Addressing rural community needs

On the basis of information supplied by the twenty-five ejido authorities interviewed,[1]  ten (40%) stated that the ejido population has a good quality of life, 56% fair, and only one ejido considered it poor.  However, despite substantive progress with basic utilities (water and electricity), local authorities and the state government are faced with the inability to provide ejidos with more services.

Most ejidos have problems with alcohol and drug addiction. Sixty-eight percent consider alcoholism a problem, and 64% acknowledge increased drug use. In all cases, the younger population (between eighteen and thirty years of age) is the target, with marijuana, cocaine, and crystal meth as the main drugs in use. The absence of leisure activities and sports facilities, and the lack of sports promotion, as well as the relative isolation and scattering of the localities and migration are considered to be the main causes of addiction.

Trash and pollution are also major rural issues.  The majority of ejidos have no sewer systems; in others the system is unfinished or does not cover the entire population. In fact, ejidos use septic tanks or latrines; the latter are often open-air.  Lack of garbage service is an issue for most ejidos. Most ejidos have no landfill, and all have open-air garbage dumps. Many of the inhabitants deposit their garbage outside of the dumps; many burn their trash at home. The great majority of these ejidos have no regular garbage pickup service, restricting their ability to deposit large items, like cars.