A young woman is the teacher of this literacy class in Tanque de Alto, Zacatecas. This literacy training is undertaken with the support of institutions specializing in adult education.
IFAD Photo by Louis DematteisMexico - Development Project for Marginal Rural

Project Name

Development Project for Marginal Rural Communities in the Ixtlera Region

Location of the Project

Mexico, Ixtlera region (Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Saint Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas and Zacatecas states

Responsible Organization

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), co-financed by the Government of Mexico

Description

The Ixtlera region is home to industrial cities and high-yielding agricultural and mining areas, but also to poor marginalized communities whose productive resources are limited due to scarce water supply. The region’s name Ixtlera originates from the past, when the population gathered ixtle (agave), thistles and palm leaves for processing into hard fibres that are used in the manufacture of industrial brushes and sacks.

A considerable proportion of the population of this semi-desert region still depends on ixtle fibre for their survival because the environment is not favorable for agriculture; there are some 1,200 dispersed campesino communities with a total of 567,000 inhabitants.

During the frequent droughts, rainfed crops are lost, hence livestock-raising and harvesting of native plants species take on greater importance. There is also a surge in emigration as residents in the area leave in search for work elsewhere.

The project is designed to rehabilitate the existing irrigation networks as well as organize training courses for the more efficient use of irrigation water. The project benefits 42,000 families who depend to various degrees on cutting and gathering thistles and palm leaves. In order to alleviate their poverty, new production alternatives and micro-enterprises have been created which have enabled them to raise their incomes and improve their living conditions.

Results achieved

Significant improvement in the beneficiaries’ living conditions and income has been achieved.

Some 1120 water works were undertaken, including 750 gravity flow irrigation works, the rehabilitation of 60 wells, and the introduction of sprinkler irrigation systems.

Organized into peoples’ cooperatives and collective properties or ejidos, members participate actively in the implementation, administration and evaluation of the project.

Some 3,500 women benefit from the training courses and from the financial and technical assistance for creating productive undertakings.

The five states involved in the project have made major efforts to provide the communities with basic services and infrastructure for rural development.

Lessons learned

More attention is required for the strengthening of a regional producer association that would increase the possibility of maintaining production support services after IFAD support withdraws.

For the various water works carried out, the project ensured a participatory role for the communities, whereby decision-making was shared between the communities and the project. This generated greater responsibility for maintaining the works.

The monitoring and evaluation system requires more attention so as to measure more effectively the full impact of the project.

In the words of our clients

Sandra Hernandez , a woman who is now literate, describes how the project made a difference in her life:

''The project allows us to raise our families' incomes and improve living conditions. We received training courses that allowed us to put together this little business. Some had doubts that we could create this sewing shop but we knew that we would succeed. The project gave us US$ 500. We work in weekly shifts of three. When necessary, our husbands take care of the children and even cook. Quite a change!

''The most important thing is that our children can go to school and that we are creating conditions that will no longer force them to emigrate to the city to find work.''

Luis Angel Garcia , president of the community ''Jesus'' of San Luis de Potosi, tells his story:

''My life, like everybody else's in this place, has always been one of work. I have been working since I was born. There are 12 families that work in this community, with a total of 60 persons. We built a pond for catching the water. It's the only way to have it when the drought is severe. Before, when it rained, we only had water at that moment, but now we can save it. We have also learned new ways to irrigate, which means that we use the water better and get less tired doing this job.

''Now, thanks to the help we have gotten and since we can earn a little more, our children will go to school, something that was not possible for many of us. We hope that their lives will be less hard than ours and that they can remain here without having to emigrate to the city.''

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