Muramba Phase III Final, EWB-UW Madison

EWB-UW Muramba, Rwanda

Phase III

Prepared by:

The University of Wisconsin MadisonEWB Student Chapter

Prepared:March, 11th, 2008

Executive Summary

Continuing Water and Renewable Energy Efforts in Muramba, RwandaJuly 2007

Sustainability is one of the founding principals of Engineers Without Borders. Efforts to continue sustainable practices in Muramba, Rwanda must be encouraged through collaboration of all involved parties in-country. This is one of the many reasons why the University of Wisconsin chapter of Engineers Without Borders traveled again to Muramba in July 2007. Five UW engineering students from a range of disciplines, a film student, a New York sound engineer, and a UW French interpreter came together to work on projects including a rainwater catchment, a fuel briquetting assessment, a BioSand water filter, and a documentary film about Muramba & EWB-UW’s collaborative work in this village.

Focusing on water quantity and quality issues, the UW team endeavored to create solutions that would help lessen these problems. Water issues have been identified by previous group trips as the central issues facing ordinary Murambans. An average Rwandan uses 15L of water per day. In comparison, an average United States citizen uses 575L per day [http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=757]. One water tap in Muramba was also documented as being E. coli positive. The UW team designed a rainwater catchment and BioSand filter to try to address these local water issues.

Fuel briquetting was introduced to Muramba in July 2005. The goals of fuel briquetting are to provide an alternative fuel to wood and to teach a marketable skill to those who wish to know about the technology. During this trip, an assessment was taken to find out how the technology had been accepted. Fuel briquetting, in its current state, was found to be inactive, but interest was still high among vocational students and a group of local Murambans. Problems in the process hindered it from being accepted by an entrepreneurial group. Further tests were also conducted to help find the best local mix design for the briquettes. Two local leaders acknowledged their desire to continue fuel briquetting after the UW departed. The arrival of an EWB-UW purchased fodder chopper will also help the fuel briquetting process become more accepted. This fodder chopper currently resides at the Vocational College under Innocent Kambande’s supervision.

Words and pictures provide a wealth of information after an EWB team returns from a trip, but in a way this medium is very static. EWB-UW decided to expand into a more dynamic medium: film. Because of a close collaboration with UW-Milwaukee’s documentary film department, students at UW-Madison, -Milwaukee, the Madison and Milwaukee area, presentation attendees, and hopefully many more Wisconsinites can now view the motions and sounds of Rwanda in the future. For more information about film viewing, presentations, and copies please contact Jonathan Lee ([email protected]). The long-term sustainability of an international project relies on the continued collaboration between local and foreign groups. Returning teams should be prepared to evaluate the state of the installed rainwater catchment, BioSand filter, and fuel briquetting technology.

EWB-UW: Muramba, Rwanda Phase III www.ewbuw.org/donate 1/1/08

© 2008 Engineers Without Borders – USA. All Rights Reserved www.ewbuw.org/donate of 40

http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=757

http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=757

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.ewbuw.org/donate




CONTENTSPage

1.0 Introduction....................................................................................................... 51.1 Project Description.................................................................................. 51.2 Background of Project............................................................................. 51.3 Engineers Without Borders Involvement................................................. 51.4 Community Involvement......................................................................... 61.5 Community and Project Contacts............................................................ 61.6 Travel and Lodging.................................................................................. 7

2.0 Rainwater Catchment Project........................................................................... 8 2.1 Project Description................................................................................... 8 2.2 Design & Layout...................................................................................... 8

2.3 In-Country Assessments and Re-Evaluation............................................ 92.4 Materials and Transportation.................................................................... 132.5 Construction and Vocational School Involvement................................... 132.6 Final Outcome & Discussion of Water Availability................................. 14

3.0 BioSand Filter Project........................................................................................ 14 3.1 Project Description................................................................................... 14 3.2 Design....................................................................................................... 15 3.3 Construction of Beta Version.................................................................... 15 3.4 Future BioSand Filters and Placement of Filters...................................... 16 3.5 Water Testing Report & Filter Construction Guide.................................. 17

4.0 Continuing Support of Fuel Briquetting Initiative........................................... 174.1 Project Description.................................................................................... 174.2 Fuel Briquetting Status in Muramba......................................................... 174.3 In-Country Research.................................................................................. 194.4 Vocational School, Community Participation, & Sustainability............... 224.5 Potential Fuel Briquetting Research & Support........................................ 22

5.0 Film Documentary............................................................................................... 245.1 Documentary Description & Focus........................................................... 245.2 Materials and Logistics.............................................................................. 245.3 Funding...................................................................................................... 245.4 Documentary Utilization............................................................................ 24

6.0 Safety...................................................................................................................... 256.1 Roof Collapse Accident.............................................................................. 256.2 Safety: A High Priority............................................................................... 26







7.0 Financing............................................................................................................... 27 7.1 Funding Sources......................................................................................... 27

7.2 Simplified Comprehensive Budget............................................................ 27

8.0 Future EWB-UW Involvement........................................................................ 288.1 Lessons Learned and Future Evaluations............................................... 288.2 Changes in Project Methodology............................................................ 288.3 Translate the Experience......................................................................... 298.4 Next Phase and Ideas for Projects........................................................... 29

9.0 Acknowledgements............................................................................................ 31

10.0 Memorial - Peter Bosscher............................................................................. 31

List of AppendicesAppendix A Site Assessment Information............................................................ 33Appendix B Relevant Data (E.g. Water Testing Data, Percolation Data etc.).... 37Appendix C Material Costs & Other Budget Items.............................................. 38







1.0 Introduction

1.1 Project Description

The community of Muramba lies in the province of Gisenyi in northwestern Rwanda, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Muramba refers to the geographical area under the influence of the local Catholic Deanery, including four parish churches. The village encompasses several primary schools, three secondary schools, and a vocational school, which teaches community members, many of whom cannot afford tuition at the secondary schools, basic vocational skills. Continuing the efforts of past EWB-UW Rwanda team, our 2007 group began several projects focusing on the following issues: water quantity and quality, renewable energy, and documentation. These core focuses materialized into our four projects: rainwater catchment, BioSand filter, fuel briquetting, and film projects. Each of these projects brought with them unique problems and solutions, and not one of them is a cure-all, and therefore each one must be backed up with continued support for years to come. However, all of our endeavors were designed to address known problems in the community regarding water and energy issues. The long-term success of this project relies on the sustained efforts of all of the parties involved to seek solutions to future problems. The progress of these projects will be documented through continued dialogue with the community contacts in Muramba.

1.2 Background of Project

EWB-UW’s relationship with the community of Muramba dates back to 2003. We have been involved with water and energy projects since the group’s inception. Below is a table of the project history for the EWB-UW group.

Travel Date Type Project2004 Assessment (Apr.) &

Implementation (July)Water Delivery, Solar Installation

2005 Assessment & Implementation (July)

Water Delivery

2006 - None2007 Assessment (Apr.) &

Implementation (July)Rainwater Catchment, BioSand Filtering, Fuel briquetting, Film Documentation

1.3 Engineers Without Borders Involvement

The group that went to Muramba in July of 2007 consisted of people from Madison, Milwaukee, and New York City. The group from Madison was made up of individuals from the student Engineers Without Borders chapter at the University of







Wisconsin Madison. One member was from Milwaukee; a documentary film student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The final person was a sound engineer from New York City who operated the sound boom for the film recording. Three members stayed in-country for ten days while the rest of the group remained in Rwanda for the duration of the one month trip. The table below lists the individuals who participated.

