Cuautla Aqueduct 2

REMPART and AMVIAC invite you to a restoration project under the Mexican sun! Take part in the restoration of an ancient aqueduct in the town of Cuautla, and discover a little-known heritage and traditional Mexican techniques. The program includes international workcamps, masonry and Mexican ambiance.

The aqueduct of the former hacienda de la Concepción was one of many that supplied the haciendas and sugar mills of the state of Morelos in the late 19th century, when cane sugar production reached its peak. This aqueduct, like many others, started from a location close to a spring and carried water to the hacienda in order to operate a sugar mill with which a complex system of sugarcane milling was set up to start the sugar production process, which is maintained to this day. Unfortunately, the aqueduct, which is almost 2 km long, has been left to deteriorate.

Volunteers will start by preparing the worksitefor the restoration of one of the aqueduct's arches, carrying out carpentry activities for the construction of the wooden framework using traditional, machine-free methods, as well asworking on the construction of anew aqueduct.masonry where lime will be used to prepare the mortar with cactus additive (mucilage) to fill the joints. You' ll also be working on stone cutting for certain parts of the aqueduct. Awareness-raising activities will be carried out with the local population on the importance of protecting their cultural and natural heritage.

Please note! To take part in this project in Mexico, we invite you to join us for a period of preparation once you've signed up. On this occasion, you will receive more information on living conditions in these countries. We will confirm the conditions and dates of this meeting at a later date.

Before completing your registration form, pleasecheck that you have a passport, or that your current passport is valid for 6 months after the date of the work camp. When you register, attach a copy of the first page of your passport. If you don't have a passport and you'd like to have one issued, start the process 10 weeks before your project.

As this work camp is outside Europe, you'll also need travel insurance.

Volunteers living in France will receive a mobility grant from REMPART at the end of the workcamp, on presentation of proof of transport.

There are many opportunities to discover the Cuautla region and its surroundings. Volunteers can visit the region's sugarcane fields, ancient haciendas and aqueducts, sample typical dishes and enjoy the local natural waters, as Cuautla and the surrounding area is a region of abundant water. You can also visit the beautiful villages of Tlayacapan and Tepoztlan and take a walk through the "Zapata tunnels" in what was once a railroad line.