The Final Sector: Peltetec

By Diego Lopez

September 6, 2026

It’s the final day of water testing in the Peltetec community and our second-to-last day working in the community. Today, we’ll be testing water from the tanks and catchments in the Peltetec sector while continuing household surveys to better understand the community’s needs and priorities.

We were warned that the hike to the Peltetec sector would be the most challenging of the three hikes during our trip (they were definitely right), so we started our day off with a delicious Ecuadorian breakfast at 7am to prepare for the day.

The travel team had some eggs, sliced bread, and a torta de choclo, which is a soft and slightly sweet Ecuadorian corn cake made from fresh ground corn. To drink, I had some jugo de tomate de árbol (tree tomato juice) and, of course, some coffee. A huge shoutout to the incredible staff at Hotel Illari in Riobamba for all of the delicious breakfasts and dinners they’ve prepare for us!

Before heading out to Peltetec, we had our daily safety meeting, led by our Health & Safety officers, Wilson and Joelle! Today’s safety tip: how to safely climb up and down mountains in the Ecuadorian highlands. This was inspired because I kept sliding down during our muddy hike yesterday and fell like 3 times (don’t worry though, I managed to lock in on today’s hike).  

The team left the hotel at 8am, made a quick stop at the store to get supplies for today’s water testing, and then arrived at the Peltetec community at around 9:30am. We greeted the community members by shaking everyone’s hands and exchanging a “¡buenos dias!”, a simple but meaningful Ecuador tradition that made the morning feel especially welcoming. One of the things I’ve loved most about working in Peltetec is how welcoming everyone has been. From the moment we arrived, we were met with smiles and a genuine sense of hospitality that have made us feel immediately welcomed into the community.

After introducing ourselves to some of the community members, we began our ascent to the first distribution tank in the Peltetec sector. Let me tell you guys – this hike was absolutely no joke. I was getting flashbacks from hiking Volcán Acatenango in Guatemala. We started at about 10,000 feet above sea level and hiked at a challenging incline for about an hour and a half. Although the altitude, incline, and mud made this hike challenging (and I questioned whether I was even going to make it to the top for a sec), we were rewarded with some incredibly beautiful views of the Ecuadorian highlands on the way up.

Wilson was mogging all of us by keeping pace with the locals throughout the entire hike. Meanwhile, Srinath, Camila, and I trudged along just a little behind.

The rest of the travel team had to take some extra time because of the altitude, but don’t worry, they eventually made it up! I celebrated with a Nature Valley peanut butter protein bar, some gatorade, and a spicy corn snack that Emily brought along. Once we all finally made it to the first tank, I heard words that instantly made my heart drop and stomach turn: we had forgotten the keys to open the distribution tank. Not to worry though, as one of the locals had a saw and was able to break the lock open! 

Now, the travel team was ready to lock in and get some work done. Wilson, Emily, Srinath, Paisley, Joelle, and Elena began water testing and sample collecting for the first water tank of the day. These tests are incredibly important as they help us understand the quality of the community’s water and the concerns that need to be addressed, so shoutout to our travel team for all of their hard work and for learning so quickly!

Camila and I are the two Spanish speakers on the team, so we conducted household interviews for some of the community members in the Peltetec sector. We asked families about their current water access, how they use their water, and any challenges they’ve experienced with their water system. Household interviews give us the chance to sit down with community members, hear their stories, and better understand what life in Peltetec is actually like. Today, for example, families shared that their tap water becomes dirty and can contain bugs whenever it rains, creating serious concerns about the safety of their drinking water. We also learned that children in the community often get stomach pain from drinking water from the community water system. It was difficult and saddening to hear about the health challenges the community has experienced, but at the same time, these conversations reminded us why our work here matters and gave us a clearer picture of how we can proceed after our assessment trip.

We then descended down the steep and muddy mountain (I only slid once!) to arrive at the next water tank, where we repeated our water testing procedures, sample collections, and household interviews.

By 3pm, the travel team started to get hungry, so we decided to finish up the day early and head over to the Peltetec community center for a late lunch, where we had white rice, grilled pork, and some orange juice. For dessert, our awesome FIEA chauffeur, Don Wil, brought apricots for the team. Embarrassingly, this was my first time ever trying an apricot, and I’m not sure how I went this long without one!

After lunch, we began the drive back to our hotel. However, we couldn’t resist making a quick stop for some ice cream, which was much needed after a long day of work! The shop had all kinds of Ecuadorian fruit flavors, including mora, naranjilla, maracuyá, and guánabana.

After arriving back at the hotel, I took a much-needed nap before heading over to dinner. We had lamb, mashed potatoes, cranberry juice, and then strawberries with cream for dessert.

By the end of the meal, I was definitely feeling the exhaustion from the long day. I spent the rest of my evening reviewing and organizing my notes, responding to a few emails, and reflecting on everything the team accomplished today.

Over the last couple of days, I’ve learned far more than I expected. I’ve learned not only about water systems and the technical aspects of our project, but also about the importance of listening to a community and understanding its needs firsthand. I’m incredibly grateful to our mentors, Camila and Wilson, for sharing their knowledge and guiding us throughout the trip. I’m also deeply grateful to the community members who’ve welcomed us into their homes and trusted us with their experiences.

I’m leaving this week with a deeper appreciation for the community we had the privilege of working alongside and an even stronger sense of why our work matters. Thank you to everyone who has supported our chapter and made experiences like this possible!

Be sure to check out tomorrow’s blog to hear about our final day in the Peltetec community!

Diego