Empowering Communities in Peru: A Collaborative with Local University Students
Temple PHBB students are partnering with University of Maryland (UMD) PHBB students to work in the small Andean communities of Compone and Combapata bringing educational activities to the elementary and high schools, and the primary health care center.
2025: PHBB students travelled to Compone and Paucartambo in May 2025. The students collaborated with students from the Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco to develop, translate and implement a survey on water quality in Paucartambo. The results from the survey informed the implementation of educational activities for the community, such as educating people about the connection between contaminated water and diarrheal diseases in children, different ways to treat the water, and how to prepare a simple oral rehydration solution. In Compone, the students conducted games and interactive sessions on nutrition based on the Peruvian My Plate, and handwashing with primary school children. The PHBB students also conducted a Photo Voice project with 6th grade students, and a nutrition demonstration with adults at the primary health care center. Last, students taught about menstrual health and demonstrated ways to relieve menstrual discomfort.
2022: PHBB travelled to Compone in July-August 2022 and collaborated with UMD student leadership to deliver educational activities on nutrition and self-esteem, and met with leaders at the Universidad Católica de San Antonio Abad del Cusco (UNSAAC) to start developing a partnership between the two institutions.