Residences at the IESTP-DL (Indiana, Peru)

The needs

The Instituto de Educación Superior Tecnológico Público-Damaso Laberge (IESTP-DL) in Indiana, Peru is a professional training institution in the health (nursing) and agricultural sectors, and an important partner of NWB. One of the main objectives of the IESTP-DL is to offer academic and professional training accessible to low-income students living in remote communities in the Peruvian Amazon. To house these students during the school year, the IESTP-DL only had a wooden shack in a very bad condition, where about twenty resident students shared a few narrow rooms, slept on boards without mattresses and had no sanitation facilities. The project therefore stems from the pressing need for an improvement in the living conditions of the students.

In addition, since 2014, the IESTP-DL annually hosts several groups of cooperants supported by NWB. The groups resided in tents set up in an IESTP-DL class. Therefore, an improvement in the conditions of reception of the cooperants was desired.

The residences under construction and the final product

The residences

In January 2018, construction began on three (3) residences built in cement and equipped with electricity, mattresses and mosquito nets for the prevention of tropical diseases (malaria, dengue) and animal bites (snakes, bats). The residences also include sanitary facilities with treated running water, and each bedroom has ventilation, a bathroom, showers and lockers for personal belongings. Finally, NWB purchased an automatic washer and dryer for collective use. In a tropical jungle environment with a very high humidity, these equipments were necessary for the comfort of the local users and the volunteers. This equipment can also be used as an additional source of income for the IESTP-DL in order to cover maintenance costs.

All building and capital materials were purchased from local businesses and local labor was hired to do the work.

 

1. Albergue de los estudiantes

Residence with 4 bedrooms that can accommodate 32 students from the IESTP-DL. One of the bedrooms is named after Mr. Herman Dantas Perez, Ing. who has been involved with NWB since 2014 and who is the national coordinator for NWB in Peru since January 2019. NWB wanted to highlight the work and commitment of Mr. Perez by naming a room in the residence in his honor.

The construction of the student residence was made possible thanks to donations from the Louise Grenier Foundation which granted $ 19,000 to the project and the Peru Sustainable Development Fund of NWB.

 

2. Albergue de los profesores

Residence with 4 bedrooms named after Prof. Mario Brûlé, President of NWB, Mrs. Alice Brûlé-Pomerantz of the Pomerantz Foundation, the Board of Directors of NWB and Dr. Gerald Dion. This residency is dedicated to professors, teachers or supervisors accompanying groups supported by NWB, as well as professors from IESTP-DL.

The teachers’ residence was funded by a donation from the Pomerantz Foundation and the NWB Peru Sustainable Development Fund.

 

3. Albergue de los cooperantes

Residence bearing the name of Mrs. Alice Brûlé-Pomerantz including 4 rooms with the names of the children of Mrs. Brûlé-Pomerantz; Terry, Rudy, Sandy and Maureen. This inn is dedicated to cooperants supported by NWB. This residence was funded by the donation from the Pomerantz Foundation and the Peru Sustainable Development Fund of NWB.

Residence facilities.

THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT

The project, completed in winter 2019, was crowned with success thanks to the significant participation of the IESTP-DL, and more particularly of the local coordinator of NWB, Ing. Herman Dantas, in the joint management of the project.

In addition to improving the living conditions of students and teachers at IESTP-DL, the project has increased the number of places available in residence for students living in deep jungle. This will allow the IESTP-DL to enroll and train more low-income youth. In addition, quality accommodation can strengthen the sense of belonging of students enrolled in the institution and motivate them to complete their professional training.

In terms of health, the facilities help prevent the transmission of tropical diseases (e.g. malaria) and infectious diseases (e.g. diarrhea) and to promote healthy lifestyles, hygiene and psychological health.

The local supply of building materials and furniture, as well as the hiring of local labor has encouraged the development of the regional economy.

A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT

At the environmental level, the construction meets the standards for the discharge of wastewater. The use of phosphate-free soaps (when available) is encouraged among NWB workers and local students and teachers. In addition, drinking water is treated with techniques that have no effect on the environment (reverse osmosis and UV rays). Also, construction materials and techniques are adapted to the environmental conditions of this region, ensuring sustainable construction.

At the social level, these facilities complement the student community kitchen built in 2016 by NWB thanks to the donation received from the Louise Grenier Foundation. Together, these infrastructures are an important asset in improving the living conditions of very low-income students and promote their academic success. In addition, the involvement of IESTP-DL in the decisions and activities of the project has valued the institution within the Indiana community and in the region as an organization offering quality services.

Economically, the project has maximized local resources to encourage economic and professional development in the community. Thus, jobs of skilled workers and manual workers have been created. Also, during school holidays, short-term rental of residences will be considered for temporary workers, generating additional income which will be used to maintain the costs of the facilities.