Future Goals

It is hoped that what has been begun through the last few years is a lasting relationship between UMass Lowell and the Huarmey community. Long term care for the equipment is critical and is best carried out by the residents of the town in which the equipment is installed. Programs in solar power in the local schools are under development. 

In the future, we hope to establish a web of radio communication over the entire area of the two valleys, with a satellite ground station in Cochapeti and a hub of radio stations linked to one radio and computer at the ground station to ferry e-mails containing messages to and from the clinics (and eventually some schools) and data from our data loggers over the internet.

In addition, we are very interested in helping local people in new commercial ventures.  Here is one idea:

In a community like Malvas, it is very important to grow and process crops which have a high value to weight ratio, because the cost of transporting the crop down the mountain to the sea coast is so high.  Right now, potatoes are a staple crop in Malvas, and they are not processed there - they are sent down the mountain as is.  Unprocessed potatoes have a low value to weight ratio, and therefore are not a very efficient use of agricultural resources.  If solar power could be used to help the local farmers do another step or two of processing (drying the potatoes, making them into chips, etc.), it would be a great benefit.  Or perhaps one needs to explore other crops entirely.  For instance, sesame seeds, which grow in difficult climates, can be turned into sesame oil, which has one of the highest value to weight ratios of any crop.  The presses which make sesame oil are almost always electric, because the oil takes on the smell of any fuel used to run the press.  Solar is a good solution to the problem of sesame oil production, and sesame oil may provide a solution to the problems of farmers in a community like Malvas.

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