Water in La Rinconada, Peru

Submitted by Stephanie Ha, Ashley Ludwig, Trieu Nguyen, Reagan Reeves

Salt Lake Community College

COMM 1010
May 9, 2019

Table Of Contents

1
Executive Summary - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3

Project Description - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4

Methods - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Problem Question - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Problem Analysis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5

Criteria - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6

Characteristics of Problem - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7

Stakeholders - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9

History - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10

Politics and Policies - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

11

Resources - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11

Mining - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13

Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14

Works Cited - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 15

Appendices/Team Contract - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

17

Comparison Chart - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20

Explanation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 21

2
 Executive Summary:

Our team plans on building a plumbing system in La Rinconada, Peru for the people to

have clean water to drink.

In our meetings we established the norms, and strengths of our team. We researched the

characteristics of the problem, as well as, what or who is affected by the problem. What has and

has not worked historically, policies and politics that could’ve possibly have been solutions to

our problem; setting criteria, and the quantity of our end results. We used the Reflective

Thinking Method to define the problem, analyze the problem, and brainstorm a wide range of

possible solutions that met our criteria. After that, we were able to narrow our choices to the top

five to make a final decision.

When we brainstormed, we decided on the criteria that we needed for our goal, whilst

scoring each one on a scale of 0-5 on how well it could fit into the final solution. The one with

the highest score was the solution we chose as our final answer.

We determined that the solution to the problem is to make a plumbing system in La Rinconada,

Peru for more sanitized drinking water for everyone, as well as, toilets so that people can have a

more sanitary way to go to the bathroom.

Project Description:

3
 In La Rinconada Peru there is a very high percentage of poverty. The city is very dirty

and not an ideal place to be living especially to those of us who know life to be better. There is a

lot of garbage and feces in the streets. There are no toilets, nor sewers, so you can only imagine

how much stuff is piling up in the main trench of the city. This assignment is designed for us to

find a possible solution to help fix this problem.

Not only is it gross and has an unbearable smell, but it’s actually unhealthy the way that

these people are living. We have decided that one of the best ways to help these people is to

install a purified water system. If people are drinking unclean water, of course they are going to

get sick. We want to provide them with clean water to drink and use. The less disease in the air,

already the better life people can live.

Methods:

4
 Our group decided to do research on La Rinconada, Peru. We found that La Rinconada

has a lack of clean water, poor education opportunities, and considering they have mercury

everywhere, they have dangerous mining systems. We used the reflective thinking sequence to

decide our focus on our research on La Rinconada, Peru more on the unclean water they have.

The purpose will help this town solve other problems on their own. Our group has came up with

all the possible consequences and outcomes before implementing the solution. Below, we will

describe the methods and findings for each step.

Problem Question:

When pinpointing the problem, it was vital for the group to begin with a very broad

question to narrow out all the other possibilities.

As a group, we agreed that the question we needed to answer was, “How can we improve

the lives of the citizens in La Rinconada, Peru?”. There are a lot of problems in Peru, and we

wanted to point out a clear answer that would be effective and feasible.

Problem Analysis:

There are a multitude of different answers to the question our group made. We had to

narrow all of our solutions down to one that we would focus on. In order to make a decision, we

had to research as much as we could about our place and issue. We had to learn about the history

of our issue, rules, the people involved, and a lot more. By researching about the problem, we

were able to narrow our question down to one final answer.

Criteria:

We chose to evaluate all of our proposed solutions by several different criteria.

5
Our general goal is to improve the land by installing a new water system to reach a healthier way

of life. We were able to come to this solution because it matched up with all of our criteria listed.