Project Name OrganizationFuel Briquetting, BioSand Filter Brad Hotle EWB-UWFuel Briquetting, BioSand Filter Julia Wagner EWB-UWFuel Briquetting, BioSand Filter John Kenney EWB-UWTranslation Allison Taylor EWB-UWRainwater Catchment John Lee EWB-UWRainwater Catchment Tim Miller EWB-UWFuel Briquetting Megan Bender EWB-UWFilm Joe Sacco UW-MilwaukeeFilm Zack Hagan New York

1.4 Community Involvement Individuals from the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), Muramba Parish, and the St. Charles Lwanga Kolping Vocational Training Centre - Muramba participated in events ranging from foundation construction to instructional workshops to group discussions. For the rainwater catchment project, Innocent Kambande filled the role as construction manager. Vocational students also helped during various times each of the three development projects. Two Parish members, Patrice Niyitegeka and John de Dieu Bazambanza, took on the shared role of in-country fuel briquetting contacts. Their roles with this effort are greatly appreciated and will be extremely useful during future projects. In Muramba, there are many more groups who wish to collaborate on future projects, however we have only worked with a few. At the CIC, a student group called the World Changers asked us to sit down and talk with them one afternoon. This discussion gave us a new perspective: one of a student in Muramba. Great potential resides within these groups. Through collective collaboration and personal responsibility from both sides to continue appropriate projects, Muramba and EWB-UW can see these groups accomplish greater and greater goals over time.

1.5 Community and Project Contacts

Many people working collaboratively together make each EWB project possible. Having the necessary contacts will alleviate unwanted and unneeded pressure during this







process. Below is a list of contacts used to bring together the project in 2007. Future groups should look to this list as a resource and not hesitate to expand it.

Contact Name Organization Email Past Project RoleBrad Hotle EWB-UW [email protected] Fuel Briquetting, BioSandJulia Wagner EWB-UW [email protected] Fuel Briquetting, BioSandJohn Kenney EWB-UW [email protected] Fuel Briquetting, BioSandAllison Taylor EWB-UW [email protected] French Interpreter Jonathan Lee EWB-UW [email protected] Project ManagerTim Miller EWB-UW [email protected] Project ManagerMegan Bender EWB-UW [email protected] Fuel BriquettingSister Donata Uwimanimpaye

CIC [email protected] Muramba Lodging

Joe Sacco UW-Milw. [email protected] Documentary Cinematographer

Jean Paul Bazansanga

EWB-Rwanda [email protected] Interpreter, Guide, Material Acquisition

Jean Pierre (Peter) Muligo

USAID [email protected] Transportation, Material Acquisition

Zack Hagan New York [email protected] Documentary Sound Engineer

John de Dieu Bazambanza

ESECOM [email protected] Fuel Briquetting Contact

Herman Niyonzima

Muramba Parish

[email protected] Orphanage Director

Innocent Kambanda

Vocational Construction Manager

Patrice Niyitegeka

Muramba Parish

Fuel Briquetting Contact

Max Gold EWB-CU [email protected] CU Project Manager, Foul Flush Resource

Prakash Bhatt Aqua-san [email protected] Afri-tank Contact

1.6 Travel and Lodging

International Travel was made possible through two sources of funding. For UW-Madison students, domestic and international airfare was paid through ASM student organization funding. Student organizations submit budget proposals to ASM. Then, a committee within ASM oversees presentations given by these student organizations. This committee will then vote on whether to fund the student org or not. EWB-UW received funding, and a percentage of this budget is earmarked for travel expenses.







































Traveling in-country materialized itself in many forms. Buses, motos, van taxis, and chartered taxis were all used. Trucks and jeeps from the College of the Immaculate Conception (CIC) and the parish were used to travel from Kigali International Airport to Muramba. Tim Miller and Jean Paul Bazansanga coordinated most travel arrangements. Vehicle coordination can also be made through Sister Donata. Traditionally, the EWB-UW teams have stayed in the guest rooms at the CIC. There are about ten guest bedrooms with about fifteen beds. The CIC and EWB-UW setup a rate of $15 per person per night to pay for lodging and all meals. When the team was in Kigali, we stayed at Hotel Castel. Previous groups have also done this, and have found that two people can stay in one room comfortably. Rates will vary given a certain exchange rate, but we paid 25,000 RWF per room, per night.

2.0 Rainwater Catchment Project


Previous EWB-UW assessment and implementation trips urged the need for solutions to water quantity issues. Assessment trips discussed possible solutions with local leaders while implementation trips put those words into action. To further our commitment to efforts toward water quantity solutions, EWB-UW planned and implemented with the assistance of the vocational school a rainwater catchment for the church in Muramba. With a useable surface area of about 300 m2, the roof gave a great plane for water collection. After the July 2005 implementation trip, EWB-UW applied for a grant from the International Rotary Club of Madison. This gift’s main purpose was to fund future water projects in Muramba. Our group decided to use the grant for the rainwater catchment project and the smaller, water quality, BioSand filter experimental project.

2.2 In-Country Assessment, Re-Evaluation, and Rainwater Data Tim Miller, a civil engineering graduate of UW-Madison, left in March 2007 for a teaching position at the College of the Immaculate Conception in Muramba. This allowed the UW Rwanda group a unique contact to gather information about project viability. He sent reports back to the group in Madison discussing future plan topics. He gave the first assessment of rainwater catchment’s practicality by taking measurements and compiling these results in a CAD drawing shown below. A second assessment came when the full group came to Muramba. Instead of a two-tank solution as shown in the CAD drawing, a one-tank answer for the east side of the church was decided upon. An aerial view of the final layout can be viewed in the picture labeled final layout. During the second assessment, a foundation for the tank was discussed. The location for the tank although stable, sloped slightly about five feet until







changing into a small hill. A concrete and stone foundation would solidify this placement giving the tank a decidedly permanent location. Specific rainwater data for Muramba was not available, and taking data for rainfall would have been a yearlong commitment - too long and unneeded in an area with a rainy season known for its high water volume. In order to give our group some sort of quantifiable data, average rainwater data was found for the city of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo at http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=S01E029+2100+64184W.

Figure 1. Assessment of Church Dimensions

The city is about 30 miles from Muramba, Rwanda. It is estimated that this average rainwater data will be similar to the data that could be taken for Muramba. During the rainiest parts of the year in Goma, September to January, rainfall averaged between 4.2 to 5.5 inches per month or 105.5 to 140.9 mm per month. Averages for a year included 46.6 inches and 1182.9 mm respectively. With a used roof surface area of 300m2, the estimated potentially captured rainfall was calculated to be 355,000 liters per year. If a population of 1,000 drew from this source, it is estimated that on average there will be 6.8 new liters of water per person per week.

2.3 Design and Construction



http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=S01E029+2100+64184W








The basic idea behind a rainwater catchment is water storage. In most designs, a gutter system allows water to flow to a container of some kind. Issues revolving around water quality, foundation construction, and gutter attachment proved to be the most taxing. Describing our system from the ground up, the foundation should be recognized first. It was realized that a foundation would be needed for the massive tank to sit upon. In discussing this with Innocent, a design materialized. The foundation, a three- by three- meter by one-meter structure, was built from local stones acquired within the Ngororero district and concrete purchased in Kigali. After discussing the design, the vocational school worked quickly to finish, and after two weeks completed it. A montage of the foundation construction can be seen in Figure 3.

Figure 2. Design of Church Rainwater Catchment

The next component of the rainwater catchment is the tank. EWB-UW did not design this tank opting instead to buy it locally. Afritank is a company solely devoted to large water tank construction. For our project, it was easier to purchase a tank in-country than to build one on-site. For a 10,000L tank, we paid about $1,300. The tank comes with areas where large holes can be drilled for input and output of water, and an access opening at the top for cleaning the tank. The tank, by the end, would rest on top of this foundation. The most detailed component of the catchment is the foul flush. The recommendation for a foul flush and its design came from the University of Colorado-







Boulder. The foul flush removes small debris and floating particulate from the water. It will mostly catch bird feces, roof dirt, and pieces of decomposed foliage.

Figure 3. Foundation Construction Montage – Beginning to End

The foul flush works as a first catch during a storm. The first small volume of water, the water that is the dirtiest, fills two 150L drums. The drums will catch the first few minutes of the storm. After that, the water is diverted to the main holding tank where it is stored.

Figure 4. Foul flush details - Units given in centimeters.







Water drains from the foul flush for three days until it is completely empty. The details of the foul flush construction and the materials that the UC-Boulder team provided us can be found in a supplemental report available from EWB-UW (contact Jonathan Lee, [email protected]).

