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Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Engineers Without Borders is a student-run organization that takes participants overseas for engineering projects such as the building of health clinics, latrines, and systems for irrigation, water sanitation, and wastewater treatment. For further information, visit the University of Maryland chapter web site. Burkina Faso, Solar Lighting Assessment, January 2007 In January 2007, I accompanied an EWB team led by Prof. Jungho Kim as the faculty advisor to Burkina Faso to evaluate the feasibility of installing solar-powered lighting in schools in the region around Dissin. Burkina Faso is in West Africa (see map), and Dissin is near Diebougou and close to the border with Ghana (see country map). The UMD EWB summary of this trip can be found at this site. The UMD team members were:
We arrived in Ouagadougou and travelled by bus and car to Dissin. In the village of Tangsabla, with the help of the local community, we installed a prototype solar-lighting system. We also held town meetings to discuss the many issues involved (lighting and electricity needs, system maintenance, schoolroom use, education, etc.), performed a health assessment survey, and evaluated drinking water quality. We then went to Bobo-Dioulasso and met with professors in the engineering school at the university, a two-year college that teaches technical skills. Finally, we went to visit local solar energy companies. Listed on the right are albums (1-5) with some of my photos from this trip. These images are copyrighted and may not be reproduced (in whole or in part) without my permission. Burkina Faso, Water Pumping Assessment, July 2007 In July 2007, I served as the faculty advisor for an assessment trip back to Burkina Faso to evaluate the feasibility of installing solar-powered water pumping in villages in the region around Dissin. The UMD EWB summary of this trip can be found at this site, and other photos from that trip can be seen here. Part of the assessment included the installation of a prototype motored driver on a rotary-wheel pump of a village well. We also went to see several other solar-powered water-pumping sites in the region, met with various local government officials, established ties with the Institute for Scientific Applications & Extension, a nonprofit development organization in Ouagadougou, and visited the Volunta plant, which manufactures the rotary-wheel pumps. The UMD team members were:
Listed on the right is a link to a few of my photos from this trip (see album 6). These images are copyrighted and may not be reproduced (in whole or in part) without my permission.
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Photo Albums Solar Lighting Assessment, January 2007 Water Pumping Assessment, July 2007 Additional Resources
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