First, we said that we didn’t want it to cause more damage in the future. If it ended up being a

danger, or would cause damage in the future then we felt like it wouldn’t be worth it. We have

water systems in the US today and while there are mishaps once in awhile, we felt that it’s

overall worth it. The next thing we considered was that our solution needed to be

environmentally friendly. We agreed that a water system falls under that perfectly compared to

what they have now. There are people going to the bathroom on the streets which makes this

whole situation unsanitary. The third piece of criteria had to agree with the laws and other rules

of the land. In La Rinconada, there’s no laws set in place, so therefore it would not be going

against any laws or rules. The fourth piece of criteria needed to be cost effective. While it will be

expensive, we thought it was important enough that the money is necessary to be spent. Next, we

agreed that it needed to consider everyone's thoughts and ideas, that part was easy. As we all

researched and gave our ideas, we were able to agree that a water system was needed and would

be the best idea for our group. It was not against anyone’s point of view, so that was another

reason that made our solution valid. Lastly, we wanted it to be the best solution for the people

who live there. Though other solutions were very good for the people, the water system not only

matched up with all the other criteria, but it will be very beneficial to the people. Diseases would

be cut down immensely, and the overall land would be much cleaner. That’s why we chose the

solution we did.

We didn’t feel that we needed to revise our solution. We plan to clean up the water in

Peru by installing a purified water system. This involves clean drinking water, toilets, and a

sewage system. The land is so polluted, and the situation is now bad enough that the observers

6
say the drinking water for one million people is threatened with contamination. Reducing the

contaminants people are taking in will help to clean up the land. There will also be less infections

and garbage in the streets.

A. Characteristics Of the Problem:

In La Rinconada, Peru, 68% of the population lives below the poverty line. In 2017, the

poverty rate in the US was 12.3% with 327.2 million people (Bergeron 2016). In Rinconada, the

population is 50,000 with 68% living in poverty (Schwarz 2016). That’s about 34,000 people.

Nearly 29% of indigenous children in Peru don’t attend school (Bergeron 2016). Therefore,

many kids aren’t receiving an education that will benefit them when they’re older. Life is very

different for this reason there. Education is very low on the sense of priorities. There are no laws,

no police, and no one seeing children going to school. On the other hand, here in Utah, we have

an education law. All children between the age of 6-18 are required to attend some form of

schooling (Bergeron 2016). Not having school, affects these people.

This town of about 50,000 people is located three miles in the air, and is considered to be

the highest city in the world (Schwarz 2016). Living conditions are harsher than you can even

imagine. Besides the altitude, the town has no running water, and no sewage system. “Streets are

prone to flooding with the snowmelt, and commonly used as public toilets.” (Schwarz 2016).

This means no drinkable water, and no toilets that we are very used to. People go to the

bathroom in the streets, and get sick from drinking the water. The last part of this problem are the

mines.

Almost everyone that even works, does it in the mines. Miners work through the month

and receive no pay, however after their 30 day shift, they are welcome to leave the mine hauling

as much more as they can possibly carry on their person. This doesn’t mean that what they take

7
has gold in it, but there’s a chance there might be. “The men work in the mines. Women sell

goods, look for gold in discarded mine rocks or make money from prostitution” (Bergeron 2016).

Disease is being spread through prostitution, and just because the men are working in the mines,

doesn’t mean they’re actually making any money. The working conditions are not safe, and if

they were to get hurt, there’s no kind of coverage, and the costs could be very expensive. “Big

companies like Rio Tinto have a presence in Peru, extracting copper, silver and zinc. The small

gold mines, however, are unregulated and unsafe, and workers are not paid… About 30 people

die each year from mining accidents — explosives, collapses, asphyxiation — and 70 more from

shootings and stabbings” (Schwarz 2016).

“IT’S MORE than five kilometres above sea level, and it’s one of the harshest cities on

Earth.” (Schwarz 2016). Utah is about 6,100 feet above sea level, which converts to only 1.8

kilometers. La Rinconada, Peru is five times the elevation of us. Being that high, there is not a lot

of oxygen to take in. Besides the lack of oxygen, it has no running water, no sewage, and no

laws.

“Few can handle the extreme cold altitude, while the heat and humidity in the mining

tunnels can be almost unbearable” (Schwarz 2016). La Rinconada experiences all severities of

the weather. Most buildings are simple lean-tos, and are constructed with cheap corrugated iron,

so there’s no modern heating, and little insulation.

B. Stakeholders:

This issue affects almost everyone in the population of La Rinconada, Peru. Among the

most impacted people are the common working citizens, like the workers in the gold mines.

