2 SDG 2 Zero Hunger – Pesquera Diamantes

Group Reflection

As a group we were very impressed with the quantity and quality of projects aimed right now towards helping and giving back. As we all began the research and company identification we encountered a happy surprise, fortunately, we had plenty of choices and this is an amazing result as a lot of companies are working towards reaching the SDGs in 2030 and it is starting to be more widespread in practice, not just theory.

Aim2flourish we believe is a great experience and way to integrate ourselves in the globalized world we live in. To start facing real work situations like cross-cultural teams and managing cultural differences. This is also a great way to increase your communication skills and get out of your comfort zone. It is not everyday you come in contact with people from around the world over zoom doing the same project. It was a really neat experience to try and navigate working together with students from all over the world. You basically don’t have a choice but learn to work with others even if that isn’t something you are used to because in order to complete the project, communication is key in this situation. The in-class preparation to confront this was very helpful, the tips some of the teachers like Isabel gave us were key to understanding how to manage attitudes, reactions, inclusivity and make sure everyone was comfortable. Thankfully we had a very open minded group, all of the participants were willing to work together, adapt to situations and we never really had an issue because of misinterpretation or cultural differences. For us the difficulties were based on time coordination but it wasn’t the end of the world either. At first we decided quickly on a set time for meetings, this was easy but then with all the time changes it became a little tricky. We were able to sort it out but it did make some members miss a meeting and thankfully Lucas and Carlyn sacrificed and were willing to wake up before their classes at 10 so the rest of us could fit it in our schedules. Not only that, but everybody communicated very well throughout, telling the group when they would be missing a meeting or why they missed a meeting. This would mean someone in the group would just have to fill in the people who missed the meeting to make sure they would complete their task of the week.

For the work distribution it was also quite easy, we think here is where most of our personalities showed off. Each week we analyzed the assignments as a team and talked about the best action plan to follow. We made sure in every meeting everyone had a chance to speak and voice their opinions. As for the deliveries Valeria was in charge of turning things in in Google Classroom, we decided that one person for this role was best in order to avoid confusion. Then the interview as it was in Spanish the 2 native speakers had it, but we made sure to come up with the questions together beforehand and if anyone had any other doubts we thankfully had the chance to recontract our interviewee and then everyone else was responsible for reading the transcript. Then the poster asked who felt comfortable doing this and those 2-3 people were in charge, also feedback was constant so everyone was involved somehow and the same dynamic with the story. As well, we continued to communicate through our app, Whats App, where we could ask any questions we had or put reminders in for when things are due or assignments that need to be submitted/completed.

The experience we got as a team by investigating and interviewing Pesquera Diamante, made us realize that there are many companies in the world doing amazing things for the planet and the society. Sadly, not many of them are recognized by their good actions. Tambos Pesqueros is an amazing project that was created with the intention of lowering the high rates of anemia in Peru. When we first heard about this project, we didn’t realize the gravity of this problem. According to “El Peruano”, the prevalence of anemia “in children between 6 and 35 months is 40.9%, a figure that is equivalent to approximately 700,000 infants.” This critical situation brought a lot of sadness to the group. However, when we heard that this initiative cured 700 kids during the first years, we were extremely happy and excited to share it with the rest of the world. Being able to create a story about it makes it more real and gives people an idea of what is going on in the real world. It sums everything up nicely and gives an idea of what the company has done in the past, today and in the future for the community.

Individual Reflections

Valeria: In my opinion, the AIM2flourish activity is an amazing project that equips all the participants with valuable skills that are going to be useful during their professional life. During the assignment, my group didn’t encounter many inconveniences, but there were some minimal problems that we needed to overcome. For example, coordinating a meeting time that could accommodate everyone was a challenge. We are all university students with full schedules. Furthermore, the time difference between countries did not make this task easier. Despite this inconvenience, we collectively decided on a day and time that everyone could attend the weekly meetings. Moreover, in class, my professor, Isabel, provided lessons on cultural differences. She explained to us that working with students from other cultures may be hard if you don’t learn to understand their cultures and their behavior. She helped us learn and develop the necessary skills to face all the situations that could arise during the assignment. Her advice enabled us to work harmoniously and to learn from one another. I am thankful for the opportunity. Working with people from around the world and learning about the incredible innovations created by Pesquera Diamante is truly amazing. Additionally, the AIM2flourish assignment not only enriched my understanding of sustainable business practices but also helped me develop essential skills that are going to contribute to my future professional career.

Carlyn: Personally I think this project went pretty well. Our first meeting we decided on meeting every Wednesday at 9am (Canadian time). We sent a google meet link every week and typically everybody joined the meeting. We got a recording and screenshot of our group members each week as well. Every meeting we went over our tasks for the week and divided them up into the evening. Language was never really a challenge I found as everyone could speak english. We also continued to communicate in our Whatsapp group chat. We all communicated throughout our meetings and shared ideas which I think really helped getting our assignments done. I think most of us did a fair amount of work and we worked together pretty well. ⅘ group members continued to show up each week and if they couldn’t make it they would let us know through the app we were communicating with. Overall, this project wasn’t as challenging as I expected it to be just because of communication reasons as it is sometimes hard to contact someone that isn’t in the same country or if there is a language barrier but it went pretty well.

Juliana: From my point of view, the project worked out amazingly! Working with most of my other teammates was a total pleasure, we handled quite well I believe the work distribution. Also as a team troubleshooted as best as possible the small issues we had with scheduling and only had 1 mishap that was super easy to overcome. Even though my experience is positive, starting is a bit hard, as it is unknown territory for all of us. None of us had ever done a project of this style and it does imply a good amount of communication and patience. I also think it’s a rewarding experience, as not only you learn from the business you research and how they contribute but you also get insights into how other cultures work, how to treat others within their culture’s standards but not outside of your own personal comfort. And I believe nowadays those are crucial skills to gain. I think Aim2Flourish is a project that will truly prepare you for a globalized work environment and I had fun doing the work and learning about Pesquera Diamante, more specifically Tambos Pesqueros that was the section/project of this business we focused on.

Lucas: I really enjoyed this project. I was a little bit unsure about working in groups internationally, especially communicating with group members in different time zones. Very quickly we were able to develop a good system to get work done and I think the project went very smoothly. It was very interesting learning about the different companies people chose and the issues they were passionate about. Unfortunately, because of the language barrier, I wasn’t able to be a part of the interview with our chosen company, but it was really great to learn more about the work that they did. Overall, the Aim2Flourish project was a great opportunity to meet fellow students around the world and work towards a common goal.

Vivian: The project was successful well done .Thanks to the effort of me, my team and my mentors. The project has taught me so much especially as a student not only to the skills expertise but also understand different business backgrounds, their innovation ,their aspiration and their benefits as well. The project has also sharpened my ideas in regards to business. I was able to network and interact with international students which I thought would be difficult but it was so easy to connect to achieve the common goal. Although some days there was a poor network during meetings, it was a great opportunity to connect with the other international students. Thank you so much for giving me this chance to participate in this project.