MEXICO EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FINAL REPORT JULY 2021
Mural at Paulo Freire Secondary School: “Education doesn’t change the world, it changes the people who are going to change the world.”
Program Completion We’re delighted to announce that our Tonameca Program is complete! Thanks to the support, dedication and commitment of our partners and donors, volunteers, staff, local workers and the local community, Santa Maria de Tonameca now has two new, disaster-resilient school campuses. While the last few months have not been without challenges (namely COVID-19 and recent spells of heavy rain), we’re incredibly proud of how everyone has come together to successfully achieve our goals to rebuild, retrofit and refurbish Vicente Guerrero Primary School and Paulo Freire Secondary School. A special thanks to the communities of Macahuite and El Coco, which regularly hosted Tequios (voluntary work days) on Sundays to help out on the sites. At Vicente Guerrero Primary School, we demolished four unsafe temporary structures; rebuilt, retrofitted and refurbished ten classrooms; rebuilt the WASH facilities; refurbished a storage room and built a new roof for the dining room. We also implemented a new drainage system for the school. At Paulo Freire Secondary School, our work included demolition of three unsafe buildings, rebuilding the office and WASH, retrofitting and refurbishing three classrooms and building a new roof for the dining room. All of these important infrastructure improvements mean that the students can now return to their regular classes in a safe learning environment. Due to our COVID-19 safety measures, it was not possible to hold a large handover celebration at the schools, but the local community generously made atole and tamales to show their appreciation, and a socially distanced dance competition was enjoyed by all before our teams departed!
58
VOLUNTEERS
247
STUDENTS IMPACTED
4,152
VOLUNTEER DAYS
13
2
CLASSROOMS
WASH FACILITIES
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Members of the local Macahuite community during a Sunday Tequio at Paulo Freire Secondary School.
Partner Spotlight In the final weeks of program, we were very pleased to be able to safely host a group of visitors from Happy Hearts Czech, an affiliate of All Hands and Hearts. Having not been able to welcome visitors previously due to COVID-19 restrictions, this was a momentous occasion and everyone happily got involved, helping to paint a beautiful mural at Vicente Guerrero Primary School (see photos below). Karolina Bosakova, Director of Happy Hearts Fund Czech Republic and Special Advisor to EMEA said, “this donor trip
was perfect. We visited the two schools, which will soon open their doors to over 200 children who have been waiting for a proper school for four years. I met many beautiful people in Mexico; volunteers, colleagues and members of the community we serve, all of whom are taking part in our mission and helping us bring children back to school. It’s wonderful to see how we have all come together to continue this important work, even though the pandemic is still making it difficult for us to work.”
Learn about our programs at
allhandsandhearts.org
Disaster Profile In September 2017, one of the most lethal earthquakes in Mexican history hit close to the southern state of Chiapas, with a devastating magnitude of 8.2. Just 12 days later and a few hundred miles away, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rocked central Mexico, toppling buildings, breaking gas mains, knocking out electricity and sparking fires across the city and other towns in central Mexico.
Our Work Our efforts in Mexico began in March 2018 in El Jicarero, Morelos, where we partnered with Happy Hearts Fund (now All Hands and Hearts Mexico) to reconstruct and retrofit two primary schools. Since then, we’ve run two volunteer programs in Oaxaca and have rebuilt another four schools, including playgrounds, libraries and WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities. In addition to our construction work on the schools, our teams collaborate with local partners to identify Renewal Projects with an aim to build community resilience. To date, we’ve implemented a community Disaster Risk Reduction Training program, reactivated a community waste management system and piloted an agricultural education program. This year, we’re excited to have completed an additional two schools - Paulo Freire Secondary School and Vicente Guerrero Primary School - in Oaxaca.
About All Hands and Hearts We effectively and efficiently address the immediate and long-term needs of communities impacted by natural disasters. We communicate directly with local leaders and community members and then deploy our unique model of engaging volunteers to enable direct impact, helping to build safer, more resilient schools, homes and infrastructure. We have earned a 4-star rating by Charity Navigator for the seventh year in a row. This year only seven percent of rated non-profits received this distinction for financial and operational efficiency. Photos: (top and middle) Paulo Freire Secondary School, (bottom) finishing touches being made at Vicente Guerrero Primary School.
Our Partners
info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211