Resilience, according to the UN, is the “capacity of a system, community or society exposed to a threat to resist, absorb, adapt and recover of its effects in a timely and efficient way, which includes the perseverance and restoration of its structures and basic functions”.
In AXA Mexico Foundation we understand and apply this idea when we work on prevention and foment the participation of the members of the communities to create resilient communities. In collaboration with the government and civil organizations, like the Red Cross or Topos -and through special trainings-, we teach the communities how to act in the face of an emergency.
An example this was the response to the earthquakes of September 2017, together with our ally Cadena, A.C., we collaborate with one of the most affected communities, Union Hidalgo, Oaxaca, through a series of measures that included:
- Reconstruction of classrooms and markets
- Design of new houses, with resilient structures and materials
- AXA microinsurance that covers fires, earthquakes and flooding for all reconstructed houses
- Training for community leaders on emergencies
- Alarm installation in public schools
This is just the beginning. In AXA Mexico Foundation we continue contributing in the creation of resilient communities, for them to overcome the crisis; but that they, above all, become stronger and resistant in the face of adversity. Soon we will work in a community affected by hydrometeorological events. We are convinced that the moments of crisis help us find opportunities to strengthen us and face adversity.