Helping Bolivian Families

Engineering is very human. It’s seeing the world in a different way and wanting to find solutions to make it a better place.

University of Idaho College of Engineering students recently experienced this first-hand, traveling to the remote community of Challcha in the Andes Mountains, six hours from the Bolivian capital city of Sucre.

Representing the U of I’s Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC), five students helped Bolivian families improve sanitation in their community as part of an overseas humanitarian effort funded by Idaho donors.

"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." Jasmeen Manshahia, Mechanical Engineering Junior

Students work directly with community members to identify potential infrastructure projects to meet community needs. The team built privacy shelters and septic systems for a toilet and shower.

All building materials are funded through donations from Moscow and other Idaho communities to the student club. U of I students fundraise year-round to cover travel costs and to hire professional engineers and construction workers who are also on site.

Mechanical engineering junior Jasmeen Manshahia said developing relationships with the families made the experience unique from a traditional internship or out-of-the-classroom experience. 

“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.”

Mike Lowry, civil engineering associate professor who also traveled to Challcha, said community members help with construction, developing background knowledge to maintain the facility after the project is complete.

“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.”

Student travelers also included Ian Finnigan, a computer engineering senior from Idaho Falls; Olivia Haener, civil engineering junior from Boise; and Matthew Troxel, a civil engineering senior from Parma, Idaho. Harrison Bashaw, a recent civil engineering graduate, was also on the trip.

Since 2012, U of I students have traveled to Bolivia to support efforts to improve access to clean water and sanitation. This is done in partnership with Engineers in Action, an international nonprofit organization focused on the development of sustainable systems and infrastructure for underserved communities.

The team recently completed a series of projects spanning five years for the community of Carani in Bolivia, building a gravity-fed water supply system to replace the dilapidated municipal system.

Photos by University of Idaho College of Engineering.

Story by Alexiss Turner.

Published Date: October 2023.