Women rebuilding Guerrero/Hurricane Otis

“Our main purpose is to empower girls, adolescents, and women facing challenges in poor and marginalized communities. Our fire is based on the unwavering belief that when we empower a girl or a woman, we not only transform her life, but also positively impact her entire community.”  Tlali Bienestar y Conservación

Following the call for applications launched on January 30, 2024, titled “Women Rebuilding Guerrero,” which arose in response to the devastating effects of Hurricane Otis in October 2023, Fondo Semillas has made significant progress in selecting and supporting grassroots organizations led by women*. As we can remember, the objective of this call is to rebuild the affected communities in the medium and long term through projects focused on infrastructure, economic reactivation, and the reconstruction of social fabric.

In the first screening, thirty organizations were identified that met Fondo Semillas' basic requirements: being women*-led, operating in the affected municipalities, and not being aligned with political parties or anti-rights positions. Of these organizations, 27% are led by young women, 23% by indigenous women, 20% by cisgender women, and 17% by Afro women. The priority themes of the selected projects are the recovery of the social networks and economic autonomy, covering the 48 municipalities declared in disaster or emergency status after the hurricane. Notably, Acapulco is mentioned in 14 proposals, followed by Coyuca de Benítez, San Marcos, and San Luis Acatlán, with 4 mentions each.

In April 2024, we were very pleased to share the 20 organizations that were chosen to be part of the “Women Rebuilding Guerrero” program. Below, you can learn more about them:

1. Acciona transformando Caminos para Ser y Hacer, A.C.

2. Afro Caracolas Saberes Itinerantes

3. ALDEA Comisión de mujeres (Alianza por la Libre Determinación y Autonomía de los Pueblos)

4. Cooperativa “Memoria de las abuelas”

5. Corrientes OTIS

6. Creadoras de sueños

7. Familias de Acapulco en busca de sus desaparecidos A.C.

8. Guerrero es Primero-Comité Social Acapulco Coyuca

9. Interculturalidad, Salud y Derechos

10. Mano Amiga de la Costa Chica, A.C.

11. Mujeres tejiendo esperanza

12. Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio

13. Pro Ayuda a la Mujer Origen, A.C.

14. Red de defensoras y periodistas en Guerrero

15. Red de Mujeres Agraristas de Guerrero (REMAGro)

16. REMJINA (Red de Mujeres Indígenas y Afromexicanas)

17. Ser Mujer

18. Serendipia Creatividad para el Desarrollo A.C.

19. Tlali Bienestar y Conservación

20. Transformación Colectiva con Equidad, A.C.

All of these grassroots organizations include or work with Afro and Indigenous women, girls, young women, and older women; lesbian, trans*, bisexual, and non-binary women; women with disabilities, homeless women, human rights defenders, and women deprived of their liberty.

During the selection process, we learned several things, for instance, we recognized the need for more personnel specialized in emergencies, who could accompany the selected organizations. A key element in this process was the selection of an accompanying officer, a native of Guerrero with extensive field experience. Her training and knowledge of regional contexts and the individuals involved in emergency response have been essential to maintaining coherence with the program's values and methodologies.

Additionally, the criteria were adjusted to accept certain organizations. Although initially not focused on emergency response, some groups began to work in response to Otis. Organizations based in other states were also included, provided their proposals focused on recovering affected communities. This adaptability demonstrates the importance of internal reflection and discussion, as well as consultation with emergency experts, enabling decisions that will contribute to the overall goal and positively impact communities affected by the hurricane.

In conclusion, the “Women Rebuilding Guerrero” program has not only made progress in selecting suitable organizations but has also demonstrated crucial adaptability and flexibility to respond effectively to emerging needs. These actions underscore Fondo Semillas' commitment to the recovery and strengthening of women-led communities in Guerrero. We are looking forward to sharing the work and actions carried out by these organizations. 

"It is impossible to be resilient in the face of disasters without thinking about how threats impact our lives differentially; we are not all the same, in fact, not all women are the same. As Audre Lorde once said, 'It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept and celebrate those differences'. Integrating gender into humanitarian response and strengthening women's self-reliance and empowerment produces better humanitarian outcomes. Planning, preparing for and mitigating disasters, taking into account the lived realities of men, women, boys and girls are elements of gender-transformative programming."

-Tonni Brodber, UN Women Cluster Office Representative for the Caribbean

In today's world, we face major challenges arising from climate change, water crises, and transformations in migratory flows, among others. It is crucial to address these issues with a differentiated approach that considers the specific needs of women, men, boys, and girls to achieve effective responses. The active participation of women is fundamental in the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of their communities, and their leadership must be recognized and valued at all times.

Throughout our accompaniment of groups led by women, we have witnessed the indispensable role played by these leaders from the first stages of response in their communities to their tireless advocacy work with local authorities.

So far, the "Women Rebuilding Guerrero" program has supported the organization Tlali, Conservación y Bienestar, A.C., whose objective is to empower Mexican girls, adolescents, and women living in communities on the coast of Guerrero, so that they can improve their living conditions. With the support provided, Tlali has mobilized people in solidarity from different regions to collaborate in clean-up and debris removal tasks, facilitating access to the peripheral communities of the port of Acapulco. In addition, they have provided essential supplies such as cleaning materials, food, and medicine to the affected communities.

On the other hand, the launch of the call for funding on January 30, 2024, represents a crucial step in our commitment to support at least 20 grassroots organizations led by women. These organizations have projects underway to rebuild their communities in the medium and long term, addressing fundamental aspects such as infrastructure, economic reactivation, and the reconstruction of the social network.

To date, we have received proposals from Afro-Mexican, indigenous, and young women's groups seeking to promote the recovery of the social network, access to physical and mental health, emergency response, and economic autonomy. The strategies proposed focus on community development, psycho-emotional support, and economic reactivation. The application window closes on February 29, 2024, giving way to the analysis of the proposals submitted by these organizations.