Hi all! Morgan here. For those of you that don’t know, I’m a senior mechanical engineering major and one of this semester’s Technical Leads for PUC Team Mexico!
In January, I had the amazing opportunity to join a group of first-year electrical engineering students on a Service-Learning trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. I was even luckier to use this as a reconnaissance trip for our PUC team! I got to meet our Xuchil Products teammates, see the community of Santiago Suchilquitongo, talk with our NGO Tejiendo Alianzas, and gain more information to help us with our project. While I was there, I also got to experience the culture of Oaxaca and practice my Spanish skills!!
We spent our first two days in Oaxaca City, adjusting to our new surroundings and learning about the history and culture we were about to immerse ourselves in.
We started by taking a tour of Monte Álban. This archaeological site was home to the Zapotec, an indigenous pre-Columbian civilization. We also learned about the history of this civilization and their role in the culture of Oaxaca. We got to see buildings, ball courts, tombs, and a variety of other artifacts. And from the top: beautiful views of the valley and of Oaxaca City.
We also met up with Sarahi and Richard: our NGO partners and our guides for the week! They showed us around the city they call home. I quickly fell in love with the liveliness of the city and the vibrant color I saw, especially all of the colorful doors! (I spent a lot of time taking pictures of the doors.)
After acquainting ourselves with the city, we travelled about 45 minutes north to Santiago Suchilquitongo. It was finally time to meet the Xuchil Team!! I had spent weeks talking to them on the phone and planning project details with the rest of my team, but it was now finally time to see the site.
On the first day with the team, I got to meet Antonio, Carlos, Minerva, and Zoraida. They walked me through their entire operation and explained the mesquite flour process from harvest to final packaging. Seeing it in person made all the difference.
Their business (of milling and selling mesquite) was born out of a community program. Each member joined the team with the purpose of growing their community and providing opportunities outside of just their immediate families. Getting to speak with them about their passion and their purpose made me so proud to be a member of their team and a part of the PUC program.
While touring their site, I also got to check out the past teams PUC projects (check out 2018’s solar dryers and 2019’s PSD in the picture below!). We talked a lot about the successes from the past and tips for our 2020 team moving forward. We all had lunch together and I got to pull out my handy-dandy Spanish dictionary. We had a great time building relationships and making plans for the summer when the whole team will travel to implement our project.
The next day, I went back to the site to do some research and run some tests on mesquite pods. We looked at the density of the pods and their water absorbency. I also got to take a look at their pulley system that needs repair. Troubleshooting and sketching solutions was one of my favorite parts of the trip (I love engineering!!).
Our group spent a few more days in the community. We learned about other projects that had been born out of the community initiative that developed the mesquite flour project. We also visited an elementary school and did an engineering workshop where we made solar powered cars (we love engineering!!). And I ate my fill of the most delicious food (check out my favorite breakfast spread below!)
After being out in the bordering communities to Oaxaca, we headed back into the city center for a final day of exploring and reflection. I did some final scoping out of materials and compiled all of my notes and great stories to tell my team back home. I am so grateful to UT, the Xuchil team and Tejiendo Alianzas for providing me this opportunity to visit and learn more about our Oaxacan partners. This recon trip has made me even more excited for this coming summer and for the implementation of our PUC project!
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