Following Hurricane Maria’s passage through Puerto Rico and the earthquakes in Mexico, TECHO been working on the reconstruction efforts in those countries. Two hundred days after these two natural disasters, Felipe Bogotá, Regional Director General of TECHO , made it clear that “The emergency is not over.” In response to the emergency, two reconstruction initiatives have been organized in both countries.
More than 200 days after these two natural disasters struck, the emergency continues. In light of this, Felipe Bogotá explained that, “After the initial shock that occurs in the first few weeks following a natural disaster, an emergency with deeper roots—such as poverty and inequality—comes to light. That is why we focus on working with families who, in addition to the direct impact of an earthquake or a hurricane, find their ability to rebuild their homes and lives severely limited by the reality of exclusion in which they previously lived.”
(Photo on the left: a family in their home in the El Salitre community)
A reconstruction project took place in Mexico from Saturday, April 14, to Sunday, April 15, in the rural community of El Salitre, located in the state of Morelos. A total of 40 emergency homes were built there as a result of a joint effort by families affected by the earthquakes and 250 TECHO volunteers.
The El Salitre community is primarily engaged in farming. A survey TECHO 71 families in the community, conducted to help define TECHO action plan, revealed that 50.7% of the homes were either beyond repair or uninhabitable as a result of the earthquake. 52.11% reported that they had not received any kind of assistance as of March 18, the date of the survey.
Meanwhile, in Puerto Rico, the reconstruction of eleven housing units is underway this week in the San Isidro neighborhood, located in the municipality of Canóvas. At this time, families are working alongside 100 young volunteers to build these units. An analysis of 45 surveys conducted between March 10 and 11 among families affected by visible damage to their homes revealed It was found that 41% of the families lost their jobs as a result of the emergency. Furthermore, among the urgent projects highlighted by residents, housing ranked first at 60.42%, followed by access to electricity at 43.75%.
(Photo on the right: Reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico last March)
In turn, Felipe Bogotá called on everyone to respond to this emergency .“The response to this emergency—which reveals a more complex reality—cannot be left to the passage of time. That is why we are calling on citizens, organized civil society, the business and academic sectors, and, of course, government officials to address the full scope and depth of the issue, not just with reactions, but with substantive solutions. “The first to mobilize and take action are the families themselves, ”he stated.
Since TECHO arrived TECHO Puerto Rico to provide emergency relief, the organization has worked to date with 17 families and more than 200 young people who volunteered to help rebuild housing units. In Mexico, TECHO work TECHO reached a total of 552 families through the construction of emergency housing, mobilizing more than 4,000 volunteers.