Figure 5. Two foul flush containers.

Gutter construction provided the group with an interesting problem. How do we retrofit gutters to a pre-existing structure? Gutters were purchased in Kigali to catch the water running off the roof, but these gutters needed to be attached in order to be close to the edge of the church. Our solution involved constructing a faux fascia board. This solution would allow the gutters attachment to be screwed or nailed into place. Figure 6 shows our solution.

Figure 6. False façade for gutters.







With the main components of the design in place, the plumbing for the system could then be set in place. This work extend past our time in Muramba, and along with the whole project was completed in October of 2007. Due to failure of some gutter components, repairs continued until their completion in March 2008. Below the plumbing of the system is shown.

Notice the obvious problem in the plumbing. Water as it rises from the flow flush is not diverted to the tank, but rather it backs up into the gutters. This was not built to the specifications that we had left with the technicians. Presumably, there was some loss of information after our departure date. In the end, the problem was fixed and water now flows into the tanks correctly. Future groups should assess the rainwater system for correct operation.

2.4 Materials and Transportation A detailed materials list can be found in Appendix C of this report. It gives all the purchases made for both of the water projects. This list can be used in the future to assist groups who wish to install a rainwater catchment system. Having contacts is essential for all projects, especially for the largest items. Here is the contact that we made in Kigali for purchasing Afritanks: Prakash Bhatt, [email protected]. Transporting materials and budgeting for this transport can be an overlooked but crucial part to a project. Jean Paul acted as a very effective coordinator for material and team transportation. Look to Jean Paul or Peter Muligo in order to transport materials from Kigali to Muramba. Costs for the transport are given in Appendix C but vary with order and size of the vehicle. All of the material transportation issues are usually solved in-country and day-of. Money should be budgeted for material transportation as needed.

2.5 Vocational School Involvement

The vocational school has been an asset to many EWB-UW projects. The learning exchange that takes place is very unique to our situation. To better manage projects and keep them efficient in Muramba, think of the projects as the dual work in a construction and project management company. The vocational school with considerable knowledge of building techniques in Muramba can be thought of as the construction company. EWB-UW can be thought of as the construction management; the group responsible for material acquisition, financial backing, and project organization. This simple measure will help the distribution of responsibilities during the project, and lessen the stress of the EWB-UW project manager. Innocent Kambande can be viewed as the manager of this hypothetical construction company. EWB-UW should not do the large part of the construction because of the short amount of time we are in country. We are better advisors and designers. Our backing, support, and resources allow the groups who want to build projects designed by us to do so.









Students of the vocational school are a great resource. Students at vocational school participate in service-learning projects, gaining practical technical experience while serving the community by constructing the projects. Like many of the engineers who travel to the country, real-life experience is vital to future jobs. This is no different for the vocational students. Project work can be given to students as work-study projects; these are real, community projects that benefit their learning experience and the greater populace. The students are eager to learn and show that they have learned skills from the vocational school.

2.6 Final Outcome & Discussion of Water Availability After the EWB-UW team left Muramba, work on the rainwater catchment continued. Innocent Kambande and the vocational school both work on many projects in Muramba. They also regularly maintain existing systems. Dedicated project work was sporadic, but finished after repairs in March 2008.

Figure 7. Completed rainwater catchment.

The water captured by this catchment was intended for all in need of water. Late in the project, it was learned that the priests of church felt that the water should be used to clean the church and water the garden. The dispute was never resolved and should be addressed in later trips.

3.0 BioSand Filter Project








Our water quality project focused on using simple filtration techniques to purify water efficiently. BioSand filters are one such way of realizing our goal of cleaner water. Our team tested water at 17 taps around the CIC and parish. Results were positive for a strain of E. assesst bacteria on one of these taps. To ameliorate the problem, the team implemented the following BioSand filter design and placed it next to the contaminated tap at the Vocational School. The materials used for this filter included one blue 250L drum, five feet of one inch diameter PVC tubing, three right angle PVC connectors, PVC glue, a few cubic inches of foam material and a tear drop water tap. All materials needed for BioSand filtration can be found in Rwanda. A more comprehensive list of materials can be found in Appendix B.

3.2 Design

After the body of the filter is constructed, it is filled with two layers – a rock layer and a sand layer. The tank is then primed until water reaches 10 cm above the sand layer. After three weeks, a biological film forms between the top water pool and sand layer. It is this film that is responsible for killing 99% of pathogens in the contaminated water. Once the water passes through the biological film, the sand removes 100% of parasites. Finally, the rock layer acts as a barrier between the sand and the piping to prevent clogging.

Figure 8. Design of BioSand Filter







3.3 Construction of Beta Version

Construction began by cutting off the lid of a 50 gallon drum with a hacksaw. From there, a one inch hole was drilled into the drum centered approximately 80 cm up from the base. We then constructed from the PVC a right angled piece to transport the water from the base of the filter out through the water tap (refer to drawing). The piece that spanned the bottom was drilled many times in order to make it permeable. A piece of foam was then placed in the end of the pipe. All joints in the piece were cemented together with PVC glue. The bottom 20 cm of the tank were filled with gravel obtained from a local quarry. Each piece of gravel was approximately 1 cm in diameter and needed to be washed. Buckets of gravel were rinsed with water repeatedly until the water being poured out was completely clear. Laundry detergent was used, which seemed to be of great help. Next, 50 cm of sand was placed on top of the 20 cm of gravel. The entire volume of sand also needed to be washed and this was by far the most tedious process. Fortunately, many of the villagers helped with this daunting task. To clean the sand, small volumes of sand were placed in buckets and rinsed repeatedly until the resulting water being poured out was completely clear. Rinsing involved adding about half of a liter of sand to a bucket, then adding water. The water sand mixture would be rapidly stirred by hand for 15 seconds and then the water would be poured out. The aim was to use the sand particles that fell out of solution within one second. All in all, each bucket took about 20-30 rinses to become clean. Finally, a dispersion plate was constructed from lid of the drum. Holes were drilled in the lid to disperse the force of water being added to the filter. This was done to prevent the biological layer from being destroyed. The dispersion plate was supported by three pieces of 1” PVC placed directly into the sand. Within three flushes of the system, the water exiting was completely clear, rendering the project a success.

3.4 Future BioSand Filters & Placement of Filters

BioSand filters have a promising future because of both their simplicity of construction and their effectiveness. By providing detailed instructions, we hope to make these documents useful to future groups who wish to install these filters. Please use this report along with the BioSand filter construction report as a foundation for future work in this area. The design that we implemented is by no means perfect. The design should be tested for faults and improved on. We hope that future groups will take on the challenge of improving the performance and labor costs of making these filters. It is a very good idea to make a model. The testing resources at UW-Madison are numerous. Knowledgeable faculty or mentors can make this process much easier with







their advice and insight. Before building a model, always remember that materials take up space and storage room is sparse. Models on paper or in a computer program should always be done first in order to work out the details of the design and construction. There is a great potential in BioSand filters, but much work must also be done to further this appropriate and sustainability centered design. Most importantly, BioSand filters should be placed in proximity to the contaminated sources, as they are too heavy to move after construction.

3.5 Water Testing Report and Filter Construction Guide Water testing gave the group greater insight into the state of water quality at the tested taps. Our results show that all but one of the taps yielded clean water. We placed the BioSand filter near the contaminated tap, rendering this water potable. It should be noted that only taps within a short walking distance from the CIC were tested. More comprehensive water testing should be done in Muramba, and if necessary, BioSand filters should be constructed to improve drinking water quality. Two reports will aid future EWB-UW groups in Muramba implement BioSand filter: the water testing report and the BioSand filter construction guide. Please contact Jonathan Lee for these two reports ([email protected]).

4.0 Continuing Support of Fuel Briquetting Initiative


To alleviate use of firewood by local Murambans, fuel briquetting has been investigated as an alternative, sustainable energy source for cooking and heating. Fuel briquetting uses excess biomass from local farms, and through a process of decomposition, mixing, and pressing, forms this biomass into donut shaped briquettes. The process and method of fuel briquetting was developed by the legacy foundation and has been shown to be successful in developing communities. As a method of introducing the technology, initially it was planned for entrepreneurial Murambans to utilize briquetting as a form of alternative fuel for members of the cooperative and possible additional revenue, though has not been successful. EWB-UW Rwanda’s task was to figure out why the process has not taken hold, suggest solutions, and appoint a local Muramban to be in charge of continued fuel briquetting.

