the community's cultural heritage.
