Water Scarcity Eased in Peruvian Community

Water scarcity is now a little easier in Ihuanco, Peru due to The Munk One AWA Team. The student team, inspired and supported by The Carey Projects and Audacious Futures, overcame a myriad of challenges to help source water for a community in need. 

An estimated three million people lack access to safe water in Peru (32 million total pop.), according to Water.org. Despite the global pandemic and local political unrest, the team was able to progress with the project that collects water via a local fog harvesting system. The students worked closely with Ihuanco residents to build 15 fog nets, which catch water droplets from fog blowing with the local prevailing winds, harvesting over 80 liters per day.  The water is then used for domestic and agricultural use and assists the community with water insecurity.

As one team member described their efforts, “[The project] is not about the team at the Munk School, it is about the people in Peru that we are impacting every day.” She continued, “In this process, we became listeners more than anything else. That allowed us to advocate for local ideas, culture, and beliefs and helped us to work together for a better Ihuanco.”

Throughout the experience, the team nurtured a curious and respectful relationship with the local community, a key principle of The Carey Projects, in a way that Carey would have embraced.  She certainly would be proud of her fellow Munk One students who persevered through some tough times to get this project up and running. 

For more details, see this Munk One Program blog post.