Not long ago, a K-12 school in the village of Huarcaya, a 4,600-metre climb into the snow-capped Andes of Peru, had no electricity, internet or hot water, like most of the community. Illumination other than sunlight - which ends around 6 p.m. - was a luxury granted only if there was diesel to spare for generators.
The 140 students were used to it. As school director Gonzalo Alvarez suggests, the community is too far out of sight to be top of mind for politicians, "leaving Huarcaya in the darkness."
But by Feb. 25, Alvarez felt that change was underway. A week earlier, 22 students (from six programs) and five instructors from NAIT arrived - along with a cohort from SAIT and another from Calgary-based not-for-profit Light up the World (LUTW) - to install a solar power system, satellite internet, solar thermal hot water, and even a computer lab.
"We are sure that we will make the most of it," says Alvarez.
Considering the experience - a crash course in off-grid utilities installed under harsh conditions - the NAIT students will, too. As a few of their stories suggest, their work in Peru may have as much impact on their own lives as it may on those living and learning in Huarcaya.
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