MEXICO EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY UPDATE JANUARY 2021
TOTAL IMPACT TO DATE
2,105
STUDENTS IMPACTED
1,246
VOLUNTEERS
15,400
VOLUNTEER DAYS
18
SCHOOLS REBUILT
Current Activities Thanks to the hard work and commitment of our Program Development Team (PDT), who have been in Oaxaca since October 2020, we’re well prepared and excited for the start of our volunteer program on January 18. Over the past month, the team has finalized the construction schedule for both schools, overseen the demolition of Paulo Freire Secondary School, set up our base of operations and recruited local skilled masons to support the rebuild projects. Our program staff team started arriving in Oaxaca at the end of December 2020, and both teams will now undertake a comprehensive handover before the arrival of our DM12 volunteers.
Next Steps In preparation for the volunteers arriving on January 18, the following activities will be taking place in the coming weeks: Construction Site setup (tool shed, security, building work station) Induction with the local masons Volunteers' initial training Jan 11-18 Start work with volunteers on Jan 18 Operations Community introduction meeting Continued local staff hiring (laundry service, chefs, cleaners, etc)
Photos: (top) Jardin de Niños Itzcoatl, completed Dec 2019; (left) student at Jardin de Niños 13 de Septiembre, Oaxaca, completed July 2019.
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 quake 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 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. We’re looking forward to returning to work on Escuela Secundaria Paulo Freire and Escuela Primaria Insurgente Vicente Guerrero 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) a community member at the Narciso Mendoza Primary School handover ceremony, completed Jan 2019; (middle) a new classroom at Jardin de Niños Itzcoatl, completed Dec 2019; (bottom) volunteers pouring concrete at the Celso Muñoz Primary School site, completed July 2019.
Our Partners
info@allhandsandhearts.org (508) 758-8211