Building community against the odds - Part 4: "covid smoulders like an underground burn"
“Covid is smoldering in Tlamacazapa, like an underground burn,” says Susan Smith, Director of Atzin. Covid arrived, devastated families, and is now entrenched in this Indigenous community of roughly 8,000, flaring up every few days. Since May 15th, over a period of eight weeks, covid took the lives of 34 people; the usual in a month is two to three deaths. All those who died were adults, except one. Now, covid-related deaths are like the “new normal”.
The community understands covid in different ways. Some people accept the threat as a contagion, and are willing to use masks and do what they can in their crowded surroundings to protect themselves and others. Others, men mostly, externalize the threat as something that won’t touch them; they deny its existence. Others take a “susto” perspective developed over many generations, with illness explained as a consequence of a fright. Still others are fatalistic, repeating the refrain “well, it was their time” when someone dies.
Since mid-May, the Atzin team has kept close track of the death count, visiting families of the deceased and going to the village’s two gravesites in a bid to capture more accurate numbers and birthdates. The record shows that more than half of the deceased had pre-existing conditions like diabetes. Many more men than women have died of covid, suggesting that high levels of alcohol consumption over years is likely a risk factor.
The families hit hard by the pandemic are those without savings to withstand the shock of not working for weeks. Villagers depend on street sales to tourists; when tourists vanished at the end of school break in late March, families were left with no income. Village men returned home from the markets and since then, many have been idle. Just in the last week, the men ventured out again to different parts of Mexico, hoping to have sales. Early indications are that prospects remain scant.
Atzin’s promoters made multiple door-to-door visits to inform people about covid, assess needs, and pay condolences to those who lost family members. The promoters completed six food distributions to impoverished families, organized every two weeks. During the last distribution (6-10 July), 725 families received beans, rice, lentils and cooking oil. The number of families receiving food rose from 400 to 725 over the three months. With assistance from the organization, Promotora Social Mexico (PSM) in Mexico City, Atzin organized donations of food from a communications business (Grupo Formula, Mexico City), an organic food chain (Aires de Campo, Mexico City) and currently with the non-governmental organization, Cadena (Mexico City). Importantly, after negotiations and several press releases citing the high numbers of covid-related deaths in Tlama, the municipality of Taxco provided food packages as well. The promoters handled each of the six distributions in an organized, calm manner – a capacity-building experience in and of itself.
Guadalupe confirms information on a woman's food distribution card during the covid crisis. As a response coordinator, she carries out a vital role.
Recently, Susan and colleagues have contemplated activities of “recovery” from covid. The team is very aware of all the work put aside to deal with the pandemic, in particular the health and education programs (dentist; special needs, children’s and early stimulation). But what’s emerging as top priority in the continuing presence of covid is the need for better household nutrition. Susan explains the difficult choices ahead in a weekly conversation with her Atzin Canada/PlanNET colleagues.
Phase two of the campaign will continue to feed the hungry and to provide comfort to the ill and to families of the deceased. It will aim to re-start regular programming as resources allow, and thereby provide opportunities for women and men to engage in meaningful work that earns income. Atzin has wanted to focus on household nutrition for years, but simply never had the time, money and expertise simultaneously. Growing areas are limited as households cling to rocky and steep small lots of land. Innovative technologies like green walls and vertical towers are a must, as is growing detoxifying plants like cilantro, high nutrient greens, garlic and onions along with construction of tanks to harvest rain water. Having garnered the attention of the municipality for its work in Tlamacazapa during covid, Atzin made a (formal) pitch to the authorities for a nutrition and water tank project; while there was verbal commitment, the team has a “wait and see” attitude, recognizing the complicated dynamics involved.
Susan describes the last four months as a blur that is defined less in days, and more by oscillations - one moment wide scanning for insight on next steps and then in the next, hyper focusing on team members and families in crisis. Covid has taken its toll on the team and promoters; fatigue is setting in.
But promoters are actually encouraged – “they know that they know more.” An exciting sense of empowerment is evident as they discuss and carry out their work, demonstrating stronger organizational, negotiation and leadership skills as well as better recordkeeping abilities. While not without its detractors (the usual push-back from men when the actions of women threaten the status quo), Atzin’s street credibility has increased because of covid, both in the village and in the larger municipality.
Covid in its present smoldering state with frequent flares, has exposed the fragility of life in Tlamacazapa. Over the years, Atzin compiled more than enough evidence of the village’s toxic environment and the need for wise interventions. Time will tell if these promoters, now quickly building new capacities, can drive greater traction for safe and sufficient water and the construction of their desired women’s wellness centre and shelter.
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As one of three coordinators in Atzin's covid campaign, Lupe works with strong dedication. Photo Credit: www.rodrigocruz.com