Habitat for Humanity: Mexico Earthquake response

General objective

• A comprehensive reconstruction of homes in Zona Frailesca and the Central Zone of Chiapas, affected by earthquakes. This work will be supported through a recovery process to build resilient communities, strengthening of capacities for coordination, planning, management, and monitoring of the recovery process.

 Specific Objectives

•  Provide habitable and durable housing to families affected by the earthquake, providing advice and constructive technical supervision during the process
• Strengthen local organizational capacities through the process of social and educational participation with the affected families, in order to assure the reconstruction of the houses in the places affected.

ACTIVITIES CARRY OUT DURING THE PERIOD REPORTED

Objective 1: 100 families were selected and located in the following municipalities and localities:

• Cintalapa - 14

• Emiliano Zapata- 7

• Jiquipilas - 14

• Miguel Hidalgo - 1

• Espinal de Morelos - 17

• Benito Juárez - 11

• Colonia Juan Pablo - 1

• Cristobal Obregon - 1

• Cuahutemoc - 6

• Jesús María Garza - 16

• Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez - 1

• Melchor Ocampo - 1

• Nuevo México - 1

• Tierra y Libertad - 1

• Villaflores - 8

Objective 2: Social Intervention - Organization and Workshops

The comprehensive intervention methodology incorporated as a fundamental basis the organization of the beneficiaries in mutual aid committees, in 9 committees in all the communities, with the objective of encouraging community participation and mobilizing it in favor of themselves, that is to say helping to walk towards a community resilience, collective condition to overcome disasters and massive situations of adversity and the capacity to build on them. This confirms that facing a disaster, some communities fall into despondency and desperation, while others fight adversity and overcome difficulties. Some of the activities that were carried out was a workshop of application of flattening of walls in the houses.

The workshops given to affected families have the objective of promoting the interest and learning of skills that facilitate the resilient development of people for the prevention of situations that can lead to critical moments in life, through awareness, recognition, empowerment, valuation and use of our personal skills and resources.

Strengthening the abilities of the people, so that they do not lose the sense of relevance and help themselves in vulnerable situations, learn to resolve conflicts and organize as a community and be able to help each other.

Objective 3: Construction Technical Advice

The technical assistance works have been activated in all actions. 

Assessment, surveys application and identification of needs - 100

Architectural proposal

 -  Participatory Design - 100

-   Budget - 100

-  Labor program - 80

Self-construction and Housing Supervision - 80

-  Logistic organization with the community for the delivery of construction materials

- Advice on costs of materials and labor

-  Construction monitoring and supervision

Labor Closure (finished housing) - 60

Objective 4: Architectural Proposals

The architectural proposals have been made according to the needs of each family, considering the resources of materials and labor that the family can provide. For now, a total of 100 architectural proposals have been made.

 Objective 5: Self-Construction and Housing Supervision

The self-construction processes carried out are advised by the Architects and through the community organization, the Social Promoter carries out mutual assistance activities. There have been 5 mutual aid activities in 4 Municipalities where the Committee defines which family will receive the support as a priority. Currently, 60 homes have been completed, the rest are under construction. 

• Mexico Earthquake Full Report (PDF)