From wastewater engineering to riding the waves, my 3-month Social Fellowship with EcoSwell was a journey of purpose, learning, and connection with nature.

Why did I choose a Social Fellowship?

I have always believed that everyone carries a responsibility to contribute to a positive change, no matter how small. Facing global challenges such as climate change, I wanted to take tangible action – supporting sustainable solutions and working alongside communities that are particularly vulnerable.

Being part of Lobitos during my Roland Berger supported Social Fellowship was eye-opening. The local perspective on life is refreshingly different, and being welcomed by the community was a privilege. Plus, I discovered the best ceviche I’ve ever tasted!

Why EcoSwell?

EcoSwell impressed me with its professionalism and deep expertise in improving the quality of life of vulnerable communities in northern Peru. The founders are highly qualified, and the organization collaborates closely with internationally renowned institutions like Lancaster University. I wanted my efforts to have real impact, and EcoSwell’s approach – combining hands-on work with innovative technology – was exactly what I was looking for. As a mechanical engineer by training, I was also able to actively contribute my skills, for example through technical drawings.

Beyond the professional fit, EcoSwell’s team culture resonated strongly with me. As the name suggests, the organization shares my passion for surfing (“swell” refers to wave energy). Surf sessions with colleagues fostered a unique team spirit, making the experience both meaningful and personally enriching.

What did I work on?

I joined EcoSwell’s Water & Sanitation team and addressed wastewater challenges in Lobitos, where the absence of a centralized sewage system means most wastewater is discharged directly into the environment. This practice poses serious health risks by spreading diseases and creating breeding grounds for dengue-fever mosquitoes, while also harming local ecosystems through chemical contamination.

Given the high cost and complexity of traditional sewage infrastructure, we leveraged a simpler solution: biodigesters. These systems separate liquid and septic waste; the liquid is treated with special pads before being safely released into the environment, while the septic portion is dried and later repurposed as fertilizer for plants.

My project covered the entire process – from site selection (Lobitos has more than 10+ wastewater spills!), to technical feasibility assessments to a step-by-step implementation guideline, incl. technical drawings.

Note: At EcoSwell House, we applied this approach directly with a dry toilet. The resulting fertilizer was used during community planting days.

What did a typical day look like?

Most of my days started around 6:00 am with a physical activity such as a morning surf. After breakfast with all the volunteers, we started working at around 8:30 am in EcoSwell House (where all the volunteers lived). During the day, I regularly visited wastewater spill sites, took measurements, conducted experiments (such as a geophysical groundwater survey), and summarized & documented my findings. Besides my project work, regular duties included weekly grocery shopping at the local market in the next city, planting days, and cleaning the dry toilet. Evenings were mostly spent together with fellow volunteers doing activities like surfing, cooking, or Spanish lessons. By 9:30 pm, it was usually time for bed.

What was my most important learning?

Taking ownership and making decisions with limited resources and uncertainty. We often had to make pragmatic yet diligent choices without full information. Decisions like these directly affect the sustainability and the lasting impact of the projects.

A concrete example was determining the right size for the biodigester tank, which directly affects its impact. Local representatives were unable to provide accurate data on the number of households connected to the outflow pipe, plus water usage varied depending on household size. Ideally, we would have used advanced technologies such as smart meters for accurate measurements. Eventually, we simulated water flow using multiple samples at different times of the day. Nevertheless, the final sizing still had to rely on estimates.

Accepting responsibility for these decisions and living with their consequences was a powerful lesson in responsibility and adaptability. I am confident I’ll be able to carry these learnings into my consulting work back home in Germany, where time pressure, data gaps, and resource constraints are similarly common.

What did I enjoy most?

Living in sync with nature – daily sun and sea were a real energy boost and felt incredibly natural. The minimal outside influences made it easy to truly unwind. In addition, working directly with local people meant seeing the impact of our efforts firsthand.