4.2 Fuel Briquetting Status in Muramba

A fuel briquetting cooperative of about eight members had been formed in Muramba after EWB-UW introduced the process of fuel briquetting in July 2005. The cooperative gathered irregularly at the local vocational school (what is the proper name?)









until the summer of 2006. It was around this time that they decided that the effort of making fuel briquettes outweighed the benefits; their briquetting efforts ended.

Initially, the fuel briquetting cooperative formed out of interest of the process and the potential for income and was located at the vocational school. Storage space was provided by the school for the presses, along with tools for fuel briquetting. The vocational school also provided a location for these co-op members to meet, discuss techniques and cooperative matters, and to produce briquettes.

Upon investigating the situation in Muramba, EWB-UW learned that the group had a well-formed knowledge of the mechanics behind the pressing and shaping of fuel briquettes. Construction practices at the school were very good, though quality tools were lacking. Their understanding and application of the fuel briqetting process is impressive. The ability to duplicate fuel briquette presses was exemplified through the example of a student final exam at the vocational school. The task was to construct a fuel briquette press, similar to one produced during a collaborative project involving vocational students and EWB-UW in July 2005. This assignment produced the three additional presses, and provided students not only learn the construction skills needed to build the press, but also form an understanding of the mechanics behind pressing fuel briquettes.

During the assessment of the current state of fuel briquetting in Muramba, two of the presses were found to be in a weakened state due to deterioration of their wooden members, but the remaining two were deemed to be in functioning order. The presses were in a storage locker at the vocational school where heat, humidity, and carpenter ants were the sources of the decaying wooden members. It was recommended to the co-op that the presses should be coated with a layer of used motor oil in order to protect the wood from degradation due to weathering and insects.

One practice invented by the fuel briquetting coop can be pointed to as an indication of not only the knowledge of properly shaping briquettes but also creativity in problem solving. This is multi-briquette pressing, which greatly increases efficiency in pressing relatively dense briquetting materials, such as sawdust. As shown in Image 1, disk separators were used to produce up to four or five briquettes at once. To achieve this, a metal rod was aligned in the center of the PVC cylinder. A tin separator (or “DVD” as Patrice called them) was dropped into place to support the bottom briquette. Biomass was then loaded into the PVC mold. Once the correct amount of biomass for one briquette had been placed inside the mold, another separator was placed on top of the biomass to separate it from the next layer of biomass. This process was repeated about four times. This practice differed from the pressing practice of both the Legacy Foundation and EWB-UW where only one briquette was produced at a single time.







Figure 9. Tin Separator (“DVD”)

Briquettes already produced by the cooperative were made from paper and sawdust, with mixtures ranging from primarily paper to primarily sawdust. These briquettes were usually between 2 and 3 inches in height with the diameter being formed by the inside of a 4” diameter PVC pipe. Although the cooperative had already pressed hundreds of these briquettes, no stoves in Muramba allow for proper use of them and they were stored in a storage closet at the vocational school. It was reported that the average home in Muramba cooks by supporting a pot with three stones and burning firewood underneath. Cooking with a briquette would require raising the briquette off of the ground in order to achieve the “chimney effect,” in which air is brought through the bottom of the briquette and it burns outward from the center. It is also desired to improve efficiency of the energy use via insulation surrounding the burning briquette.

4.3 In-Country Research

To test the burning quality of the briquettes owned by the cooperative and stored at the vocational school, a test stove was produced from a vegetable oil tin can. The need for this test stove was due to lack of a stove able to function with fuel briquettes. The oil can contained a hole on at its base which was a similar size to the center hole of a fuel briquette. The top end of the can was removed, and additional holes were cut on the bottom of the can to allow additional airflow. The can was then set on a few bricks in order for air to flow into the bottom. Initially, the tin can was not insulated. Later, experiments were conducted; one such experiment included the addition of clay to the outside of the can to insulate it containing more of the heat. The first tests performed on burning the existing cooperative briquettes were on sawdust-heavy briquettes. These briquettes were very dense and thought to have a high moisture level due to being stored in a humid closet at the cooperative. This was evidenced by the difficulty in igniting the dense briquettes, and a smoky burn. The initial briquettes took between five and ten minutes to light, though burn duration was close to







an hour. Eight of the sawdust briquettes were placed in the sun to dry for a period of 2 days. These briquettes were noticed to be lighter after drying, and were more easily ignited. It should be noted that the sawdust briquettes did not perform well. More notably, sawdust, if used at all, should be considered a binding element in other mix designs. Other ideas for improving the burning qualities of the fuel briquettes included increasing the surface area of the briquettes by making them shorter in height and increasing the number of holes. One of the most pressing issues of fuel briquetting is creating a proper mix design. Improvements sought with mix design would be to create a briquette that can be ignited easier allow for a higher temperature burn, and increase the percentage of local biomass used in the mix. These improvements need to be sought while keeping a briquette that is sturdy and distributable. We performed a number of mix tests to find samples of local plants and foliage that would work well together. (Need to find the data and results that I had in my field notebook. Have pictures. Need to write down how the tests were administered.)

Figure 10. Briquettes used in Mix Design Tests

To work with the cooperative on mix-designs, additional biomass materials were collected to begin the composting process. First, a bean material similar to sorghum was collected from the convent kitchen and shredded, and later banana and eucalyptus leaves were collected from local farms. For the initial shredding of these materials, the bean material was cut with scissors while the leaves were found to be dry enough to crumble upon squeezing in the hand. These shredded materials were then saturated with water and placed in a tarp located in directed sunlight to begin the composting process as it was explained to the cooperative the importance of this step in material preparation.

Fuel Briquetting Mix Combinations1) Bean Husks & ‘Sawdust and Paper’

2) Eucalyptus & ‘Sawdust and Paper’

3) Banana Leaves & ‘Sawdust and Paper’







4) Bean Husks, Banana Leaves, Eucalyptus, & ‘Sawdust and Paper’

5) Bean Husks and Eucalyptus

6) Banana Leaves & Eucalyptus

7) Banana Leaves & Bean Husks

Figure 11. Close-up views of the different fuel briquette mix designs

Note: All mixes listed in the table were combined together in equal proportions. Ex. Mix 4 has 25% of each individual ingredient. Results describing the durability and preparation of the briquettes were the only ones recorded during our short time there along with mix combinations listed in the table above. Briquette burning tests should be conducted. A study like this will further fuel briquetting’s standing in the community if it can show positive results not only in the research lab, but also in the field. The durability of each briquette can be seen in the table below. A rating of one has the weakest durability while a rating a five has the strongest.







Mix Number Durability Rating

1) Bean Husks & ‘Sawdust and Paper’ 4

2) Eucalyptus & ‘Sawdust and Paper’ 2

3) Banana Leaves & ‘Sawdust and Paper’ 1

4) Bean Husks, Banana Leaves, Eucalyptus, & ‘Sawdust and Paper’

4

5) Bean Husks and Eucalyptus 1

6) Banana Leaves & Eucalyptus 3

7) Banana Leaves & Bean Husks 3

One important conclusion involves binding of the briquettes. During preparation, it was noticed that sawdust and paper were essential to production when unprocessed agricultural materials were introduced. These two ingredients act as a glue to hold together agricultural biomass. Fuel Briquetting Update: As of February 2008, fuel briquetting in Muramba was taken on a great dynamic. Patrice had been gathering people for workshops regularly since the team had left. They are currently making briquettes out of various mixtures and through trial and error coming to a mix that suits their needs. Future team interested in fuel briquetting could take up the task of burn tests of these briquettes in-country. As a goal, this theoretical team could present new mix ideas and methods. Continued support of fuel briquetting in Muramba solidifies the project. This support materializes itself in the form of research by Murambans in the area of fuel briquetting even after an EWB team leaves.

