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PERU JOURNAL
So far, the UMass Lowell community has
made trips twice a year since 1997 to villages around the towns of Huarmey and
Casma. The first was an exploratory trip, in the summer of 1997, in order to
establish contact between the two communities, and to start the process of
understanding. In this trip, as in all the rest, the assistance provided
by the Society of Saint James the Apostle, and by the staffs of the parishes in
Huarmey, Casma, Pariacoto, and Quillo, has been vital. The second trip, in
January of 1998, was to gather more information, to meet with the hospital staff
in Huarmey, and to provide some emergency financial assistance to help the
relief effort from the devastating El Niño phenomenon. Trips in August of 1998,
and January and July of 1999 saw the installation of solar equipment in eight
different sites. In January of 2000, a group of nine continued installing
components and upgrades to systems, and started laying the groundwork for a
radio hub system. We have been back every January and every summer since.
The journals below contain pictures of
people, places, and engineering works, as well as the participant comments,
acknowledgements of benefactors, newspaper articles about the trips, and
thoughts about future projects. Donations of laptop computers and
equipment (as well as financial support, of course) are always needed and much
appreciated, contact Professor John Duffy.
To access to the reports, just click
on the photos of the trip you want read
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Journals
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Summary
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Summer 2007
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We made our twenty-first trip to Peru
from U Mass Lowell for two weeks, June 5-21, 2007 to serve the people in remote
villages in the mountains and in the process to learn and develop professionally
and personally. Sixteen of us split into four groups, traveling the
Huarmey and Casma valleys and installing/upgrading radio and water supply and
purification systems, bringing the total number of villages served to 42.
We also provided physical therapy services and finished up a biodigester system.
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January 2007
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Summer 2006,
For report, click on photo
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A record seventeen volunteers traveled to Peru to work in the mountains this
summer. In Quillapampa, Kely
Martinez' water purification system design (part of a senior-level course at UMass
Lowell) became a reality as she and two others from the University built (with
the help of school children and community residents) and tested the system.
The team began the construction of a biodigester to
transform crop and animal waste into cooking gas and fertilizer. They
installed a radio system in the Huarmey police
station as a backup for emergency transportation there and a solar-powered radio
system in the clinic in Gramita. The team
moved a radio system to a new location (the previous clinic was in danger of
falling down the mountain) in Huallmi and added a photovotaic
panel and vaccine refrigerator there. This trip
initiated testing for possible internet access installation in the future.
They also continued bacterial testing on local water systems.
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January 2006,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy and eleven volunteers worked together in this eighteenth
trip from UMass
Lowell to Peru. The team installed radios in medical clinics in Huanchuy and
Huallmi. A group of us spent almost a
week in Muchipamapa installing a photovoltaic pumping
system that will provide water for this community. We installed a water tank for
the school in Raypa and the head of the pump in Huayash was replaced. We performed preventative maintenance on many
systems and
continued to test water for bacteria.
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Summer 2005,
For report, click on photo
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The team (9 volunteers) installed radios in medical clinics in Pampaconcha
and Quillo. Most of the team spent almost a
week in Utcu installing a photovoltaic pumping
system that pumps water from a spring below the town to a
1100 liter tank above the town. They continued to collect information on
patients at the volunteer physical therapy clinic in Huarmey
and distributed donated equipment and materials. They repaired a
prosthetic leg and fitted another one in Huarmey.
They performed preventative maintenance on many village water systems and
continued to test them for bacteria. In Huayash
the team installed a new pump head for the water supply system and demonstrated
a very effective and low-tech water purification technique (filling soda bottles
and placing them on the roof for a day). They continued to replace laptops
for schools and clinics with donations. They also distributed soccer balls
and uniforms in Cochapeti. In addition to many
other projects and tasks, the team installed in Fortaleza
a second photovoltaic charging system
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January 2005,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy and a group of six students traveled to Peru for a trip heavily tilted
towards repairs and maintenance. They installed radios in Victoria and Huanchay-Huaraz
and repaired a number of radio systems that had broken down since previous
trips. They provided a radio for the ambulance of a volunteer fire
department rescue unit in Huarmey. They
reinstalled the solar sterilizer in Huamba,
improving it with an anodized coating and an adapted pressure cooker. The
team repaired radio systems at some very remote locations including Huayan
(elevation 2700m or 8800 feet), and Pumapucllan
(elevation 3450m or 11,200 feet). They also distributed more efficient
pediatric oxygen masks to several clinics and examined some prosthetic devices
developed for a number of villagers in Huarmey.
They began to gather more information on people in the area with disabilities.
