Let's Talk Human Rights

By Daniel O’Connor

Supported with funding from the Daniel J. Curran and Claire M. Renzetti Scholarship Fund for International Studies and a scholarship from the ETHOS center, I was able to spend my summer in Peru. ETHOS partnered me and one other Dayton student, Jenna Ladd, with PUCP’s Grupo Rural centered in Lima, Peru. I spent my first and last week at the University, but the rest of my time was spent in a town named Huyro at the entrance of the Amazon Rainforest, which I now hold very close to my heart. In Huyro I worked on the coffee process from harvest until roasting, with a focus on solar dryers for the coffee and other fruits. The dryers were the largest project, but we also worked on a wide array of others including solar panels, 3D printers, water turbines and pumps, a mushroom greenhouse, beekeeping, permaculture, and home design.

When I first arrived in Huyro, I was immediately in awe of the beauty and diversity of the land. Huyro and the surrounding valleys are rich in amazing products, including fruits, vegetables, spices, coffee, and tea. My favorite example to use is the freshness of the breakfast we ate each morning: a bowl of oatmeal. I’ve had many in my life, but each ingredient made this oatmeal special. Marta, the sweetest lady who felt like my grandmother by the time I left, started the oatmeal by walking outside to the cinnamon tree and picking a few leaves to boil with the oats and locally grown quinoa. On top of the oatmeal was a variety of fruit including papaya, banana, starfruit, mandarines… all of which we harvested from our forest. And lastly was fresh bee pollen and honey… of course from the bees in our forest! This honey was nothing like I’ve ever had before, because it contained the flavors of the plants which the bees pollinate, including the previously mentioned fruits, coffee, hibiscus, vanilla, lime, and many more flavors the chemical-free forest has to offer. Plus, on a few special occasions, Marta prepared a chocolate oatmeal using cocoa from the neighbor’s forest.

Notice how I say forest rather than farm. This is something that at first took me by surprise in Huyro. In my past experience in Indiana and Ohio, agriculture consists of huge flat fields of corn or soy. This practice is monoculture, or growing one crop in a single area. Monoculture is unnatural and impossible without a reliance on chemicals. Huyro practices permaculture, aka the forest. Here the plants are all complementing one another. For example, the orange tree provides shade to the banana tree, while the banana tree holds water for the coffee plants. The knowledge of permaculture is far more complex and fascinating, but I have neither the space nor the expertise to dive into the details now.

I got to know many amazing people, who were doing great work, and, therefore, creating great produce using this forest strategy. Yet it was sickening to see how little they were being compensated for their products. For example, in Huyro the land is so fruitful that many people let their mandarins fall to the ground because they have almost no value. 

The goal of the solar dryers we worked on was to provide a sustainable method to create value from these raw fruits. Farmers can increase the value of their fruits by utilizing the solar dryer. Some dried fruits like pineapple can be enjoyed as a snack sweeter than candy. Others, like limes, are highly desired in cities like Cusco and Lima by restaurants and bars to be used as a beautiful garnish.

The solar dryers were something that Jenna and I could help with using our engineering knowledge, but the road to fair pay for the final product is more complex. Sergio Jordan, our supervising engineer and co-owner of Muyu, worked with families to develop a brand and build connections outside of Huyro. Sergio knows the value of Huyro’s natural processes and produce, so he is passionate about helping these farmers optimize their business by creating a branded final product that can be sold for its well deserved value.

I showed up to Peru excited by the opportunity of some cool engineering work, but I learned more than I ever could have imagined. I learned about myself and my place in this world. I learned about STEM, business, history, and art. I learned Spanish and some of the beautiful Quechua language. From the amazing people and nature, I learned patience, humility, and a whole world of love. I am filled with gratitude for the HRC, ETHOS, PUCP, and MUYU for allowing me to have an experience as amazing as I had. My largest takeaway is the value of the human connection. I’ve learned that the first step I must take before stressing over any world issues or politics is to value the people around me. Only after allowing my heart to be opened by the friends I made in Huyro was I able to appreciate the work they had me doing. I would not have guessed that from the heights of the Andes and depths of the Amazon, my biggest lesson learned would be something as simple as being kind.

My name is Daniel O’Connor. I am a current 3rd year Civil Environmental Engineering student with a minor in Human Rights in Engineering. I am passionate about applying appropriate technology in engineering to promote human dignity, with a particular interest in Latin America. I have had the privilege of being involved in ETHOS and the HRC since my first year at UD. Especially after my summer in Peru, I am excited to continue to learn more about how I can have a positive impact on global human rights.