This project aims to purchase land and construct Casa Mosqoy, a student-housing dormitory for youth participants of the Mosqoy program. Mosqoy supports marginalized youth from rural regions of the Andean mountains of Peru to study at post-secondary educational institutions in the city of Cusco. Here, they will pursue the career of their dreams.
Mosqoy students travel from their rural homes to the city of Cusco to pursue their education. This trip can take up to nine hours, of which four hours is often on-foot. It is not possible for students to make regular trips to and from their educational facilities; therefore, providing housing is essential for students, especially as they lack the means to pay for it themselves. Additionally, students moving to Cusco face a myriad of cultural challenges as they adapt to an urban lifestyle.
By increasing our capacity to provide safe and supportive housing, we will be able to accept more youth into the program for years to come. Casa Mosqoy will be more than a house; it will also offer a space to facilitate volunteer reciprocity for our students through mentorship, language workshops, and cultural exchanges. Construction will be a community endeavor and all members of the region will come together to build Casa Mosqoy, including our 27 alumni, 41 students, and their families.
Mosqoy currently rents housing for students, which is unsustainable in the long-term. With Casa Mosqoy, we will not have to direct efforts towards making monthly rent payments, and instead can work on tangible and necessary long-term goals. Casa Mosqoy will be made environmentally sustainable, equipped with solar panels and a rooftop garden where medicinal and edible plants will be grown. Our students' families will be able to visit and ensure that students maintain their cultural continuity.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
