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Housing
The Coordinadora
began building 90 flood-proof homes in the fall of 2000 (before
the earthquakes).
The Coordinadora works at the bottom of the Lempa River, the
largest river in Central America. This makes the region
extremely vulnerable to flooding every year as rain from Guatemala,
Honduras, and El Salvador overflow the banks. Hurricane
Mitch destroyed hundreds of homes, leaving many with inadequate
housing or none at all. All were finished by late summer
2001.
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The design of the flood-proof
homes gives families a safe place, the second floor, during
the flooding which strikes their region every year.
All of the homes
resisted the earthquakes' shaking, because of their solid
construction.
Photos by Loreto
Caro.
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The Coordinadora seeks to
replace unstable, unsafe houses like these below with sturdy, flood-resistant
homes.
The Shelter/Dormitory
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In response to the disaster
created by Hurricane Mitch, the Jewish Coalition for Hurricane
Mitch Relief and the FSSCA have funded a disaster relief shelter
in Ciudad Romero.
When not sheltering families
during natural disasters, this building serves as a dormitory
for workshop participants and foreign delegations.
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The
Coordinadora's Disaster Relief Shelter, which doubles as a
dormitory.
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The Office
| The Coordinadora - Mangrove
Association has established itself as a permanent, long-term
fixture in the Bajo Lempa region. An important symbol
of this is the Office/Multi-purpose building that it has built
in Ciudad Romero with funds from the FSSCA and American Jewish
World Service. |
The Coordinadora's field
office, in Ciudad Romero
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This building serves as a field office and
training center, among its other uses. Future plans for this
5,000 square yard site include a community computer center and a
radio transmitter that will broadcast to all 86 communities in the
region.
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