The team also tested previously installed water purification systems in a number
of villages and performed preventative maintenance on the microhydro
system in San Miguel. They installed a new pump for the Huyash
water supply system and began to develop a water supply system for Utcu.
This trip provided laptops for a school in Colcap
and replaced a number of failed laptops in various clinics. As part of a New
England Biolabs Foundation grant the team
installed a photovoltaic charging station in Quian
to begin a solar lantern venture. The team distributed funds for various
ventures including a trout-crayfish farm, a parish in Huarmey,
and construction funds for the church in San Miguel.
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Summer 2004,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy and eight others traveled to Peru. We installed a
solar pump system in Quillapampa using a floating pump. We delivered oxygen
masks to the clinics. These masks were designed by students at Umass Lowell and
can save up to 80% of Oxygen. We delivered a prosthetic leg design by ME
students in their capstone project. Finally, we installed a solar sterilizer for
medical equipment.
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January 2004,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy and seven others including UMass
Lowell students and staff traveled to Peru to complete the solar water pump,
distribution, and filtration system for Huayash.
They installed transceiver radios and antennas in Port Huarmey
and Chacchan. They installed a complete solar
radio and light system in the clinic at Fortaleza
and repaired the solar radio system in Colcabamba.
As a result, the clinics in Pumapucllanan, Chochabamba,
Fotaleza, and Pariacoto
can network with one another. The group installed a fluorescent
light and nebulizer (for asthma treatment) in the
clinic in Huamba. In San Miguel, they
installed an additional solar panel at the school for laptop computers and a new
inverter in the village's hydro system. In both San Miguel and Malvas
the team continued developing aquaculture systems with local farmers. They
continued nutrition and health surveys and distributed donated medicine and
supplies and inquired at the hospital in Huarmey
about designing and building assistive equipment for people with disabilities.
Additionally, the crew performed preventative maintenance and small repairs in a
number of schools and installed a new vaccine refrigerator in Quian.
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Summer 2003,
For report, click on photo
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A group of ten volunteers, including UMass
Lowell students and alumni, led by Prof. John Duffy traveled to Peru to work on a solar water pump and
distribution system and a sand filtration system for Huayash,
a village of about 100 people. They erected and installed transceiver
radios and antennas in Culebras and Pariacoto,
and a solar radio and light system in the clinic at Pumapucllanan.
The group installed several systems with photovoltaic panels and batteries in
the schools of Lower Huamba, Quian,
Erajirca, and Pilco.
In Cochapeti they installed new light fixtures in
the 400-year-old churchIn Quian
they made the final connections between the water purification system and the
water supply system that locals had completed since January. They also
performed nutrition and health surveys at two
hospitals and twelve postas and performed a great
deal of preventative maintenance and small repairs in clinics and schools.
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January 2003,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy traveled once more to Peru with 9 students. Solar radio and
light systems were installed in Cochabomba and Chipre
medical clinics as well as in the Cochapeti town
hall and church. A Quian pressurization subsystem
was installed for UV water purification. Quian water
supply system was designed to draw water from a spring 1.5 km away from town.
Laptop computers were installed in a Casma hospital
(4), a Huarmey hospital (4), a Molino posta,
a San Miguel school, Quian school,
and a Malvas clinic thanks to Partners Health Care
who donated them. Community health assessments were taken at 2 hospitals and 7 postas
by UML nursing students. Possible sites for an aquaculture systems for Malvas
(trout) and San Miguel (crayfish) were investigated Two PV modules were donated
to a retreat house for youngsters near Lima. They started moving the hydro
system from Cochapeti to Huamba
because there was not enough water. The PV modules in Quian
posta were removed for the new roof installation and
then reinstalled.
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Summer 2002,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy travelled again with nine students
to oversee the design and installation of a solar-powered drinking water
purification system in Quian. A radio network in a
hospital in Casma and a medical post in Colcabamba
was installed. A vaccine refrigerator solar system in the Huamba
medical post was put into place. Twelve laptop computers installed so there are
now PCs in two hospitals, ten medical posts, and four schools A PV system and
laptop was moved from the old school in Cochapeti to
the new school A new PV system for a laptop and light was installed in the
school in San Miguel The inverter in the San Miguel hydro system was increased
to improve nighttime light availability The hydro generator in Malvas
was repaired. Headlamps with LED bulbs were given to several of the clinics for
close work at night, along with solar battery chargers
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January 2002,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy traveled to Peru with nine students. They needed to adjust the
radio frequencies to reduce interference. They replaced the vaccine refrigerator
in San Miguel since the propane one was not working. The clinic crew installed
panels that were donated by Evergreen Solar. The hydro group went about
implementing plans for a new hydro facility. Since the location changed, the
wire was not of sufficient length to reach the village. In Malvas,
the systems were checked and new software was installed in the schools. In Cochapeti,
the turbine generator unit was replaced and some new plumbing was put into
place. A new vaccine refrigerator was also installed in Quian
and a malfunctioning one in Raypa was replaced with
a larger one that had been taken from Cochapeti.
