[LUM#5] Like birds of the air
For a year, Anthony Pottier cycled the roads of Latin America. With a singular project: to contribute his skills in the field of water management. An experience that changed his life.
Not so long ago, Anthony was toiling under the sharp laces of the Andes, sweating on the white mirror of the world's largest salt desert; climbing the 5,000m-high South Lipez: a pass with not the slightest trace of asphalt, but stones, sand, and above, an immense sky. To live this adventure, he had given up his apartment, sold his car and forgotten his habits.
"Helping, but also meeting and learning".
An adventure he wanted to help others. With a degree in water science and technology from Polytech Montpellier, Anthony Pottier was determined to help others. " The project went far beyond a simple sporting challenge! The idea was to stop off in villages and help communities by contributing my skills in the water sector. A crucial issue: many populations in Latin America suffer from insufficient access to this vital resource ".
Helping, but also "meeting people, learning, seeing what tomorrow's world could be like ". With simplicity, he speaks of " integrating into local development projects ". But it's not easy to bring your skills to small, often poorly organized municipalities. The former student turned to his employer, Veolia, for contacts. He spent 3 weeks in Colombia helping to get a water treatment plant up and running. He gives of his time and his expertise in Ecuador and Peru, wherever his knowledge and energy can be put to good use.
A liberating experience
Between two job sites, he will have experienced Oaxaca and the splendors of Machu Picchu, the glaciers of Peru and Lake Titicaca, the paradisiacal hell of asphalt-free Bolivia, and the mythical "Route 40" that crosses Argentina from north to south. " I reconnected with my emotions. I saw myself laughing out loud alone in certain situations, having tears in my eyes at the top of certain difficult passes. Everything is amplified... everything is truer. There's no more cheating.
Lonely, but never isolated: " you're never alone when you're on a bike! " he smiles. Making the buzz everywhere, appearing in the press or on TV news, Anthony Pottier meets people. And they're rich. Along the way, something deep inside him changes. Living on less than 10 euros a day? A "liberating" experience, he says. " You don't need anything, and you're not afraid of tomorrow. Sharing, generosity and mutual aid are all part of the daily routine: a few pieces of fruit, some water or a cake are handed to you, sometimes with a "you would have done it for me". My horizons have broadened. I've given a lot more since then... "
Brief, luminous encounters that made their mark on him. Anthony set off with big ideas. After a year on the open road, he returned with a harvest of small discoveries. They are the salt of the earth.
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