- Research Statement
- Methods Toolbox
- Countries
- WeD Publications
- WeD Working Papers
- WeD Briefings

ALEGRIA

Copyright © José Luís Álvarez Ramos & Tom Lavers
November 2005

1. Physical description

Alegria is located in the North-West of the department of Huancavelica, at the end of the Mantaro Valley. The district consists of mountainous areas ranging between 2,500-3,600m above sea level and plateaus dissected by valleys. There are two distinct seasons, the dry season between May and November and the wet season between December and April.

2. Population and settlement

The population in 2002 was 5,440, with 69% in rural and 31% in urban areas. The district is split into six neighbourhoods

3. History

The first references to Alegria are found during Inca times as one of many resting places approximately ten leagues apart on the Inca highways between Cusco and Quito. The area was also used as a base by Spanish troops during the conquest of Peru and by royalist troops during the war of independence. The settlement in Alegria began during the republican period.

4. Material resources

The health services are insufficient in terms of infrastructure, equipment and shortage of specialised staff. Most communities do not have a health post and those that do exist are only staffed by nursing technicians. There is one health centre with one doctor, 2 obstetricians, a nurse and 3 technicians. The two health posts have one technician each.
The main health problems are respiratory diseases, digestive problems and infectious diseases. The malnutrition rate in children is 78% with child mortality at 115 per 1,000.
There is a major weekly market which attracts traders from the surrounding area including Huancayo

5. Natural resources

There are large extensions of non-irrigated, cultivated land and pasture on which crops such as potatoes, mashua, olluco, oca, peas, beans, wheat, barley, corn and prickly pears. There are also a wide variety of native plants and medicinal herbs
There are deposits of gypsum and marble and other stones on communal lands which are managed by the community and cannot be bought or sold.
Several streams run across the district to the Mantaro River which forms the boundary of the province, although little use is made of this water for irrigation.

6. Human resources

The majority of the adult population is bilingual in Spanish and Quechua. There is a small proportion of the young who understand Quechua but cannot speak it.
The population growth rate is negative and 65% of the population, corresponding to the female population, is not economically active. The main occupations are farm labourers, earning S/. 8-10/day, house-builders, of which there is a shortage, earning S/. 200-300/day and food seller, mostly women earning about S/. 20/day.
There are two ‘initial’ level school, three primary schools, one secondary school and an occupational education centre. There is insufficient infrastructure for education, in particular at secondary level and as a result many students migrate to Huancayo for their secondary education. The illiteracy rate is 25% and is concentrated in the age groups 5-9 and 40+.
There is very high migration, in particular to Lima and Huancayo, in particular the young on finishing secondary education, and to the central jungle areas for work in the coffee harvest between January and June.

7. Infrastructure

The central highway linking Huancayo and Huancavelica is paved and passes nearby. There are also unpaved roads and tracks linking Jatun llacta iskay with surrounding communities. There is only one public telephone which works erratically

8. Socio-political resources

There are many political groups present which are related to the main national political parties.

9. Cultural resources

The majority of the population is Catholic, although there are also two evangelical and an Israelite church with small followings.

10. Additional Information

Detailed community profile in Spanish
Inventory of collective action