We are building a 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.
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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.
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Nacho and his fellow university colleagues worked hard on this project, with 39 students and seven faculty members 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. We 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.
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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.
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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
 The new classroom for tutoring students |  New classroom area above the kitchen April 2025 |  the new classroom area with temporary shade material April 2025 |  Painting the metal roof |
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 The classroom roof under construction March 2025 |  The stairs up to the higher level |  Before the safety wall was built |  Children waiting for lunch |
 Lots of clean up! Thanks to Oxxo for donating the great tables and chairs |  |  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). |  Where the children will eat and programs held |  |  The kitchen ceiling being finished |
 The roof is on the kitchen! |  Bodega |  Starting to build the kitchen |  The bodega (multi-purpose room). Just a door for security for now. |
 Start of the kitchen with the huge boulder that had to be broken up |  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 grant from Rotary Chapala Sunrise and a private donor, in May 2025 the work started on the installation of water pipes for the 30 houses on the road, and for the community center building.
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.
May 2025: The community center is used five days a week for many activities. Mainly, feeding and now educating the over 180 children who come for a nutritious meal, five days a week.
The children wash their hands before eating.
Thanks to the support from Association Femmes d'Europe, we were able to start the construction of the 2nd floor of the Community Center building. In May 2024 the walls and roof were completed and the roof sealed. The windows and doors were installed in 2025. But we are very grateful to the Association for their support of our work.
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January 2025: After much paperwork, payments, different instructions for where electric poles needed to be added, etc., the community center is now hooked up to 220 volt electricity. That means we can move ahead with getting solar panels installed.
May 2025: This is one of the big windows built for the medical and dental office. (Small panes of glass so that if something is thrown at the windows, we only have to replace one small part.)