Spending my last week in San Cristóbal de Las Casas has brought a deeper clarity to just how complex water treatment can be in under-resourced communities. Before this trip, I assumed that the biggest challenges these communities faced was simply inventing an affordable technology like a chemical packet like P&G or a basic filter. But after testing various treatment methods and understanding the criteria needed for sustainability(6 criteria we learned about), I now realize how fragile these solutions are when even one requirement fails. I was especially struck by the idea of community vs individualistic position in water treatment. Communal water treatment is much more effective for these communities due to the large burden of testing on a single household, economically and physically. Our filtration project helped illustrate that it isn’t enough for a system to work once, it must keep working, withstanding tests of time, weather, usage, and human behavior. That kind of resilience requires a deep understanding of context and the community, not just chemistry and engineering. These realizations have not only shifted my views on water treatment but have also expanded my definition of engineering itself: it’s not just about building things, but about building systems that last.
Caption: The many tests we took at a household level.
Before this trip, I thought the reason clean water was still an issue was because we just hadn’t invented the “right” solution yet. But working with NGOs here completely changed that since through our courses we learned that there are plenty of effective water treatment methods out there. The challenge is that this isn’t just a science problem, it’s deeply connected to poverty, politics, education, and infrastructure. NGOs aren’t just passing out filters or building tanks and aren’t treating their work like charity. They’re tackling the web of issues that surround access to clean water. We’ve learned that it’s slow work and often frustrating, but it’s also some of the most important and meaningful work I’ve ever seen. I came into this program with a narrow view of nonprofits and thought of it as mostly charity focused. But these organizations aren’t handing out help, they’re building partnerships, investing in people, and creating change that can actually last.
Caption: Our group with an NGO after a long day of hard work at a Chinampa that still works.
I am so grateful for this study abroad opportunity and the lessons that I took from the visits to different communities, NGOs, and overall the conversations I have had with the people here. This trip has felt so impactful in my life and also in my career, especially since I came into this trip hoping I would learn more about what my field of engineering entailed and whether I would enjoy Civil or Mechanical engineering more. Being able to be present in these communities and some of the work that these NGOs do and the impacts they have on the lives of the people here is nothing I could have received in a classroom at Rice. This type of immersive education is crucial for truly understanding the work you could be doing in the future as well as applications of your work to the field. I can confidently say that nothing I’ve done in a classroom at Rice compares to what I experienced during this trip. I really appreciated how we were able to apply the concepts we learned in class almost immediately. We were constantly asking, “Would this solution actually work for that community?” because all these communities were so vastly different. Being immersed in the context gave so much more depth to what we were learning. I would also definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to study abroad!
Caption: Here are some fun things we got to do on the weekends!