We are building a community centre in San Pedro Itzicán!
In 2021, with the help of Anita Torres (a local resident of San Pedro Itzicán and part of our “Poco a Poco team”) we purchased a small piece of land (20 x 20 meters - 4,300 square feet) in San Pedro Itzicán. There were many delays and difficulties in doing this, (because this is an indigenous area), but finally, special permission to pay for the land was given to us. But the land and the Community Center building will 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 will be a few changes as building happens, because of the challenging terrain and the many large boulders.
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“Nacho” and his fellow university colleagues worked hard on this project, with students and faculty members all 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.
Over 39 students and seven faculty members worked on this project, creating amazing designs. 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 our committee, as well as the community leaders in San Pedro.
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Building started in May 2023, first with a bodega (which will be multi-purpose room in its later life). For now it's storing building supplies as well as items donated to the community, including firefighting uniforms, CPR equipment, donated equipment for the kitchen, and musical instruments.
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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
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 an anonymous donor! Because of your combined generosity, we have compeled the building of two toilets - one wheelchair accessible and one regular toilet, with shared sinks outside.
April 2024: The site is almost ready to be used. The gas lines to the kitchen need completion and then we can move the Kids' Diner!
