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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, November 14, 2014 | 4 Oakville coffee-lover turns java into job in Peru by Bob Mitchell Special to the Beaver Luis Juarez never dreamed his coffee drinking would one day lead to working in Peru. But the third-year University of Waterloo planning student from Oakville is doing just that as part of a five-month co-op project working in the South American country's vibrant coffee producing industry. "When I was in (my) first year of university, my coffee consumption increased quite a bit... and there were various pictures related to the (brand) of coffee at the coffee station in the cafeteria," said Juarez, 21. "These decorations got me thinking about how my coffee drinking habits may affect others around the world, something that, until then, I hadn't given much thought to. "I made the connection that my simple daily action of drinking coffee at home was potentially having a much larger impact globally... I wanted to explore this relationship in the future." The brand of coffee that Juarez drank most at his St. Jerome University (affiliated with Waterloo) was Café Femenino, a brand also served at CJ's Café in Bronte. Juarez is working with PROASSA, a fairtrade and organic coffee exporter based in the northern coastal city of Chiclayo, Peru. Born and raised in Oakville and of Mexican In the Andean village of Kerguer, Peru, coffee is pictured drying out in the sun. | photo by Luis Juarez - special to the Beaver descent, Juarez, who speaks Spanish, arrived in Peru on Aug. 4 and has been living and working there since. He will return home Dec. 21. Besides Café Femenino, which is produced by women only, PROASSA's other brands include, Penachí and Andes Gold. In 2012, Juarez and several other students spent two weeks in Peru as part of a universityrun program that funded the construction of a water cistern in the Andean village where Café Femenino is grown. His experience left a lasting impression. So he jumped at the chance when Beyond Borders offered another international placement learning program. "Getting a placement with Café Femenino seemed like a perfect opportunity for me... and it counts towards a credit towards my planning program," Juarez said. Since his arrival, Juarez has been involved in several different projects; completing a community development plan for the Tallapampa to solve the issues affecting the small village in northern Peru and recommending growth strategies for it; providing design concepts for rural homes in coffee-producing communities that incorporate living and storage space and adequate ventilation; and researching potential tourism for coffeeproducing communities. He lived in Tallapampa for a week, learning the ropes from community leaders and also working with locals in creating a map of their village. "These are all things that are vital to successful planning regardless of location. These are experiences that will help me out as a planner back at home. I'm also gaining a unique global perspective," Juarez said. "Although not exactly in a traditional sense, this experience has allowed me to utilize some of the planning theory and skills that I've learned in class and in previous co-op terms, and further develop them. see Student on p.18 Hate your kitchen? Specialists in Cleaning Carpets · Tile & Grout Upholstery · Area Rugs N E W Voted TILE & G BEFORE Call us for a free design consultation! 905-637-3331 Solutions for Every Budget Design, supply & install Custom Cabinets, ReStyle existing cabinets or simply ReDoor ROUT CLEANING Reader's Choice Award Winner 12 Times in a Row! Exceptional Quality & Craftsmanship FREE Estimates AFTER TEXT FOR FREE DEMO Text: 905-580-3345 Ph: 905-337-3117 kitchentune·up® Every Kitchen Tune-Up franchise is locally owned & operated. Information & Design Centre 3480 Fairview St. Burlington KitchenTuneUp.com