4.4 Vocational School, Community Participation, & Sustainability

Local opinion of the fuel briquetting technology was high, with an interest shown by locals passing by who were able to speak with Patrice as they watched the pressing process. Most were impressed, saying that more practical projects like this were needed. If there is one thing between both cultures that stays constant, it is the excitement that the ‘new and improved’ brings to life. Many of the passersby stayed to watch the process. One even asked if he could meet with Patrice later to learn about fuel briquetting. This is exactly how technology diffusion should take place. The right process can be taught to contacts that EWB makes, and these contacts, trusted by other Murambans, will pass the skills on or form a group to profit from the new skill. Patrice also reported that the vocational school became uninterested in fuel briquetting because the briquettes did not burn. The vocational school was using a sawdust and paper mix, which because of its density burned inadequately. Patrice went further; saying that research into fuel briquettes did not take place only a mimicking of press technology and a using of non-biomass combustible materials. Research could be







fostered at the school through French fuel briquetting documentation, the introduction of a fuel briquetting class at the vocational school, and an update of the tools used at the school. A partner company in the US may be willing to fund the purchase of new tools by the vocational school.

4.5 Potential Fuel Briquetting Research and Support

One obstacle preventing a fuel briquetting cooperative from functioning in Muramba is that the average household stove is not able to use the briquettes. A small stove similar to an insulated tin can test stove could be used, but is small for the purpose of cooking and un-insulated. Alternatively, a screen can be used to raise the briquettes from the ground to allow the chimney effect, though this is still somewhat inefficient. Ideally, one clay stove suitable for both briquettes and firewood could be developed for use in the average home. Along with a stove, a cooperative would require an increase in production beyond what is capable with the spare sawdust material. Experimentation could be done with additional biomass materials to find mix designs with superior burning characteristics such as burn duration, temperature, and smokiness. Increased production would also require additional gathering of biomass materials, increased composting area, and possibly more presses or workers to produce briquettes. Use of the Penagos Hermanos PP7M would facilitate a large increase in capacity for shredding biomass. This biomass shredder was purchased with funds from the WEC Foundation by EWB-UW.

Figure 12. Penagos Hermanos PP7M







Lastly, a fuel briquetting cooperative would require much organization and planning to achieve stability in the market. In order to gain confidence in the use of fuel briquettes as a replacement for firewood, additional research in both the technology and market acceptance of briquettes is necessary. One possibility of market introduction would be to give free initial samples to some potential users. The planning of the cooperative, including how many members are to be included, along with the cost of the briquettes required to sustain the cooperative must be tabulated. Development of fuel briquetting technology is an excellent example of information and knowledge diffusion at work. This technology shows promise as an alternative to the increasingly costly firewood needed for cooking on a day to day basis. Press construction documentation, originally produced by the Legacy Foundation, has been left to vocational school professors after the 2005 implementation trip. For more information, please go to www.legacyfound.org for more information about the Legacy Foundation and fuel briquetting.

5.0 Film Documentary

5.1 Documentary Description and Focus

EWB-UW felt it was important to bring awareness of our mission to our community, to show Muramba, Rwanda to a greater audience, and record our work in the village. This documentary, when complete, will provide a resource to not only our own EWB chapter, but also our University, local, and state communities, and hopefully to our nation as well. The medium of film allows the sounds and images of another culture to take a tangible form. This is something that neither words on a page, nor pictures in a magazine can explain. Working together over the last five years has allowed the Rwanda group at UW-Madison and the Muramban people to interact in a very unique way. Hand-in-hand, technical and environmental information has been relayed back and forth between our two groups. Through our continued commitment to implement appropriate technologies with the support of the village, we will travel back to Muramba whenever we are so able.

5.2 Funding

The Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation granted the documentary film project money for necessary supplies, production travel, and post-production expenses. This very generous gift was very appreciated. The final product will be completed by the beginning of spring 2008. A ten to twenty minute film will then be presented to the WEC Foundation and later will be shown at the EWB-UW 2008 banquet.

5.3 Documentary Utilization



http://www.legacyfound.org/

http://www.legacyfound.org/





It is our desire to bring back to Madison, and more broadly, Wisconsin, the story that represents our environmental collaboration with Muramba. We hope to use this film as an educational as well as a promotional tool. Along with a partnership with the African Studies program at UW-Madison, we hope to show this film to students of the university, as well as grade school students and parents of the local Madison community. As a promotional tool, the film would be shown at annual EWB-UW kick-off meetings to encourage membership. It is also hoped, although this maybe a reach, that the film could be played at international film festivals in Wisconsin as a highlight of the state’s film expertise and international cooperation. With this vision in mind for the film’s many uses, we hope to tell our story of collaboration on issues that regard the local environment as well as the quality of life of the people of Muramba. For more information on the current status of the documentary, please email Jonathan Lee ([email protected]).

6.0 Safety

6.1 Roof Collapse Accident

The roof of the church posed a great problem for the rainwater catchment project. Standing high above the ground, its area was quite large and its cleanliness quite suspect. Roof inspection resulted in the worry that mold, spores, and debris could wash off the roof and into the collection tank via the gutters. After thorough discussion with the priests of the church and Innocent Kambande, the decision was made to clean the roof of the church from one meter before its limit to its end. Many vocational students desired this job since we were willing to pay them for their labor. Father Bernard choose one of the smaller students, Jean Baptiste, to climb the aluminum ladder we purchased in Kigali. One other student would also stand at the bottom, holding the ladder. The next day the job was completed. This relatively small segment of the church’s roof was cleaned very well. The priests then wished after seeing these results to clean the entire roof. Another student was found to help the first in the task, and we decided to go ahead with the larger cleaning job. Innocent Kambande instructed the students to sit on a wood board, and always keep their bodies close to the roof and over the roof joists that could be identified by small bolts protruding in straight lines from the top of the roof to the gutters.









Figure 13. Muramba’s Church with roof cleaners

It was in the afternoon on the next day that Jean Baptiste fell through the roof. One of the roof sections in the middle of the joists had given way, and on it he fell. He descended about 20 feet onto pews in the church, which broke the roof section into many pieces. After driving him to the hospital, we learned that he had broken both wrists, lost three teeth, and cracked his big toe on the left foot.

Figure 13. The Panel Jean Baptiste fell through

Blame should not be placed on any one person or group because many decisions lead to this event. What should be said is that safety must never be overlooked. Precautions should be made for extreme circumstances, and whenever work is to be done, a short safety meeting (tailgate meeting) should be convened at the beginning of every







workday to allow for complete enforcement of all safety measures. Work for the day should never begin without this meeting. Update on Jean Baptiste: Before the team had left Muramba, money had been gathered to donate to him to pay for his vocational school term expenses. As of February 2008, Jean Baptiste was reported to be in good health. His broken bones healed and he was thankful of the support of his family, friends, and EWB after the incident occurred.

6.2 Safety: The Greatest Priority

Safety is the greatest priority for all EWB groups. Beyond all talk about sustainability, appropriate design, travel, or anything else, all groups and affiliates should always be safe during all travel and work. Remember that there is no OSHA in Rwanda. We must act as our own safety inspectors at all times. It is imperative that all members traveling, and all individuals that we work with, stay out of harms way. During the planning of future EWB trips, make safety a much-deliberated point. Look to current OSHA rules and regulations to gain safety knowledge.

7.0 Financing

7.1 Funding Sources

In order for international projects to fulfill its goals, funding must be procured from numerous sources. For this implementation trip, three financial starting points granted our group money to continue our collaborative, volunteer work in Muramba: The Associated Students of Madison, International Rotary Club of Madison, and the Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation. Grants from the Associated Students of Madison covered international travel and travel expenses in-country. In the past, students have paid for international travel. EWB-UW strives for project sustainability and the cost of international travel traditionally has been a very large stumbling block. With this new relationship with ASM, EWB-UW will continue to reduce this project cost at least partially, if not completely. The International Rotary Club of Madison bestowed onto EWB-UW a grant for continued water projects in Muramba. During this implementation trip, we used these available funds to purchase materials for the rainwater catchment and BioSand filter project. The Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation’s gift sponsored the film documentary work in Rwanda. Their award made possible the recording of video and sound that will continue to teach and inspire future students, parents, activists, and both young and old to be the change they wish to see in the world.







