Alcoba is a mountain community of 60-65 families. Access to the community is up a long, winding dirt road, however, in many places the community has installed 2 narrow ribbons of concrete which allow traction and a smoother ride.
The community is lead by an elected leadership commitee called COCODE (Consejo Communitarios de Desarrollo Urbano y Rural).
COCODE representatives identified access to potable water as their number one priority, followed by latrines, improved housing, smokeless stoves, water storage/filters and improvements to the road.
Malnutrition is also an issue in this community.
The community’s access to water is via a small stream which they have dammed into 3 pools. The upper, somewhat clear pool is used for drinking and cooking water. The second, partially turbid pool for bathing, irrigation, and general use. The third, sediment filled pool is used as communal clothes washing pool. In the summer months, the stream may stop.
Drinking, cooking, and auxiliary-use water must be hand-carried to houses several times per day, usually by women and children. Distances can be long and sometimes up steep paths.
Water is stored in open or partially covered containers, visibly contained sediment, and likely contained organic contaminants.
Housing was similar, if not worse, than we encountered in Los Cebollines. Houses consisted of one or two small rooms, with one serving as a communal bedroom.
Unvented wood-burning stoves were noted in several houses.
Women and children were primarily responsible to fetching water, gathering firewood, cooking, and subsistence farming.
The community has a one room church, which also serves as a community center. They also have a pre-primary and primary school, where most of the children study only up to sixth grade. However, we did not have time to visit them.