ILO Tackles Mexican Rural Development

Oaxaca is one of the poorest states of Mexico. Faced with soil erosion and lack of irrigation, families previously had no option but to migrate to towns and cities. Now, with the help of the International Labour Organization and UNDP, a local voluntary group, the Mixtec People's Federation, has completed more than 1,500 development projects. Participation is enthusiastic; in one instance 3,000 slum dwellers give up their Sundays to build a water reservoir system - just one of the activities that is reversing the decline of 6,000 villages in the region.