This was the second time I’ve visited La Huaylla, Peru and the third time EWB-UC Davis has visited. I was very excited to go back and see all the familiar faces I had not seen since one year before. When we arrived in La Huaylla, we were dragging our suitcases up the dirt path to where we were going to be housed when I heard a scream. Flor, one of the elementary school students we had taught the year before, saw me and ran into my arms for the biggest, longest hug. I had missed her so much and it was very sweet to realize that she had missed us as well. During the first week in La Huaylla, I noticed that the community was treating us with more kindness and familiarity than the years before. When we visited the community last year, we renovated their spring catchment chambers and made a tangible difference in their water supply. By coming back to the community year after year and making a difference, we earned our trust from the community.
EWB members taking a selfie at the parade and posing in front of their float during the parade.
Semaj playing with the students during the lesson.
On the third day of our time in the community, we went to the municipality, the government of the area, and met with the Mayor, the Project Engineer, and our NGO partners, two Peace Corps Volunteers. We discussed details of our project, the timeline, the budget, and the municipalities involvement. The meeting went very well. After the meeting, the municipality invited us to take a tour of the reservoir they built in the neighboring communities of El Sedro and Pomo Bomba. All 10 of somehow fit into one truck, with 5 people sitting in the trunk, and drove to the communities. We had productive conversations about the similarities and differences of their to our reservoir design. We had a great time driving with them, having conversation along the way and joking about us sitting in the back of the truck.
On the third day of our time in the community, we went to the municipality, the government of the area, and met with the Mayor, the Project Engineer, and our NGO partners, two Peace Corps Volunteers. We discussed details of our project, the timeline, the budget, and the municipalities involvement. The meeting went very well. After the meeting, the municipality invited us to take a tour of the reservoir they built in the neighboring communities of El Sedro and Pomo Bomba. All 10 of somehow fit into one truck, with 5 people sitting in the trunk, and drove to the communities. We had productive conversations about the similarities and differences of their to our reservoir design. We had a great time driving with them, having conversation along the way and joking about us sitting in the back of the truck.
EWB members taking a selfie at the parade and posing in front of their float during the parade.
On the fifth day of our time in the community, we walked in the parade for Colegio de San Marcos for their 57th anniversary. The Colegio de San Marcos is the middle school and high school in San Marcos, the larger town located next to LA Huaylla. Someone running the parade came to us and asked if we would like to be take part of the parade. We were so excited to join! We met with the students at the plaza and walked with them all around San Marcos. At the main square, they taught us how to dance to the Peruvian music. It was a lot of fun!
Just from the first week I was in the community, I could tell how much more familiar the community felt with us. They took us on a tour of other reservoirs and invited us to take part in a parade. They were friendly and interested in our work. We were very thankful to be working with a community that was so inviting. The municipality was much more involved with our project this year than the years before. Their help made the project a success.
Just from the first week I was in the community, I could tell how much more familiar the community felt with us. They took us on a tour of other reservoirs and invited us to take part in a parade. They were friendly and interested in our work. We were very thankful to be working with a community that was so inviting. The municipality was much more involved with our project this year than the years before. Their help made the project a success.
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