Thank you to all our sponsors!

7.2 Simplified Comprehensive Budget

Simplified Comprehensive Budget

Rwandan Francs US DollarsLodging Kigali 320100 $589.47Water and Food 229900 $423.32Transportation 803717 $1344.48Lodging Muramba 795304 $1464Converting Money 106971 $197International Travel 6516000 $12000Water Projects 2139055 $3939.23Film Project* 4887000 $9000

Total 15798047 $28957.50

* Includes International Travel for Two Filmmakers

Detailed budgets can be found in Appendix C of this report.

8.0 Future EWB-UW Involvement

8.1 Lessons Learned and Future Evaluations For the EWB-UW Rwanda group, the trip of 2007 was a learning experiment. This is said due to the fact that the fundamental values of the group were strained and re-examined. Mistakes were made and lessons were learned. The group benefited from the work done in 2007 and believes that future projects will garner better outcomes through the energies of past members. Below is a list of advice assembled for future group members to keep in mind:

1.Involve mentors and faculty advisors to support project implementation and problem solving. 2. Gain financial backing to support projects with material needs. Make sure each project has a budget to work with.3. Keep safety in mind at all times when making decisions.4. Divide the group up into teams working on individual projects. Focus in this way will give better results. However, when posed with a difficult problem group collaboration helps.







5. Always take a detailed assessment trip before an implementation trip. On assessment trips, take data, pictures, quotes, dimensions, etc. Testing data can later be used in grant writing to solidify a project’s viability.6. Think of the vocational school as a construction company, and EWB as the construction managers. 7. Think low-tech, high-impact. High technology is not always the most appropriate technology.8. Leave documentation of technologies in English and French. Maintenance is largely left up to only a couple of village technicians. Leaving documentation will assist them in maintaining the systems.9. Technology diffusion is active in all communities. Remember that the projects stay in Rwanda for all to see, and for curios technicians and students to use, discuss, and emulate. 10. All parties teach and learn together.11. Communication is key. Bring a French interpreter. 12. In the field, bring two-way radios to stay in contact.

8.2 Changes in Project Methodology Turnover can be great in the university setting. Graduation, study abroad, and change in interest from one student organization to the next can all affect group dynamics. For this reason, teams must follow basic plans during each project to gain knowledge of problems in the village and then design solutions to implement. For the project undertaken in July 2007, an assessment trip was not taken. While this was overcome in creative ways, it took away from the overall effectiveness of the project. EWB groups should always make sure to take an assessment trip before an implementation trip. Even if previous trips have been taken to gather data for other projects, make contacts, and implement projects, these individuals of past projects may have moved on to other work. It is necessary to build a group that is not only knowledgeable in a certain engineering, science, or related subject, but also comfortable with the village life, familiar with the contacts, and have traveled to the village to learn, study, and take data relating to the problem at hand.

8.3 Translate the Experience Traveling to Rwanda is a very unique experience. There have only been a few EWB-UW trips to the country, so being part of a team to make the journey is a rare and rewarding opportunity. Our memories shouldn’t be left to ourselves. Take the time to talk with friends and family about the experience. Discuss the problems and solutions. Relate the values of EWB to how we live today. Ask questions, talk about answers. EWB-UW is supported by Wisconsin. Ask friends and family to help support the projects we travel so far to collaborate on. Our collaboration embodies the spirit of the Wisconsin Idea; that education should influence and improve people’s lives beyond the







university classroom. Our education should have no borders. Donations can be made online at www.ewbuw.org/donate.

8.4 Next Phase and Ideas for Projects Exciting progress can still be made in Muramba. Teams arriving back in the US while exhausted are brimming with ideas for the future. Below is a list of ideas for future projects that have been brainstormed or have been realized through community leader roundtables:

A New Road - All groups enter Muramba from the same road, and its inadequacies are obvious. Local leaders feel that the extremely poor road is the major obstacle to further economic development. While a complete overhaul and repaving of the road may be out of the scope of an EWB student group, projects in rock removal and crushing could result in portions of the road being changed into a smoother, compacted-gravel surface. Mentor experience in road construction would be needed.

Stove Design - Fuel briquetting, coupled with better stoves could reduce the amount of air pollution indoors, along with alleviating the need for firewood, which becomes increasingly scarce. Improved stoves may help by cutting family expenses, and creating a healthier living environment in the house. Designs currently being investigated include a clay stove which burns firewood in a more efficient manner with insulation and includes a chimney to vent smoke outdoors. An alternative design is one which uses pyrolysis to gasify biomass before adding oxygen and burning to achieve higher temperatures and efficiencies. This technology would be compatible with both firewood and fuel briquettes.

Biogas Kitchen Funding - The College of the Immaculate Conception currently uses wood to cook the food for the 600 girls who attend. The wood costs them 6,000,000 Rwandan Francs or $11,049.72 per year out of an overall College operating budget of about $60,000, which is about 18.4% of their budget. The installation of a biogas system would cut the expense of wood altogether leaving much more of the operating budget to be used to better the learning experience. The Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has designed and constructed over six of the systems in Rwanda, and no design is needed on the part of EWB-UW. The College has asked only for financial assistance in the project.

Solar Panel Installation, Documentation, and Workshopping - A few solar panels already exist in Muramba. These are primarily used to power a few computers used by the headmaster of the College, the parish priests, and the headmaster of the Saint Maria Goretti Elementary School. Future solar panel installation should include workshops open to those responsible for the panel’s upkeep, and documentation in french to be left with workshop members as a reference. Solar panels can be installed for indoor lighting









of libraries,study areas, and power computers among other uses. The College would greatly benefit because it currently uses a diesel generator to run lights from 6-9 PM every day when classes are in session.

Encouragement of Creativity - One Muramban asked us, “How have you become so creative with your projects?” Looking beyond the actions to the reasons behind our work sparked by this interesting question made our group search for rationale to why we volunteer our time to these projects. One avenue to an answer rests with the need for a creative outlet. Most of EWB-UW’s members are engineers who grew up drawing, constructing, and modeling. Creativity can be encouraged in many ways. With so many children and students in Muramba, encouraging creativity will lead to young adults better prepared to answer problems with innovative, new ideas or change current establishments to work more efficiently. One idea: Legos in the classroom.

Collaboration with the World Changers - The World Changers is a student organization at the CIC. With their own unique ideas to help Muramba, the World Changers and EWB-UW could potentially participate together on great projects. Tutoring or Big Sister programs with the local orphanage are ideas that have been discussed.

Introduction of a Jerry Can Cleaning Program - The largest water quality issue in Muramba resides in ever jerry can. The jerry cans used in Muramba are rarely clean, and while the water from the taps is relatively clean, it becomes polluted when left in a jerry can. Large scale testing of jerry cans should be conducted to identify pathogens. Then, an appropriate solution could be devised. Contacts should be made at UW-Madison for those with pathogen testing experience. Data could later be used in grant writing to acquire funds.

Past Project Assessments - Work on projects continues after the EWB teams depart from the country. We work in collaboration on the projects first design back in the computer labs in Wisconsin. Project construction schedules are longer than the time we have in country. Next phase projects should include assessments and in-country discussions of past projects to those Rwandans who oversee them.

Microfinance - Work with a micro-financing company like FINCA (villagebanking.org) to setup a microloans program in Muramba. Small businesses and entrepreneurs will benefit, and technologies that might flounder without financial assistance may be able to stand on their feet and grow.

Partnership with a Tool Company - The vocational school is in need of new tools. A US tool company may be willing to fund the purchase of new tools as a part of their community outreach.