Children are also greatly affected by this issue as well. The children of La Rinconada have to

grow up in the harsh environment, negatively impacting their lives and their future. Many

8
children don’t have access to and education at all, and are spending most of their childhood

working in the dangerous mines. Almost all men in the city have to work in the mines while

many women are sent to work in the garbage dumps, “recycling” waste.

The company in charge of the mines is Corporacion Ananea. They are based in a city

about 3 hours away from La Rinconada ( "Gold, Garbage And Guns In The Highest Town On

Earth, 2018). The company “hires” workers to mine gold for the company. The company does

not use any of its profits to improve the the city at all. "Vast riches are taken from the mine here

every day without any of it benefiting our community,". Corporacion Ananea is a very big factor

in the way of life in La Rinconada. The city’s economy revolves around the company since it’s

the company that owns the mine. ( "Gold, Garbage And Guns In The Highest Town On Earth,

2018)

Due to the lack of government regulation and laws, crime and violence is a high. Women

and children are regularly raped and dead bodies, which are a common sight in La Rinconada,

are tossed into the garbage dumps. (Vasquez, 2007) This is mainly due to lack of government

and control in the city. The government of Peru acknowledges this issue, but refuses to do

anything about it. This results in almost an anarchy in La Rinconada. (Vasquez, 2007)

https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/government-failure-peru

C. History:

Gold has been abundant in Peru for thousands of years. Aztecs, along with Spanish

Conquistadors, have invaded and enslaved Peru in Incans for their gold. South America has

always enticed fortune seekers from all around the world due to the high amount of precious

minerals and elements in the ground. One of the most popular gold mines throughout history is

9
Lake Titicaca in Peru. La Rinconada happens to be situated right by Lake Titicaca, becoming a

popular location for mining companies to create mines. This mining industry is the root of

poverty in La Rinconada. Capitalism has forced citizens in La Rinconada to work in harsh mines

in order to make enough money to support their families.

In the past, programs and charities have tried help the impoverished citizens on La

Rinconada. For example, a free education system was put in place so that some children could

receive some kind of an education.

“Education in Peru through primary and secondary school is theoretically free for

children from ages 7 to 16, although in practice inaccessible to many rural children.”

Although it’s a good idea, it hasn’t completely solved the problem. Not everyone is receiving

this opportunity, therefore still children are not gaining any kind of an education.

In days gone by, the lake was considered a source of pure water. But today it carries the

pollution from Rinconada downstream. The mine pollutes the Rio Carabaya which, after

travelling 250 km, flows into Lake Titicaca.

D. Policies/Politics:

The Economist Intelligence Unit has rated Peru as a "flawed democracy" in 2016. Peru also has

the worst image of their political system along with Hondurans and Mexicans with Latin

Americans. The 1993 Peruvian constitution has been amended several times. Peru’s 1985

Population Policy Law establishes a firm basis for IEC programs. The purpose of the law is to

create awareness through all educational channels of the influence of population dynamics and

socioeconomic development; to promote positive attitudes toward small family size.

-”Peru has spawned many noteworthy political ideas and movements in the past century, but has

done poorly at building enduring political institutions” (Jaquette, Lowenthal, 2018).

10
-”Peru’s progress today is hindered not by powerful economic, social, or political interests,

domestic or foreign, but rather by the relative absence of state authority and capacity as well as

the weakness of political institutions more generally” (Jaquette, Lowenthal, 2018).

-”Peru needs political parties and civil society organizations that are able to make connections,

articulate interests, build coalitions, and design, develop support for, and implement reforms”

(Jaquette, Lowenthal, 2018).

E. Resources available:

What references can you consult to get ideas for good solutions? (You are required to use your

communication text as one of your references.) Who else can you talk to? How much time and

money are you willing to commit? ( a expert that has good ideas for good solutions)

Poverty rate in Peru has dropped over the last year, there are still people that are living

without any basic human necessities.over 3 million people are living in poverty and over 5

million have no water resources, according to HELP International, a globally responsive

organization (HELP International, 2015). Over 40,000 more people have left poverty compared

to last year, but the government is expecting a decrease of 3 percent this year the causes of floods

resulting from El Niño earlier this year and a graft scandal that has halted public works (Reuters,

2016). According to the UNDP, eight out of 10 people living in extreme poverty conditions in

Peru live in rural areas.

