Contributing to the energy need: A solar approach
Addressing the primary school of the Pauchintani community, a small town amidst the Andes. Four buildings, accommodating 13 students, comprise a perfectly functional school with classrooms, administrative area, kitchen, dining hall, bathrooms, and a computer room; however, the classrooms lack electricity. By implementing solar technology, bulbs illuminated every room, sockets began powering external appliances owned by the school, floodlights allowed outdoor walks and gatherings late into the night, while the internet provided them a window to the outside world and a means of communication with remote family members that had never been so easily accessible to them.
To make all this a reality, the first step was to transport all materials, tools, camping equipment, kitchen utensils, food, and people to the project site; a logistical maze comprised of planes, trucks, and dirt roads leading to a valley over 4000 meters high, of which LUTW now knows all the secrets. After receiving each order at the office and purchasing all necessary materials, it was time to wrap it all up and send everything from Lima to Cusco. There, we retrieved the cargo and supplemented the last pieces of the inventory puzzle. Meanwhile, the project team, consisting of LUTW staff and volunteers from Western University, USA, regrouped in the city. After two days of acclimatization to the altitude and technical training for the volunteers, we embarked on our journey to the community, with all the necessities on board; a five-hour journey consisting of paved and dirt roads, operated by a local company, took us to our destination: the rural community of Pauchintani.
After three days of hard but enjoyable work, guided by music and joy, the system was up and running; 1.5 kW of solar panels, 4800 Wh of battery, a 3 kW inverter, and over 150 meters of cables were ready to provide power to the school for many years. We left this adventure with the beautiful memory of the children watching a movie in English subtitled in Quechua.
In Search of Change: Living and Interconnected
In this project, we encountered a young group of volunteers with a thirst for discovery, the need for a human experience, and the willingness to get the job done. I suppose they were already partially served upon their arrival in Lima, as the city’s traffic and chaos greatly contrasted with what they were accustomed to. This obviously escalated as they reached Cusco, and even more so after arriving in the community: food, people, language, drinks, customs, landscape, buildings… There weren’t many familiar things to relate to, and everything seemed different to them. As lovers of outdoor activities, they instantly embraced their new surroundings amidst nature, in the small village of Pauchintani. They were eager to communicate and share, to laugh and play, and to enjoy the place and moment they found themselves in. Once the day’s work was done, we enjoyed soccer matches in the field, card games, conversations, dips in the river, and dance classes.
We all slept outside in the field following their suggestion; although colder than expected for some of them, this provided a sense of adventure, simplicity, and tranquility that gave this project all its charm.
The project’s inauguration marked the climax of the group’s friendship and relationship with the community, as we shared meals together and spent a couple of hours playing soccer altogether. Our traditional river dip was aborted by a heavy hailstorm, and we ended up celebrating inside the school. The next morning marked the end of the journey, and it was time to bid farewell to the community and welcome Bob, the newly adopted stray dog from the village, into one of our cars. Though exhausted by the experience, the volunteers left with a wealth of memories, the feeling of a job well done, and memories they won’t forget. Now they need a good night’s sleep, as their last days in Peru will be spent visiting Machu Picchu, Rainbow Mountain, and other wonders of Peru.