9.0 Acknowledgements For their contribution and support throughout this endeavor, the project team would like to acknowledge the following individuals: Brad Hotle, Julia Wagner, and John Kenney for their work on fuel briquetting and water filtering; Allison Taylor for her written and conversational French translation; John Lee for his work in project management; Tim Miller for his in-country assessments, guidance, leadership, and friendship; Joe Sacco and Zack Hagan for their video and sound expertise in film documentation; Robert Metcalfe at the University of California at Santa Barbara for water testing equipment; other EWB - UW-Madison students who helped make the trip a reality but were unable to travel to Muramba; Peter Bosscher for inspiring us to change the world one village at a time; Perry Cabot for advising us on rainwater catchment work; Laura Grossenbacher for documentation advising; Muramba Parish and College for food, shelter, and conversation; Jean Paul Basansanga for leading English-Kinyarwanda translation duties; Peter Muligo for driving and country expertise; the vocational school for help on the rainwater catchment, fuel briquetting, and BioSand filter projects, and finally the people of Muramba for welcoming the team with open arms. Final thanks are for our sponsors: Downtown Madison Rotary Club, Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation, The Associated Students of Madison, various private donors, and the University of Wisconsin Madison along with the College of Engineering’s continued support.

10.0 Memorial - Peter Bosscher

“A hero is a man who does what he can.”

Peter Bosscher is a hero. It was his vision, his leadership, and his courage that allowed the Engineers Without Borders student organization at UW-Madison to grow and







thrive. Peter’s positive attitude was infectious. His students loved him, his peers respected him, and the countless people he helped revered him for his good works. In spite of Peter’s untimely passing in 2007, his legacy remains.

Peter’s faith afforded him the courage to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges: lifting communities in Asia, Africa and South America out of crippling poverty, bringing water to people suffering of thirst, bringing hope to the hopeless. His optimistic outlook and love for life touched all those who had the great fortune to work with him. He will not be forgotten, at his home, in the places he worked, in the people he touched.

He had a philosophy of planting seeds, seeds that would blossom into bright leaders, seeds that would grow into righteous living, seeds that would bear fruit for future generations. Peter taught sustainability, for he believed that we all have obligations not only for our own generation, but for many generations to come. It is only fitting that his work is sustained.

What started as a small ripple of hope, a twinkle in Peter’s eye, has manifested itself time and again in the students who worked with him in Engineers Without Borders. From 2004 to 2007, Peter’s commitment to Engineers Without Borders enabled nearly 50 students at UW-Madison to travel the world in an effort to help the world’s poorest communities. Students continue to benefit from the foundation Peter laid as the UW-Madison chapter of Engineers Without Borders continues to expand into other developing communities throughout the world.

It is with the greatest reverence and respect for Peter and his work that we dedicate this project to Peter’s memory. May his light continue to shine, now and forever.







Appendix A Site Assessment Information

A site assessment was performed by Tim Miller in April 2007 below are excepts of the report he submitted to the Rwanda team. Information presented in this report assisted in project design and planning.

Excepts being here:

“Muramba remains a community in need. Despite positive contributions by Engineers Without Borders implementation teams in the past three years, many Murambans still struggle to meet their basic needs on a daily basis. Projects focused on rainwater catchment, solar panel installation, water purification and water supply have proven beneficial to the community, though the extent of these benefits is often limited to a select group of individuals. The community at large, and specifically in the Gatega sector, experience the effects of crushing poverty daily. Future work by EWB teams in Muramba should focus on meeting the needs of the broader community. With the absence of Fr. John Bosco MUSINGUZI, other individuals must handle much of the logistical coordination between Muramba and EWB. I have taken it upon myself to help facilitate EWB-UW’s project implementation during the summer of 2007, but future logistical coordination between EWB teams and Muramba remains uncertain at this time. In May or June of 2007, EWB-CU plans to send a team to Muramba to help define a management structure for future EWB projects. This structure will likely involve leaders from CIC-Muramba, Muramba Parish, and other stakeholders in and around Muramba that will oversee project coordination, though the exact details are to be determined. EWB-Rwanda is also planning its organizational structure and will likely play a critical role in helping to coordinate future projects in Rwanda. It seems that one of the greatest needs in Muramba is securing gainful employment for its residents. In general, people seek to make a living wage. This is difficult in Muramba, which is fairly isolated from outside markets due to poor roads leading to and from the community. The majority of residents engage in subsistence agriculture, though many engage in secondary forms of employment. Morale remains high and people are willing to work, but opportunities for employment are limited. In my opinion, projects aimed at providing additional sources of income to residents or efforts that promote entrepreneurship and small business incubation would be very beneficial to this community. It may be helpful to review past project reports before proceeding with project design and planning. EWB-UW’s 2005 Summary Report and a number of reports from CU-Boulder may help clarify the ongoing need in Muramba. Specifically, the community survey in the EWB-UW 2005 Summary Report provides a good indication of the general need within the community.

2. Potential Projects (for summer 2007)







a. Rainwater Catchment & Playpump Installation at Muramba Parish Church

The goal of this project is to implement a rainwater catchment and storage system at Muramba Parish church. In addition, a playpump may be used to pump water to additional storage units. Similar rainwater harvesting projects have been completed with success at the CIC-Muramba compound and at the St. Charles Lwanga Vocational Training Center. The advantage of putting the playpump and catchment system at the church is that the church is a center for community life, with several thousand residents attending services on Sundays. Many people pass by the church on a daily basis, including children, so the pumping possibility is impressive. The church has a large roof area, so collecting water would be rather easy. Implementing a system here would provide residents with a convenient source of water throughout the week and serve as a model for others to implement at other places of business or residential homes. While catchment and storage systems have been implemented with success, the playpump has not been previously implemented. It is possible that residents of Muramba could install gutters, piping and reservoirs without EWB’s assistance, but only if EWB provides the necessary materials. However, the construction of the playpump should be carried out with residents of Muramba as well as EWB team members. The physical proximity of the church to the existing water tower is an issue, as the structures are separated by about 100m. Ideally, the playpump should be situated as close to the point of collection and storage facility as possible. If water were to be harvested at the church, it may be better to construct or purchase an additional storage reservoir closer to the point of collection or closer to the playpump. Afritank is a primary manufacturer of plastic tanks in Rwanda. The CU-Boulder team should have specifics about purchasing and constructing such a system. Undoubtedly, building or purchasing an additional reservoir will raise project costs, but it may be difficult to retrofit the existing water tower with another input pipe from the playpump. The pumping capacity of the playpump may also limit the distance water can be pumped; the 100m separation distance may push the limits of the playpump system. I have drafted a rough sketch of the church roof in AutoCAD. The geometry of the roof may necessitate installing two reservoirs at separate locations. Further study is needed to determine the number, size, and placement of reservoirs. Additional research is needed to determine the location for the playpump and which reservoirs it will feed. The preliminary drawing can be found on the following page. I will also send this document as an AutoCAD file in .dwg format. A more detailed assessment will be completed at the request of EWB-UW.

b. Fuel Briquetting The fuel briquetting project is currently at a standstill. While the project was initiated in 2005, community members quickly lost interest because they could not develop a good mix design. Good science will drive the project, and other issues such as ownership of capital items (i.e. briquette press, fodder chopper, etc.), location for composting, business incubation and entrepreneurship will manifest only after a







successful mix design is demonstrated. Thus, the critical component of this project is the mix design. The ability to produce briquettes that are a viable alternative to wood as a fuel will lend itself to other facets of the project. If the community recognizes that briquettes are a viable alternative to wood, there will be increased interest in the technology. The briquettes will not be used if they do not burn well, and people will use the briquettes only if they work as well or better than wood.

My initial reaction is to introduce the technology at the vocational school. They have human resources (students) and space available, if needed. The students attending this school are not able to afford other forms of higher education, so they come to this school to get a ‘leg-up’ and practical experience in mechanics, plumbing, carpentry, and so forth. If the students can develop this project more fully, they may empower themselves to start their own small businesses and companies. I think the students at this school would benefit from this project because it encourages a spirit of cooperation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. Some funding may be available through the vocational school as well.

