Local students return from Africa, where they were able to provide thousands of people with a freshwater system.
Boston University’s Engineers Without Borders team brought what they’ve learned at the school’s college of engineering, to Africa, where they were able to change the way thousands of people live.
The university’s Engineering Without Borders team has been working closely with the country for more than 10 years now. This year, the team was able to provide thousands of people with fresh, running water.
Seven students and three faculty members traveled to Tinet, Kenya.
While working with their BU team back home, the local school they’ve partnered with through the program, and local contractors to implement the new system.
“We understand, OK, they need a source of water and they need it at the school and so then we go into designing, fundraising and eventually move into the implantation and that’s where we’re at now,” Clara Armon, a senior studying biomedical engineering and vice president of the chapter, explained.
Until this past August, students from the school would travel five miles or more for fresh water.
Many of them, young women, would choose between their own schooling and their families’ survival.
All while facing dangers along the way.
“Seeing them have to decide whether they get their education which is something they 100 percent deserve or obtain basic survival resources that so many of us take for granted is difficult to put ourselves in their shoes because its never been a decision we’ve had to make on our own,” Omar Elhussini, a senior studying mechanical engineering and president of the chapter, said."
“It’s not just our work paying off, but it’s also theirs. there was immense relief, one of the biggest also the women and girls there were often the ones tasked with getting the water, so they are traveling upwards of 5 miles often facing sexual violence along the way,” Aashna Prasad, a sophmore studying mechanical engineering, added.
Prasad was directly involved with implementing the system.
“When we were installing the pump system actual community members showed up to see it happen because obviously they are affected by the system directly,” she said.
Mazin Attia, a senior studying mechanical engineering, working right by her side, overcoming the challenges and finally watching it all come together on their very last day there.
“On the last day we got to see the water flowing and it made me super happy and seeing the community, the smiling faces, it was a great experience,” he explained.
That’s not all Engineers Without Borders has brought with them to Kenya.
Most of the students there went from never seeing a computer, to having a full computer lab and starlink connection. All thanks to the Engineer’s Without Borders fundraising efforts and donations.
The team was also able to help introduce STEM learning.
The school now ranks first out of the country’s 41 schools.
“You know, with the activities they’re doing in class, with their digital curriculum growing a lot they’re able to learn so much more,” Ahmed Haidar, a senior studying data science and the team’s computer lead, explained.
The team has also taken on a focus on community health, recently donating necessary preventative and PPE equipment.
Above all, these students say it’s about inspiring the next generation of innovators and change makers through knowledge and access to these resources.
They say this is yet another example of societal engineering, understanding a communities’ problems and providing the meaningful solutions.
“Seeing their immense dedication to their work and their studies is really inspirational and now being able to see what they can translate it into when they have the proper resources it just shows us what incredible things can happen in the future,” Armon said.
“It’s something that is really transformative, and I don’t think it’s an experience I’ll ever be able to forget,” Elhussini said.
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