Solaris Perú is a nonprofit organization which is in Peru that has the mission to end

poverty. It is forcing on the creation of programs that create better communities like

implementation of educational models that are creating positive changes for children. This

organization collaborates on political, social and technical dimensions in order to have an

11
efficient use of the resources that provide positive results to Peruvian communities (Solaris Peru

2019).

De Emaus San Agustin is a Peruvian organization that gives a function to objects that are

no longer in use or thrown away. The the reason for this organization is to give functional objects

to people that are in need in order for them to have improvements in their life. The recovery of

these disused but still functional objects creates sustenance in the community and improves the

development of their social activities. The organization accepts donations that help to provide

assistance and support to people that are living in extreme poverty conditions ("Traperos De

Emaus San Agustín - Perú." 2012).

CARE Peru a creates programs that serve to empower poor communities in Peru to

exercise their rights. Why do these programs? It helps people work to empower womens,

indigenous groups and rural populations.This organization helps to increase household income,

reduce malnutrition, bring educational improvements, and improve access to water and

sanitation, among others (CARE Peru 2019).

These Peruvian organizations use different approaches in order to eradicate poverty in

both urban and rural areas. Cáritas del Perú a Peruvian Catholic organization promotes and

encourages the creation of programs that favor poor communities in Peru in order to provide

them with opportunities and better development. The main mission is to support these poor

communities by providing charity and solidarity service that, with compromise, leads to the

transformation of the society by implementing christian principles.

Other… Mining:

12
The Rinconada Gold Mine. One of the biggest things in Peru is their incredible Gold mine.

However, it’s not as ideal as it sounds. The working conditions are awful but it happens to be the

main source of life.

The economy of La Rinconada revolves around the mine, as gold is the main (pretty

much only) resource the city has. In fact, the mine is the only reason anyone is even there.

However, as you would expect gold to increase living conditions, it doesn’t make their living

conditions better or help them get out of poverty. Between 2001 and 2009, the population of the

highest city on earth grew by over 230%. How could they support life of this many people?

Especially when it was not the normal amount of people that lived there. There aren’t enough

resources to provide for the general population so if the population increases but the resources

don’t you can see how that might cause a problem.

Conclusion:

We’ve decided that the best way to improve the quality of life in La Rinconada, Peru is to

install a water system that will clean the little water they do have, and provide them with more.

We found that there is no drinkable water. There are also no toilets, so the streets are filled with

people’s waste. As we researched we found many pieces to the problem. The country is in great

poverty, so we found that installing a clean water system will help to improve the life there. Our

solution can help make clean drinking water, as well as, increase the well-being of the people in

La Rinconada from deadly diseases.

13
14
 Works Cited:

"BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Peru Mine Threat To Water Supply." News.bbc.co.uk. N. p.,

2019. Web. 9 May 2019. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4032911.stm

Bergeron, Ryan, CNN. "Life In The World's Harshest Town." CNN. N. p., 2019. Web. 9 May

2019.https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/11/world/iyw-senna-from-peru/index.h

Borgen, Clint. "How To Help People In Peru Out Of Poverty | The Borgen Project." The Borgen

Project. N. p., 2017. Web. 9 May 201. https://borgenproject.org/help-people-peru-

poverty/ tml

"Gold, Garbage And Guns In The Highest Town On Earth | DW | 14.10.2018." DW.COM. N. p.,

2019. https://www.dw.com/en/gold-garbage-and-guns-in-the-highest-town-on-earth/a-

45886249

Perú, CARE. "CARE Perú." Care.org.pe. N. p., 2019. Web. 10 May 2019

.http://www.care.org.pe/

"Peru." HELP International. N. p., 2015. Web. 10 May 2019. https://help-

international.org/country/per

"Peru Poverty Rate Dips In 2016 In First Test Of Kuczynski's Goal." U.S.. N. p., 2019. Web. 10

May 2019. https://www.reuters.com/article/peru-poverty/peru-poverty-rate-dips-in-2016-

in-first-test-of-kuczynskis-goal-idUSL1N1IC1J5u

Works Cited (cont.)

