East Africa
This year the East Africa project endeavored into a new international partnership with the St. Pius Primary School in Malawi. We have begun working with the community and NGO on primary data collection and surveying. This is through the remote assessment trip carried out by our international partners in the NGO and community. In addition to this, in the upcoming year in January, we plan on carrying out an in-person assessment trip, whereby 6 members and 2 mentors will travel to Malawi to collect data, assess the land and the population’s requirements, as well as meet our new community partners and form a strong bond to aid our relationship.
Following the assessment trip, we plan on beginning the design and implementation phase of the project- whereby we will be designing solutions that we deem best fit based on our knowledge and through the tremendous input of our professional mentors.
Guatemala
This summer the Guatemala program traveled to Chi Chokon and Chirijuyu. The importance of traveling was validated during our trip from the many scenarios in which onsite engineering was needed to fix issues that came up during construction. Chirijuyu currently has a working water distribution system that provides water to 250 people. During travel we also conducted water quality testing, flow rates, site surveys, demographic surveys, and gathered other information. During the semester we used the information we gathered in Chi Chokon during travel to come up with a variety of plans for design. The water quality subgroup researched the historical context of chlorination in Guatemala as well as the best options to ensure the safety of the drinking water. The PACT (Pipelines, Aerial Crossings, and Tank) subgroup put together design options for tank locations and ways in which to solve the pressure issues the current system is experiencing. The CAD (computer aided design) subgroup worked on putting together technical drawings for the subgroup as well as practiced modeling the well. The Past/Future Communities subgroup brainstormed indicator questions to ask communities who reach out to us with potential projects and they also helped wrap up the Chirijuyu project. Next semester we are excited to finish our design and start implementation this summer.
Local
This year the local projects have moved from being a part of both East Africa and Guatemala teams to having their own meeting time and dedicated project team. With the transition, the team has continued work with the Urban Farm and Garden Alliance (UFGA) at the Victoria Garden. Over the summer and early fall, the team implemented designs from last year for garden boxes, a path, and seating. We also decided to move away from original plans to build a pergola in the garden and focus efforts towards designing a central seating area. Final implementation for the Victoria Garden is scheduled for spring of 2023. The Local Projects team is also working on minor improvements to the existing rainwater catchment system and greenhouse at the UFGA Peace Garden, a past project implemented in 2021. Finally, through our relationship we have found a future project within their network at the Pilgrim Baptist Church garden. The project is still in its infancy, but the goal is to increase accessibility and engagement in the garden. Potential ideas include an accessible path, raised garden beds, and repairs and a ramp for the existing shed.