We continue building our community centre in San Pedro Itzicán!
In 2021 we purchased a small piece of land (20 x 20 meters - 4,300 square feet) in San Pedro Itzicán. There were challenges in doing this, (because this is an indigenous area), but finally, special permission to pay for the land was given to us (thanks to the assistance of Notary #2 of Ajijic).
The land and the Community Center building belong to the community in perpetuity. (Foreigners and even Mexican nationals, who do not have ancestral ties to the area, cannot buy land; the elders are the ones to decide these things.) That was fine with us.
We are so grateful to M. Arq. Ignacio G. Osuna Eskenazi, (Nacho), Professor at the School of Architecture, at the Campus Guadalajara, Tec de Monterrey University, for focusing the whole semester of his architectural students on this project, in order to support us. Below is the selected design, which was challenging, because of the different elevations of the land. There are some changes (inevitably) as building is happening, because of the terrain, the water flowing from the mountain, and the many large boulders on the property.
Nacho and his seven of the faculty colleagues worked hard on this project, with 39 students, visiting the site multiple times, hosting community center design workshops with local children and adults while getting to know the local community individuals as well. Poco a Poco volunteers visited the Architectural Department at the University, and were presented with six final designs for review. Then the students and faculty members visited the community for their input, in order to finalize the choice.
This is the final design that was chosen by the community leaders in San Pedro and our committee.
Building started in May 2023, first with a bodega (which is now a multi-purpose room). Part of the room is now sectioned off for food storage and refrigeration. The other part is full of books, firefighting uniforms, CPR equipment and medical supplies, among other things.
During the whole time we were building, unfortunately the local digger was broken, so everything had to be dug out by hand, including the huge holes for the water cistern and the septic tank system.
The various stages of building of the community center since May 2023
 Anita outside the medical and dental offices May 2026 |  To prevent rain damage to the area |  The new classroom for tutoring students |  Children waiting for lunch |
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 The kitchen |  Harvey Bernier of Sunrise Rotary with Anita Torres in the kitchen (February 2024). |  The ramp from the street level down to the dining and program area |  The metal work of the eating area has now been painted (April 24). |
 The roof is on the kitchen! |  Starting to build the kitchen |  The bodega (multi-purpose room). Just a door for security for now. |  Water cistern being lowered into hole |
 The retaining wall and the multipurpose room on the left |  The start of the bodega May 2023 |
Thanks to a private donation to Rotary Chapala Sunrise, in May 2025 the work was done to connect to the town's water system, and they installed water pipes for the whole road. This has allowed us to connect our community center. (And for the 30 homes being built or lived in, to access water. (The water is not suitable for drinking but good for bathing and cleaning.) We are most grateful for this.
Thank you St Andrew's Outreach program of St Andrew's Anglican Church in Riberas, for providing funds to pay for the tiling of the kitchen, kitchen counter and toilets, and for the door and roll up window in the kitchen.
Thank you San Diego Rotary Breakfast Club and the Rotarian donor - because of your combined generosity, we completed the building of two toilets - one wheelchair accessible and one regular toilet, with shared sinks outside. And for your help with finishing the medical and dental office.
January 2025: After much paperwork, payments, different instructions for where electric poles needed to be added, etc., the community center was hooked up to 220 volt electricity. The only building in San Pedro with 220 volts! But it means we can eventually get solar panels installed.
Thanks to support from Association Femmes d'Europe in 2023, we built the 2nd floor of the Community Center building to be the future medical and dental offices.
In May 2024 the walls and roof were completed and the roof sealed. We are very grateful to the Association for their support of our work.
The official opening of the medical and dental offices was in May 2026.
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