1
CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KAPEEKA, UGANDA COVE: Children’s Outreach and Vocational Education (COVE) Alliance is a non -profit organization that works to provide social services such as food, shelter, and education to children in the community of Kapeeka, Uganda in order to pro- vide further opportunities for the community’s youth to exit the poverty cycle. RSO: The COVE Alliance Illinois chapter is a registered student organization that serves as a catalyst for spreading awareness, provid- ing support and raising funds for COVE. LINC: The Learning in Community (LINC) program offers the ENG: 315 course, in which students provide meaningful service through conception, devel- opment, and implementation of projects in collaboration with non-profits and community partners to address community needs both locally and internationally BACKGROUND WATER QUALITY Problem Definition: Students learn of the cur- rent water situation on the COVE campus in Uganda, and are informed that the students were falling sick from water-borne illnesses Research Conducted: LINC students create a biosand imple- mentation plan that includes: Extensive research on biosand filters and local filter providers Methods of testing water and appro- priate water testing kit Educational materi- als for the COVE students and staff Deliverables Produced: LINC students and staff visited Uganda to im- plement the biosand filters on COVE Campus. Over the duration of three weeks: Workshops regarding clean water and filter construction were conducted with COVE staff COVE students and staff construct 22 filters for the school and health clinic The LINC team conducts training on filter maintenance and use of water testing kits Community workshop hosted to spread knowledge on the importance of clean water, sanitation and filtration options Problem Definition: Students conduct an initial site assessment of a 50-acre parcel of land that COVE currently owns. COVE stat- ed that the land is currently under-utilized and faces en- croachment from the sur- rounding local population. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Research Conducted: LINC students conduct research on land as- sessment and agriculture: Create digital maps of the agriculture plot Research tree borders and other visible markers to protect land from encroachment Consult with horticulture specialists and local farmers to determine the trees that best serve as a border Deliverables Produced: Students created a plan for agricultural cul- tivation including: Soil quality testing procedures Land-clearing procedures based on con- tact with other NGOs and farmers Types of crops grown in the region with sustainable yields Elevated boxes to enhance crop yield by mitigating the effects of soil erosion and nutrient depletion COVE Alliance Illinois Chapter is organizing a trip to Uganda to com- plete the necessary follow up on the biosand filter implementation dur- ing Summer 2015. Students plan to: Collect quantitative and qualita- tive data of filter effectiveness, wa- ter quality, and current disease rates Host additional educational work- shops for the COVE students and staff Create a case study from the data collected on the trip Begin the land development of a tree border around the agriculture plot Analyze soil quality and terrain of the plot to provide crop recom- mendations Initiate a pilot project involving the elevated box crop plots FUTURE STEPS Presenters: Kris Ramadurai, Mary Rosen- winkel, Kelsey Schreiber, Katie Wiseheart Special thanks to COVE Alliance NGO, Frank Ruder, Valeri Werpetinski and Shikhank Sharma. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Summer 2013 Fall 2013 Spring 2014

CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER … · CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KAPEEKA, UGANDA COVE: Children’s

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    2

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER … · CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KAPEEKA, UGANDA COVE: Children’s

CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVED WATER QUALITY AND

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN KAPEEKA, UGANDA COVE: Children’s Outreach and Vocational Education (COVE) Alliance is a non

-profit organization that works to provide social services such as food, shelter,

and education to children in the community of Kapeeka, Uganda in order to pro-

vide further opportunities for the community’s youth to exit the poverty cycle.

RSO: The COVE Alliance Illinois chapter is

a registered student organization that serves

as a catalyst for spreading awareness, provid-

ing support and raising funds for COVE.

LINC: The Learning in Community (LINC) program offers the ENG: 315

course, in which students provide meaningful service through conception, devel-

opment, and implementation of projects in collaboration with non-profits and

community partners to address community needs both locally and internationally

BACKGROUND

WATER QUALITY

Problem Definition:

Students learn of the cur-

rent water situation on the

COVE campus in Uganda,

and are informed that the

students were falling sick

from water-borne illnesses

Research Conducted:

LINC students create a biosand imple-

mentation plan that includes:

Extensive research on biosand filters

and local filter providers

Methods of testing water and appro-

priate water testing

kit

Educational materi-

als for the COVE

students and staff

Deliverables Produced:

LINC students and staff visited Uganda to im-

plement the biosand filters on COVE Campus.

Over the duration of three weeks:

Workshops regarding clean water and filter

construction were conducted with COVE staff

COVE students and staff construct 22 filters

for the school and health clinic

The LINC team conducts training on filter

maintenance and use of water testing kits

Community workshop hosted to spread

knowledge on the importance of clean water,

sanitation and filtration options

Problem Definition:

Students conduct an initial

site assessment of a 50-acre

parcel of land that COVE

currently owns. COVE stat-

ed that the land is currently

under-utilized and faces en-

croachment from the sur-

rounding local population.

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Research Conducted:

LINC students conduct research on land as-

sessment and agriculture:

Create digital maps of the agriculture plot

Research tree borders and other visible

markers to protect land from encroachment

Consult with horticulture

specialists and local farmers

to determine the trees that

best serve as a border

Deliverables Produced:

Students created a plan for agricultural cul-

tivation including:

Soil quality testing procedures

Land-clearing procedures based on con-

tact with other NGOs and farmers

Types of crops grown in the region with

sustainable yields

Elevated boxes to enhance crop yield by

mitigating the effects of soil erosion and

nutrient

depletion

COVE Alliance Illinois Chapter is

organizing a trip to Uganda to com-

plete the necessary follow up on the

biosand filter implementation dur-

ing Summer 2015. Students plan to:

Collect quantitative and qualita-

tive data of filter effectiveness, wa-

ter quality, and current disease

rates

Host additional educational work-

shops for the COVE students and

staff

Create a case study from the data

collected on the trip

Begin the land development of a

tree border around the agriculture

plot

Analyze soil quality and terrain of

the plot to provide crop recom-

mendations

Initiate a pilot project involving

the elevated box crop plots

FUTURE STEPS

Presenters: Kris Ramadurai, Mary Rosen-

winkel, Kelsey Schreiber, Katie Wiseheart

Special thanks to COVE Alliance NGO,

Frank Ruder, Valeri Werpetinski and

Shikhank Sharma.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Fall 2012 Spring 2013 Summer 2013 Fall 2013 Spring 2014