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MOCHE Development Efforts
in Ciudad de Dios
Between 1998 and 2001, with MOCHE assistance, villagers built formal streets within the village and a road connecting the community with the primary Moche Valley highway; they built a soccer field for community recreation; and they hired a land surveyor to produce an official village layout, an essential step for claiming property rights to household lots.
From 2001 to 2003, free medical clinics were offered in the village with a volunteer doctor from the US and donations of medical supplies. The village gained recognition from the district government in 2003, and has since received municiple water and a primative sewage system. Each home now has a single water tap, which they use to water fruit trees, kitchen gardens, and a growing population of livestock. Also in 2003, the archaeological site of Ciudad de Dios was declared a national monument. The boundaries of the monument were negotiated with village and have been marked with white-washed stone markers.
By the conclusion of the 2003 field season, we sensed that villagers finally viewed the site as their site, as both an important economic resource in addition to being a part of their heritage and a source of pride. It was proof that the MOCHE model of heritage protection within the context of responsible community development works.
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For information about volunteering see:
MOCHE Service-Learning Partnerships
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The MOCHE-built schoolhouse in Ciudad de Dios
In 2004, a four-room schoolhouse [shown above] opened its doors. For the school, each family donated a quota of hand-made adobe bricks, and village men provided the construction labor. In turn, MOCHE purchased all additional materials with the development money, including the cement, roofing, doors, and windows.
For the last two years, the MOCHE Water Project in Ciudad de Dios has been construction of a water tank capable of holding several weeks of water, both to improve water pressure and for insurance against the temporary water stoppages, a common problem. This summer, students from the Carolina chapter of Engineers Without Borders will work together with community members and MOCHE volunteers to build the new water tank.
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Tax deductable contributions can be made to MOCHE, Inc.:
MOCHE, Inc.
PO Box 5201
Chapel Hill, NC
27514-5002
Upon deposit, we will mail you a certificate of recognition as a MOCHE Partner, as well as a receipt for tax purposes.
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