MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho (U of I) engineering students helped improve sanitation in the remote community of Challcha in the Andes Mountains, eight hours away from the Bolivian capital city of Sucre, as part of an overseas humanitarian effort funded by Idaho donors.
Five students in U of I’s Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC) worked directly with community members to identify potential infrastructure projects to meet the needs of Bolivian families.
The team built privacy shelters and septic systems for a toilet and shower. All building materials were funded through donations from Moscow and other Idaho communities that gave to the student club.
Mechanical engineering junior Jasmeen Manshahia mentioned how developing relationships with Bolivian families sets the experience apart from traditional internships or out-of-the-classroom experiences.
“We stayed next to a single mother of four,” the international student from India said. “Interacting with her every day, we were able to truly understand her needs, the challenges she faces every day, and the problem we needed to solve. You don’t get that deep understanding in an internship or a regular client scenario. It makes you remember what engineering truly is. It’s helping people.”
Manshahia traveled with fellow students Ian Finnigan, a computer engineering senior from Idaho Falls; Olivia Haener, a civil engineering senior from Boise; and Matthew Troxel, a civil engineering senior from Parma, Idaho. Harrison Bashaw, a recent U of I civil engineering graduate from Coeur d’Alene, was also on the trip.
Mike Lowry, civil engineering associate professor, also traveled to Challcha, said community members helped with construction, developing background knowledge to maintain the facility after the project.
“The travel is tough, and the work is incredibly hard,” Lowry said. “Having an engineer’s problem-solving mindset is part of what is needed, but this experience really drives home the importance of communication and teamwork with the people we serve. Our students gain a deep understanding of the professional skills our society and industry demand through this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