Establishing a fuel briquetting cooperative may also be possible. A number of cooperatives already exist within Muramba, so it may be possible to incorporate fuel briquetting into the fabric of an existing cooperative. However, I think the organization of such a cooperative can only begin once an effective mix design has been produced. The logistics of designing the mix, constructing the press, constructing/operating the fodder chopper and selling the product is streamlined if there is a single entity or group of people to carry out the entire process. The Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) may have access to choppers of different sorts, and the National University of Rwanda - Butare (NUR) has successfully completed community-training workshops in other areas. The success of this project, then, depends on working with KIST and NUR on developing community training workshops for vocational students and cooperatives; establishing a mix design based on available resources such as banana leaves, organic rubbish (potato peelings, banana peels, bean casings, etc); and determining an operational structure for the industry. The possibilities for this project are great, but the community needs sound science and encouragement to develop the project fully.

c. Jerry Can Cleaning and Education Program

Water quality remains an issue for most people in Muramba. While some community members have the means to boil water before consuming, most do not. The preferred method to transport water is by jerry can. Even if water is free of contamination at the source of collection, contamination may occur within the jerry cans. My observation has been that jerry cans are almost always in use, either as transport vessels or storage vessels. Most people, it seems, use whatever containers







are available, including containers other than jerry cans. From the 2005 EWB-UW summary report:

“9 out of 10 households visually evaluate the water to determine if it is suitable for drinking. Water is deemed unsuitable when it appears cloudy or dirty and if foreign particles are present. Only one household boiled all of there drinking water before consumption. Most families are unable to purify their drinking water due to the high cost of cooking fuel.

I don’t believe jerry cans are allowed to dry, because most containers are either storing water or carrying water. The exception may be during the night, when the day’s water supply has been exhausted.

In general, most people understand that poor sanitation and hygiene is important to health and well-being. Even so, the lack of means to purchase soap and fuel to boil water reduces the application of this knowledge. As a result, they do not use them, and over time develop the habit of never using them. Again from the 2005 EWB-UW summary report: “9 out of 10 households usually washed their hands in a plastic bucket with only water. The high cost of soap and other cleaning agents was the main reason why most households could only use water.” I believe children and uneducated people are at the greatest risk of contracting diseases from contaminated water due to a lack of formal education regarding sanitation and hygiene and a great exposure to contaminated sources of water.

I believe there are a few possibilities to mitigate contamination of water by the transport vessel. Each of these ideas would need to be explored further by EWB-UW prior to implementation, in conjunction with EWB-Rwanda. Some ideas are:

• Conduct training seminars at area schools, focusing on hand washing, proper hygiene, and sanitation at water collection points.

• Develop materials to be posted at water collection points. A notice posted at collection points, translated in French and Kinyarwandan, could reiterate the need to clean collection vessels, wash hands, and avoid contact with dirty water.

• Design a system to clean jerry cans and water collection vessels. This could be as simple as putting a scrub brush near each tap stand with a cleaning agent. Arrangements could be made with local authorities to replenish brushes and cleaning agents as needed.

Each of these is a possible solution to the water quality issue. In reality, each of these ideas is likely insufficient as a stand-alone solution. These ideas are not







exhaustive, and other methods for conveying the same idea probably exist and are worth investigating.”

For the report in its full extent please email Jonathan Lee ([email protected]).

Appendix B Data

Water Testing Data

Sample Date, Time

Collection (Tap)

24 Hour Colilert

24 Hour Petrifilm E. coli

ID Collected Location ONPG MUG # Blue & Gas + or -1 7/12/07, 3:30 PM CIC Courtyard Yes - None -2 7/12/07, 3:40 PM CIC Kitchen X - None -3 7/12/07, 3:50 PM Vocational School #1 Yes - 1 Blue & Gas +4 7/14/07, 10:30 AM End of Village #1 Yes No None -5 7/14/07, 10:45 AM End of Village #2 Yes No None -6 7/14/07, 11:10 AM Household Yes No None -7 7/14/07, 11:25 AM Marketplace Yes No None -8 7/14/07, 11:30 AM Cafe Yes No None -9 7/14/07, 12:05 PM Esecom School Yes No None -10 7/14/07, 12:10 PM Esecom Kitchen Yes No None -11 7/14/07, 12:15 PM Esecom Bathroom Yes No None -12 7/14/07, 12:25 PM Lower Village Yes No None -13 7/14/07, 12:38 PM Elementary School Yes No None -14 7/14/07, 12:40 PM Vocational School #2 Yes Yes None -15 7/14/07, 12:43 PM Parish Kitchen Yes No None -16 7/14/07, 12:45 PM Parish Parking Lot Yes Yes None -17 7/14/07, 12:50 PM Parish Courtyard Yes No None -

Appendix C Material Costs & Other Budget Items

Travel Expense Budget

Travel Expense Rwandan Francs US Dollars1. Hotel Castel - Kigali 69000 $127.072. Water 1200 $2.20







3. Fanta 300 $0.554. Food and Drink 19800 $36.465. Water and Fanta 1450 $2.676. Food and Drinks 7850 $14.457. Hotel - Gisenyi 10000 $18.418. Hotel - Gisenyi 10000 $18.419. Hotel Castel 69000 $127.0710. Food, Drink - New Cactus 39400 $72.5511. Taxi - Kigali 84500 $155.6112. Food - Kigali 10000 $18.4113. Transportation - Muramba to Kigali 50000 $92.0814. Hotel Castel - Kigali 25000 $46.0415. Transportation - Kigali 35000 $64.4516. Food - Kigali 4400 $8.1017. Food - Kigali 1400 $2.5718. Food - Kigali 15500 $28.5419. Taxi - Kigali 2000 $3.6820. Gas - Madison 29767 $51.8221. Bus - Gitarama to Kigali 500 $0.9222. Bus - Gitarama to Kigali 500 $0.9223. Bus - Gitarama to Kigali 500 $0.9224. Gas - Kigali 5000 $9.2025. Truck - Kigali to Muramba 30000 $55.2426. Gas - Kigali 40000 $73.6627. Water - Kigali 112500 $207.1828. Transportation 50000 $92.0829. Transportation - Kigali to Muramba 81450 $150.0030. Transportation 50000 $92.0831. Transportation 8000 $14.7332. Parking - Kigali 500 $0.9233. Drinks - Gitarama 4200 $7.7334. Transportation - Kigali to Muramba 40000 $73.6635. Material Transportation to Muramba 194000 $357.27

36, Room & Board - CIC 795304 $1464.0037. Drinks - Kigali 2000 $3.6838. Rooms - Gisenyi 40000 $73.6639. Rooms, Drinks - Gisenyi 28100 $51.7440. Drinks 9900 $18.2341. Transportation to Kigali 30000 $55.24







42. Fee - Traveler’s Checks Purchase 83079 $153.0043. Fee - Change Checks to RWF 11946 $22.0044. Fee - Change Checks to USD 11946 $22.0045. Hotel Castel - Kigali 69000 $127.07

Totals 2183992 $4018.27

Water Project Budget

Expense Rwandan Francs US Dollars1. Hardware - Sofaru 46000 $84.712. Hardware - Sofaru 227400 $418.783. Hardware - Sofaru 43000 $79.184. 10,000L Afritank 736200 $1355.805. Hardware - Home Depot 43858 $80.776. Hardware - Home Depot 6173 $11.377. Hardware - Ace Hardware 5804 $10.698. Hardware - CPQ 283320 $521.76Plastic Drums 170000 $313.0710. Gravel 14000 $25.7811. Stones 50000 $92.0812. Hardware - UC Boulder 12000 $22.0913. Cement 199500 $367.4014. Hardware - CPQ 20400 $37.5615. Wood 12000 $22.0916. Wood 3200 $5.8917. Bricks 15000 $27.6218. Hardware - CPQ 27000 $49.7219. PVC 3000 $5.5220. Labor - Foundation Construction 19000 $34.9921. Labor - Foundation Construction 50000 $92.0822. Material Transportation 7500 $13.8123. Wood 3200 $5.8924. Material Transportation 70000 $128.9125. Hardware - Muhirwa 21500 $39.5926. Labor - Construction Completion 50000 $92.08

Totals 2139055 $3939.23







Muramba Phase III Final, EWB-UW Madison

Documents

Transcript of Muramba Phase III Final, EWB-UW Madison