Emergency Earthquake Response in Mexico

The Puebla earthquake struck Mexico in September 2017, claiming the lives of 370 people and injuring more than 6,000. IsraAID arrived shortly after to the state of Morelos, to support response efforts, and remains on the ground implementing programs to help the community build back better. Much of this work focused and continues to focus on education, as many children were left without educational frameworks for the immediate period after the earthquake, as schools were destroyed or repurposed as shelters.

Now, IsraAID has shifted toward supporting public school communities in Morelos, providing holistic, participatory educational tools aiming to mitigate risks and reduce the vulnerability to future hazards, fostering safe and healthy learning environments. Together with the Secretary of Public Education, IsraAID is developing replicable practices for educational community-based disaster risk reduction- contributing to positive changes in state policy and practices- with build capacity and resilience in Disaster Risk Reduction.

Gabriela has worked as a math teacher for nine years at the Francisco Zarco High School. Zarco High School has benefited from different projects of IsraAID, including the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene program launched immediately following the earthquake, as well as hosting a temporary learning space.

Gabriela participated in the pilot stage of our Disaster Risk Reduction at Zarco High School, and then became the school’s “Technical-Pedagogical Consultant” for DRR to lead the program, run the needs assessment process, and then follow up with creating and executing the school specific work plan.

In addition, Gabriela will be mentoring five additional secondary schools through the process, creating a ripple effect in the program’s reach. Each of these schools are near her school in Xoxocotla, all of which are high-vulnerability communities that face overlapping hazards.

Gabriela shared with IsraAID staff that after participating in the pilot process at her school, she feels more secure and knows what to do and how to best help others.

We are confident that Gabriela will be a great support to these additional schools, and are inspired by her commitment.

In the coming months, Gabriela and the other 31 teachers who undertook the same key role in their communities, will lead implementation of the program in 150 secondary schools.

Thank you for your support!