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At MOCHE we are committed to the idea that consistent access to clean water is a right of all humans. Contaminated food and water is responsible for millions of diarrheal episodes and deaths each year. Diarrhea is responsible for over a million deaths in children under 5 world-wide each year. The Moche Valley is no exception. Enterotoxigenic E. coli, giardia and other infectious agents are common for locals and tourists alike.
In 2008 the town of Ciudad de Dios expressed an interest in obtaining access to potable water. That summer we worked with the town, their newly formed water committee and with Engineers without Borders to construct a sustainable, gravity-fed water system that would reliable provide clean water to every house in the town of Ciudad de Dios.
In 2010 we started working with the community of Cerro Blanco to expand their current system. They had the political will, an organized water committee and the system of pipes already in place, but they did not have the volume necessary to provide water for every house for the entire day. We have started to work with them to expand the system and to build a cistern to increase capacity.
This year's projects:
Cerro Blanco Water Project |
 This is a joint venture with Nourish International to complete a project that was started a few years ago. The town of Cerro Blanco has a well constructed water system but they do not have the capacity necessary to provide water to all households throughout the day. MOCHE has started work with the community to construct a cistern and we aim to complete it this summer.
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| Public Health and Sanitation Program 2012 |
 MOCHE is proud to announce our sanitation volunteer program for the coming summer. We will be working in Ciudad de Dios implementing a sustainable sewage system for the town. The sewage system will be a series of toilets that are called VIP composting latrines. Volunteers will work with members of Engineers without Borders and with the community to implement the construction of the sanitation system.
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Former Projects:
| Sanitation and Health Education 2011 |
 Again this year we partnered up with the UNC chapter of Nourish International and Engineers without Borders to work on the Ciudad de dios sanitation projects and to promote health education throughout the valley. The group of volunteers worked with community members to start a wide spread latrine project in Ciudad de Dios and we organized MOCHE's second annual health fair. We expanded the fair and moved it to a donated facility in Bello Horizonte. The fair included a doctor, a nurse, a psychologist, an OBGYN and many other health care professionals from Trujillo, who volunteered their time and expertise to make our health fair a great success.
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| Health Assessment, Latrines and Health Education 2009 |
 MOCHE partnered up with UNC Nourish International to conduct a valley wide health assessment. We conducted the customized survey with the help of nurses form Trujillo. We gained a large amount of data that, once analyzed, will give us valuable information about the health problems in the valley. This information will be utilized in the regional health clinic to taylor health care to the needs of the communities. In addition we ran a health fair at the Ciudad de Dios school house in order to educate the population about healthful practices. We also started a pilot latrine program in Ciudad and held prenatal classes to educate women about childbirth.
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| Ciudad de Dios Water Project 2008 |
 In 2008 MOCHE partnered with Nourish International, Engineers without Borders, Duke Engage and the community members of to construct a clean water delivery system for the town of Ciudad de Dios. The community members now have clean, running water that travels down a pipe that originates at a sustainable, gravity fed spring box over 3 km up the valley. Our volunteers worked week in and week out, logging over 4,440 hours of service in just one summer. The spring box is still active and the town of Ciudad is still enjoying the running water. We continue to work with Engineers without Borders and the town water council to ensure the water line's continued success.
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