From Classroom to Calling: How EPICS Helped Shape VAVV’s Mission
Long before Vera Aqua Vera Vita began serving rural communities in Peru, its founder, Jacob Niemeier, encountered a moment that would quietly but permanently change the trajectory of his life.
As a Purdue engineering student, Jacob participated in a short-term international experience that exposed him to the stark reality of the global water crisis — not as an abstract statistic, but as a daily burden carried by families and children. What he witnessed ignited a deeper conviction: access to clean water is not a luxury, but a matter of human dignity.
That conviction found early form through EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service), a program that challenges students to apply technical skills to real-world problems affecting real people. During a single semester, Jacob led an EPICS project focused on creating an accessible, low-cost water solution designed for communities with limited resources. While the prototype itself never moved beyond early development, the experience proved transformative.
Through EPICS, Jacob discovered something essential — not just about engineering, but about leadership, collaboration, and purpose. He learned that meaningful solutions require creativity, humility, and a deep respect for the communities they aim to serve. That lesson would go on to shape the foundation of VAVV years later.
Today, Vera Aqua Vera Vita continues that same spirit of service-driven engineering, partnering with communities to build sustainable, dignified clean water systems that last. The roots of that mission can be traced back to a classroom, a team of students, and a willingness to imagine what was possible.
👉 Read the full story on Purdue University’s website to learn more about Jacob’s EPICS experience and how it helped launch a lifelong commitment to clean water access
