2014 Honorable Mention

Who:  Michaela Meckel

Project:  Michaela completed an internship in the summer of 2013 with the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research – Rwanda (IPAR-Rwanda) in Kigali, Rwanda.  She spent the majority of her time with IPAR-Rwanda assisting with research for the Catalysing Self-Sustaining Sanitation Chains in Informal Settlements (3K-SAN for short) research project sponsored by the European Water Initiative. The 3K-SAN project is working to develop strategies to catalyze self-sustaining sanitation (i.e. toilets) chains in low-income informal settlements in Kisumu (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), and Kigali (Rwanda). Research phases include Rapid Participatory Appraisals (RPA) with communities in informal settlements to identify their needs and ideas about potential sanitation solutions; interviews with civil society and government stakeholders; deliberative forums with community members, sanitation technology providers, and financiers to discuss potential sanitation solutions; and finally, work as a multi-disciplinary research group to consolidate and share findings with communities to catalyze self-sustaining sanitation solutions

2013

Engineers Without Borders

WHO: Tim Miller et al.

PROJECT: Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at UW-Madison has been working in the community of Muramba, Rwanda since 2004. Several project teams have traveled since then to implement projects that have had varying degrees of success and impact. There is a growing importance of civil infrastructure for developing goods and services in the global economy and reducing the impacts of poverty and climate change. Impacts for the community:

  • • Improved access to clean water (pipeline, rainwater catchment projects)
  • • Improved access to alternative energy resources (fuel briquetting project) • Improved access to healthcare facilities (clinic construction project)
  • • Intercultural dialogue with American volunteers Impacts for EWB/students/faculty
  • • International development experience
  • • Intercultural dialogue with Rwandan counterparts
  • • Practical engineering experience
  • • Foreign language training