We’re still standing: One year after the earthquake of September 19 (2017)

We´re still standing: One year after the earthquake of September 19 (2017)

On September 19^th, 2017, the central region of Mexico was strongly shaken by an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale. The hours after the quake were marked by the continuous revelation of new damages, losses and destruction that the catastrophe left.

The municipality of Axochiapan, Morelos was the epicenter of the earthquake, severely damaging the municipalities within a radius of 60 km. Among them were Tetela del Volcán and Jojutla. Although at first Jojutla was one of the strongest references to the destruction caused by the earthquake, in the following days, Tetela del Volcán, too, would reveal the serious damages that made 70% of the population instantly homeless.

Within the first hours of the earthquake, AMEXTRA mobilized to respond to the emergency. True to our mission to serve the most vulnerable populations, we decided to support the affected families of Tetela del Volcán and Jojutla, Morelos. A two-stage intervention was designed.

PHASE 1: Attention to the basic and urgent needs of the families affected

The results of this program were:

80 families in Tetela del Volcán received food and hygiene kits (personal and for the home). In total, each family received two deliveries of food and hygiene kits, benefitting 380 people.

23 temporary shelters were built, which allowed the victims to protect themselves from the weather. Currently, they are still being used to protect families´ belongings and materials.

In nine months, our team of Consultants gave 12 workshops for the management of post-traumatic stress. In these, 200 primary school children and 30 adults participated. The workshops served as a space for people to process the pain and worry generated by the loss of their homes and fear of another disaster.

Once the basic and urgent needs of the affected communities are met, the communities themselves noted it was time to start with the second stage. In this phase, the efforts would focus on two actions: 1) reconstruction of houses in Tetela del Volcán, where severe damage was recorded in the majority of homes, and 2) the reactivation of small businesses. In Jojutla, the loss of family businesses worsened the vulnerability of the victims, because it was their main source of income.

PHASE 2: Current process of housing reconstruction and business reactivation

Until September 2018 we have been able to:

Reactivate 43 local businesses in Jojutla and Tetela del Volcán: Businesses such as egg production, poultry shops, rental of tables and chairs and small grocery stores, among others.

Facilitate the first session of the Disaster Risk Management workshop. The workshop seeks for families to reflect on the vulnerabilities of their homes, and the risks of their context, to minimize them through concrete actions.

Advance in the reconstruction of 16 homes, 5 of them are soon to be completed and 1 has already been delivered to the beneficiary family. The beneficiary families are happy and hopeful, because they will have a decent space to live.

Support 38 young university students of Tetela del Volcán so that they can continue their university studies in Social Work. Through a support that allowed them to cover monthly expenses. With this, school dropout was avoided.

We are happy to share that, in this year of work, we were not alone. We have had the valuable participation of our allies who, through their trust, donations and volunteering, have provided the first results of AMEXTRA’s intervention in the affected communities. It is also important to recognize the passion and dedication of the team of collaborators who, day by day, live with the families in Tetela del Volcán and Jojutla, Morelos. Thanks to your unconditional service we are advancing in the goals to be fulfilled.

We still have a long way in this stage of reconstruction, however, we trust that the love and empathy that God puts in your hearts and ours will be the decisive factor in changing lives and transforming these communities. To everyone, thank you very much!

Asociación Mexicana de Transformación Rural y Urbana.

2018.