Caretakers of Mother Earth building Foundations for Growth

Caretakers learn to form adobe bricks on site using local materials.

A Caretaker explains the importance of allowing bricks to dry completely.

In 2018, a group of senior Caretakers of Mother Earth focused on preparing the next generation of agroecology promoters who will serve as teacher-facilitators for the incoming class of diplomantes(agroecology students) set to begin their 2-year training program this next spring.

The Caretakers also participated in exchanges and trainings with Cooperación Comunitaria with two goals in mind: (1) to learn skills to build permanent learning spaces on sites designated for village training centers; and (2) to incorporate sustainable construction skills into their agroecology training program so students can apply those skills to build homes and other buildings on their family farms.

The first step in building sustainably was to learn about constructing with reinforced adobe. The Caretakers, together with architects and engineers from Cooperación Comunitaria, combined various types of soil and other materials to test which recipe would yield the strongest bricks. On November 28th they created their first samples in the village of Bahtzel. This was an important step toward breaking ground on their first project: building a cooperative store in the community of Nahilté, where the Caretakers will sell agricultural supplies, vegetables and other goods they produce.

Thank you for supporting indigenous communities as they learn to grow food ecologically and build economic opportunities in 2018!