Silly Symphony, Three Little Pigs

Government's Temporary Shelters:
Bamboo and asphalt sheets

I wish I had a manual on the right way of delivering information for sustainable building in Mexico. No matter how many community projects I have been involved with, this was the toughest cookie I have ever been involved with.

After the earthquake, a group of strangers were determined to change the future of 4 families in Xoxocotla, Morelos after we met by chance while demolishing their homes. I contacted an architect and his wife, who were kind enough to, lovingly, participate in this project full heartedly.

What they elaborated was an amazing sustainable home, where they tried to lower costs as much as possible, that was meant to be an effort of uniting the families in the process and that covered the anti seismic qualities a terrain like that was supposed to withstand.

That sounded great, right? Yet I was hesitant. What I heard from the people in the community, was they wanted a home just like the one they lost, huge building blocks and cement. The houses they once used to live as kids, were probably built from adobe and what they now understand as an upscale is precisely what they asked for. 

The architects understood this issue but they, as many folks that are turning their back on conventional building, tried to create something that recovered the materials from the zone it was going to be built, and I'm willing to bet, they were even going to commit to the whole process of compacting earth or mud, along with the community.

But as they explained this process, I was very doubtful the message was getting across. The metal beams they loved.The modular growth of the house was approved. What stopped their tracks was the walls. Herbs and mud? What would it be used to make it stick? Agave slime? I'm sorry what? 

Interest waned.

After a bit, one of the men in the group approached me. He wanted to know my opinion about something they were offered a few weeks behind. On a WhatsApp picture on his cell phone, a man and a woman held a white piece of paper where it read: "I accept the 'Moni Home' that was offered", then images of their official papers. Some other after, images of the home to be: A two floor house, we, in Mexico call "Feo" which means "ugly", making fun of the house developers brand: Geo.

I kept looking at the images, one after another as I listened. But then I stopped. One of the people in the images was standing a few meters away from me. "Isn't that Armando and his wife?" I asked this man. They were standing behind their white cardboard accepting the house deal. Eufriaco nodded, stuttered a yes, and kept going, "This initiative is from Graco, the governor..." That's all I needed to listen to. 

The decent word I will use to describe the governor is a thug. And believe me, I'm being way too kind, the only reason I'm moderating myself is because some thugs are more perilous than others. This is the kind of thug you don't write about.

I thought about the two options: The bricks and cement versus mud and agave slime. In an instant, I had a funny thought about the Three Little Pigs. If the wolf came to your door to huff and puff, which one would you choose?

I felt defeated, like I failed them. Not necessarily as my own fault, but as the civil society failing the indigenous community because we, couldn't seem to offer what they wanted. Because we, as a civil society, have left for our daily chores and forgot about their pressing needs. Needs a government does not care about, but as an orphaned child, just accepts the terms and conditions of an abusive asshole of a foster parent, who will exploit them just to make a large profit from them.

Should I've held to my ground and asked the architects to develop what the community asked for, even if that goes against nature? Or should I have organized this a bit better and take them to a sample house at Grupedsac in Huixquilucan, Mexico first, so they could see what the result of mud and agave slime could become? If this fear was forever eased from their minds, could then, we, deal with matters of making them work together even if they hate their guts while doing so? Were the architects' beliefs in the way? Did I went too far in venting fears no one spoke about in the community in order to listen to their doubts and unexpressed fears? Was I angry at the fact some of them already signed for the governmental option and didn't tell us about it? I don't know.

At 3 am. I just had to let these thoughts go. I didn't feel deceit but sadness. I don't blame them for signing up for as many aids as they can get. I remember telling them, if they went for the "B" plan, we would help them get a solar water heater or another kind of eco technology of their choosing. After all, a home is where you sleep, where you dream and some of us will die in. Why not go for the one that will keep the big, bad wolf, out?