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Summer 2001,
For report, click on photo
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Professor Duffy traveled with another seven students to Peru. The goals of this
trip included installing a microhydro station in Cochapeti,
installing vaccine refrigerators in Raypa and Cochapeti,
and installing several other PV units in Cochapeti
and Raypa. Another goal was to investigate the
potential for aquaculture in Malvas and to measure
the bacteria content in the waters of six towns. The existing installations were
checked and recalibrated as necessary.
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January 2001-web,
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Seven students, with Professor Duffy and Father Charles Stanley, meet up with a
group in Peru. During the trip Professor Duffy gave a presentation on solar and
alternative energy to the students and faculty of the UNI. The group went to Huarmey
to install a packet radio email system to communicate with the data logging
stations in Malvas and Cochapeti.
This will send the logged data back to UMass Lowell.
At Huamba, the group installed a larger antenna to
improve communication and checked on the medical installation. A PV and light
system was installed in the Church at San Miguel. In Malvas,
work was done at the medical installation and the hydro facility. The group
installed lights at a church, school dorm, and a school.
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Summer 2000,
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Professor Duffy and others traveled to Peru. We installed a hydro
in Malvas. Professor Duffy did a Workshops for the medical technicians and
staff of the hospital in Huarmey.
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January 2000,
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Professor Duffy and eight students and alumni return to the region, in order to
upgrade the equipment in Malvas (including putting
in a repeater radio to form the hub of a network and installing a PV-powered
filter system for the small swimming pool), put a 5 watt radio in Huamba,
lighting in Molino, a radio in Huayan, a radio in Quian,
a refrigerator and solar cooker in Cochapeti, and a
radio and lighting in San Miguel. In order to do this, panels and
batteries are installed in Molino, Quian, Cochapeti,
and San Miguel.
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Summer 1999,
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Professor Duffy and Father Paul return to Peru with five students. A
passive solar water purifier is constructed from locally available materials,
including llama and sheep wool for insulation, and is installed in the community
of Huayan. Further panels are installed at the
Malvas clinic, to meet growing energy needs. A
charging station is installed at the school in Malvas,
as a test program for generating some funds for the school and inspiring local
economic activity. A large workshop is held in Malvas
- 16 people get certificates in solar power studies. A vaccine
refrigerator is put in Quian, with more panels and
batteries. Lights are put in Raypa.
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January 1999
Report1
Report2
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Five students and Professor Duffy return to Peru. A training session in
solar power is held in Malvas. Much time is spent
training technicians to service the Malvas system.
Consultations are held with various AID agencies about long term funding for the
project. A passive solar water heater - a pot at the focus of a 5-foot
parabolic dish - is installed at the clinic in Malvas,
to boil water for the sterilization of instruments and to obtain pure water.
The site in Huamba is updated, and training is done
with the local technicians. Lights are put in Cochapeti,
Huayan, and Quian, with
batteries and solar panels. Further consultations are held with the
medical staff in the Huarmey hospital.
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summer 1998
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Five students, with Professor Duffy, go to Peru to begin the solar
installations. A radio is installed in the hospital in Huarmey,
with a directional antenna. Solar panels are installed on the roof of the
clinic in the mountain community of Malvas.
Batteries and a charge controller are wired into the circuit. A
thermo-coupled vaccine refrigerator is installed in Malvas,
running off of the photo-voltaic charged batteries. An antenna is raised
on a thirty foot pole in Malvas, and communication
is established with Huarmey. Portable
lanterns, examination lights, and an overhead light are put in the Malvas
clinic. A small system - one PV, one battery, and a couple of lights, are
put in a village called Huamba.
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January 1998
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Father Paul returns to Huarmey to continue the
contact, and begin meeting with hospital officials about the proposed project:
solar electrification in mountain communities where there is no electricity -
for vaccine refrigeration, lights, and radio communication. We assist with
disaster relief at the beginning of the El Niño phenomenon by purchasing tin
roofing to protect emergency shelters in eight different communities.
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Summer 1997
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Father Paul and a group of five undergraduates, with the assistance of the
Society of Saint James, travel in the Andes in the region of Huarmey,
visiting people’s homes, mothers’ clubs, schools, clinics, churches - in an
attempt to make a first contact between the University and the people, and to
try to begin to understand their reality.
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