Amherst Adventures Abroad: Naomi Habtu ’26E

Wondering if studying abroad is all sunshine, croissants, excursions, and weekend getaways — or if there’s actually more to it? Among language barriers, research projects, and navigating unfamiliar academic systems, how do students actually balance coursework with adventure? We’re here to unpack the reality of studying abroad — beyond the scenic cafés and postcard-perfect moments — in the new column: Amherst Adventures Abroad.

For the column's launch, we spoke with Naomi Habtu ’26E, an anthropology major who spent Fall 2024 in three cities in Chile. While there, she studied traditional medicine, public health, and research methods while interning at an NGO called Madre Nativa, which focuses on the protection of reproductive rights, including through holding workshops and providing resources.

Habtu had a chance to explore Chile’s diverse landscapes from the Atacama Desert to lush mountains to the famous petroglyphs to the rustic charm of the local town center. She also immersed herself in its culture — dancing to Arica’s Afro-Chilean rhythms and bonding with her host family.

Last fall, Habtu arrived at Aeropuerto Internacional Chacalluta to start her Chilean program, which was run by the School for International Training (SIT). Seven other American college students from across the country joined her.

Prior to going to Chile, Habtu did a six-week SIT program in India focused on global health, which she said was her “introduction to ethnographic fieldwork.”

Wanting a longer experience where she could develop cross-cultural awareness, continue practicing Spanish, and deepen her interest in global and Indigenous health, Habtu found that SIT’s program in Chile fit the bill. “It was great to have an introduction to public health, which I haven’t had the opportunity to explore at Amherst,” she said.

Over the course of 14 weeks, she mainly stayed in three areas. She lived in Arica for the first couple of weeks; Arica was considered the program’s “home base.” She later went on a 10-day excursion in the Araucanía region, learning from the Mapuche tribe and Chilean traditional healing practices, followed by exploring San Pedro de Atacama and the Atacama desert in the far north for 10 days, learning about holistic healing and even seeing a herd of alpacas before finally returning to Arica.

During each phase, Habtu stayed with different host families. Her primary host family was in Arica, while she had two shorter stays with rural host families in the Araucanía region and San Pedro de Atacama.

In Arica, she was hosted by a single mother with two adult children. “I adored my host mom. She’s so funny and so brave — just an amazing woman,” Habtu said.

While her evenings were spent bonding with her host mom, Habtu spent her days taking classes and preparing for an independent research project. Along with her seven peers, she took four courses: “Public Health in Chile,” “Traditional Medicine and Community Health,” “Spanish for Health Science,” and “Public Health Research Methods,” all in Arica.

“It was all program-based courses, so you’re not directly enrolled at a university,” Habtu explained. “We happened to have our classes at the university [Universidad de Tarapacá] but with our own professors. A big part of the program was having guest lecturers — we received lessons from different people in public health, including traditional healthcare practitioners.”

Excursions were a key part of the program, enriching her experience with field-based learning. One of these excursions was a 10-day trip to Temuco, a city in the Araucanía region with a significant Indigenous population. She learned that the region is also known as “Mapu,” the Mapuche territory.

“‘Mapu’ means earth, and ‘che’ means people, so [Mapuche] translates to ‘people of the earth.’ Everyone there is considered Mapuche,” she explained.

She also learned some Mapudungun, the language of the Mapuche people, including the greeting “Mari mari” (“Hello”). More than just a simple greeting: “Mari mari” carries deep cultural significance. Habtu recalled, “‘Mari’ means five, so like, 10 is ‘mari mari,’” symbolizing 10 fingers embracing another person’s 10 to greet one another.

After her stay in Temuco, she spent six days in San Pedro de Atacama, where she learned from the Likan Antai Indigenous group about their traditional medicine practices. One key concept she encountered was “cosmovisión,” a holistic worldview that ties health to spirituality.

“‘Cosmovisión’ or ‘cosmo vision’ in English is a worldview. Health is a holistic concept, intrinsically tied to spirituality and different things,” she said. Habtu even had the opportunity to observe a healing ritual, which involved a man and a woman performing a ceremonial act centered on gratitude with a mat adorned with traditional prints, coca leaves, and alcoholic beverages.

Beyond cultural and academic experiences, Habtu was also captivated by Chile’s landscapes. One of her highlights was visiting the Atacama Desert.

“They have the clearest skies in the world. They have the coolest telescopes, and I saw the Milky Way with my naked eyes,” she recalled.

Finally, returning to Arica with a deeper understanding of non-allopathic health approaches, Habtu began working on her independent project, which would be based on an internship or research. She had the option to return to Temuco or San Pedro de Atacama, but instead chose to intern in Arica at a non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on advocacy for reproductive rights.

Her initial research interest was obstetric violence and the role race plays in it. However, she found that the NGO she worked with didn’t focus on the role of race as much as she had hoped.

Habtu explained that while Chile is predominantly white, Arica has a unique Afro-Chilean population due to its proximity to Peru and historical ties to enslaved Africans.

“Arica is one of the few cities with an Afro-Chilean population. Historically, enslaved people worked in the valleys there, where Chile produces and exports a lot of fruit. That’s why most Afro-descendants are located there,” she said.

Though this aspect of history was not a major focus of her program, Habtu was nonetheless able to immerse herself in the Afro-Chilean community through music.

“With one of my friends in the program, we went to a lot of events happening in the city, and we came across this Afro-Arica dance show … We saw a salsa performance. They have this whole cultural house in the city dedicated to African heritage. That’s where they preserve a lot of their culture and history, and they offer dance classes, concerts, drumming recitals, and so much more,” Habtu recalled.

She highlighted her engagement with this community as one of the most memorable parts of her experience, describing it as feeling “more like home.”

Reflecting on her most memorable experience, Habtu fondly recalled stargazing, healing rituals, dancing, and even encountering mummies at Museo Momias Chinchorro that, according to Habtu, “predate the Egyptian mummies by several thousand years”.

For future Amherst adventurers eager to explore Chile’s 2,670-mile stretch, Habtu recommended visiting Arica, San Pedro de Atacama, Valparaíso, and Patagonia.

“What I took away from it is how beautifully diverse Chile is — geographically speaking. Going from the desert to the green, lush mountains was incredible. The fact that the ocean is right next to the driest non-polar desert in the world, which receives the least amount of rainfall, is mind-blowing. But in the midst of it, you have these lush, beautiful green valleys, all thanks to the snowmelt from the Andes— one of the highest mountain ranges in the world. The natural landscape is just stunning.”