Mexico Earthquake Relief

Disaster Profile

On September 7, 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.

Program Work

Our first cohort of DM12 volunteers will focus on on two schools that serve more than 200 students—Escuela Secundaria Paulo Freire and Escuela Primaria Insurgente Vicente Guerrero—in the region of Oaxaca. Our work will include demolition, school rebuilding and retrofitting, WaSH rebuilding and landscaping.

Program History

Phase I: Morelos, March 2018-January 2019

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 the Narciso Mendoza Primary school, projected to help 400+ students over the next decade, and retrofitted classrooms at the Vicente Guerrero Primary School.

Phase II: Oaxaca, January 2019-July 2019

In January 2019, we began work at Celso Muñoz Primary School and Jardin de Niños 13 de Septiembre in Oaxaca. At Celso Muñoz Primary School, we rebuilt seven classrooms, an office and library, built a playground and provided WASH facilities and retrofitted four classrooms. At the Jardin De Niños 13 De Septiembre, we rebuilt and repainted the playground, rebuilt classrooms and refurbished the pre-school’s fence.

Phase III: Oaxaca, July 2019-December 2019

In July 2019, we continued recovery efforts in Oaxaca, rebuilding Itzcoatl Preschool and Revolution Primary School. In addition to our work on the schools, we implemented a community Disaster Risk Reduction Training program, reactivated a community waste management system and piloted an agricultural education program.