Schwarz, Kirrily."It’S One Of The World’S Harshest Cities, But People Are Flocking In

Droves." NewsComAu. N. p., 2016. Web. 9 May 2019.

15
 https://www.news.com.au/travel/world-travel/south-america/brutal-peruvian-gold-mine-

attracting-fortune-hunters-in-droves/news-story/f5d15c7f2a9b761c701ba17fd1f9bd57

"Solaris." Solaris.org.pe. N. p., 2019. Web. 10 May 2019.

http://www.solaris.org.pe/

"The Rinconada Gold Mine." Atlas Obscura. N. p., 2019. Web. 10 May

2019.https://www.atlas obscura.com/places/the-rinconada-goldmine-la-rinconada-peru

"Traperos De Emaus San Agustín - Perú." Emaussanagustin.org. N. p., 2019. Web. 10

May 2019. http://emaussanagustin.org/

Vasquez, Ian."Government Failure In Peru." Cato Institute. N. p., 2007. Web. 9 May 2019.

https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/government-failure-peru

16
 Team Contract:

Task Roles

● Leader: Trieu Nguyen

● Recorder: Reagan Reeves

● Editor: Stephanie Ha

● Timekeeper: Ashley Ludwig

● Devil’s Advocate: Trieu Nguyen

● Roll Caller: Reagan Reeves

● Punisher: Ashley Ludwig

● Organizer: Stephanie Ha

Relational Roles

● Encourager: Trieu Nguyen

● Compromiser: Reagan Reeves

● Feedback: Stephanie Ha

● Harmonizer: Ashley Ludwig

● Tension Reliever: Reagan Reeves

● Paraphraser: Stephanie Ha

● Keep on tracker: Trieu Nguyen

● Take it easier: Ashley Ludwig

17
Relational Norms

● Be nice and outgoing.

● Give feedback and ideas that you think will benefit the group.

● Be respectful to everyone in the group and what they have to say.

Task Norms (Rules)

● Come prepared to class.

● Come to class on time, everyday.

● Don’t be on your phone a lot.

Consequences of Breaking Norms

● You’re going to have to bring snacks to the next meeting.

● You will have to do extra work.

● You will get docked points.

Consequences of Keeping Norms

● We will be able to finish everything faster

● We will all receive good grades.

● The group will be happier and work together easier.

Problem Analysis Area Assignments:

18
 ● Characteristics: Trieu Nguyen

● Stakeholders: Trieu Nguyen

● History: Reagan Reeves

● Policies and Practices: Ashley Ludwig

● Resources: Stephanie Ha

● Other: Student Understanding: Reagan Reeves

Comparison Chart:

Criteria Solution 1: Solution 2: Solution 3: Solution 4: Solution 5:

Organize Plumbing More schools Safety gear determined to
donations for system endure political
Peru institutions

Will not cause 4 5 5 4 5

more damage in
the future.

Will be 5 5 5 5 5
environmentall
y friendly.

19
 How positive 5 5 5 5 5
does the world
view this

Agrees with 4 5 5 5 3
laws and other
rules of the
land.

Will be cost 5 3 2 3 3
effective.

Considers as 5 4 4 3 5
many ideas and
thoughts as
possible.

Is best for all 4 5 5 4 4

people who live
there.

Is respectful of 4 5 5 5 5
each team
member’s view.

Total: 36 37 36 34 35

Explanation:

Stephanie Ha: Researched about resources that involve La Rinconada, Peru. Also created the

table, and some of the criteria

Ashley Ludwig: Researched a lot about all the rules and regulations of the Peruvian

Government, as well as, the culture in La Rinconada, Peru.

20
Trieu Nguyen: Read about the stakeholders and the companies that own the mines. Research

about the lifestyle of the citizens of La Rinconada, what they need, and the dangers that they

face.

Reagan Reeves: Researched about the history of the city, as well as, past efforts to solve the

problem. Researched different charities and organizations that have tried to help the situation.

21