Student Experiences

In January 2006, Metropolitan State University sent two students to Peru. The students traveled with the University of Massachusetts–Lowell to help maintain and install solar energy equipment for those living in remote, Peruvian mountain villages. The Metro State students also completed usability tests on three radio manuals they wrote. To give you a flavor of what they encountered in Peru, they provided a blog and a list of items that are essential to visiting Peruvian villages.

Student Blog

" ... Fortaleza is pretty remote and the people there mostly speak Quechua. We have brought them a new refrigerator. John tells me that there have been problems with the refrigerators not working in some places, so sometimes the people make ice and freeze the vaccines. I try to get an idea of which vaccines they use so I can check on this when I get home. I know you can freeze some vaccines and not others. They have a Kenwood TH22-AT radio that seems to be working. We are invited to lunch and are given some chairs to bring to an outdoor area near a pen of guinea pigs and rabbits. John rattles their cage to try to get the cuys (guinea pigs) to make their cuying noises, but they just huddle together quietly. After a time, we are served plates of potatoes, fresh cheese and some type of lettuce. I am grateful that they did not sacrifice a guinea pig for us! We eat but there is way too much and I am afraid we cannot finish. I hope they do not think we are rude and wasteful."

Read more of Solveig Corbin's blog (35KB) You will need Acrobat Reader (free download) to continue reading.

Personal Items for a Visit to Peru

If you think you might want to go on one of these Peru trips, you should realize now that you'll be roughing it. Here area few of the items you'll need to bring with you:

• Hiking shoes (lots of rocks, mud, and steep hills to climb)
• Flashlight or headlamp (no electricity in mountains; no heat; no running water)
• Water bottle (one liter); emergency water purification tablets; water filter with pump, if you have one
• Ear plugs (donkeys and roosters can be loud at 3 am)
• A small roll of toilet paper (washrooms in Peru typically have none)

Read the full list of personal equipment to take to Peru. (14KB) You will need Acrobat Reader (free download) to continue reading.