h[u]man change - volunteering project

Two students and the dream to change the world! Help us bringing potable water access, electricity access - with the help of renewable energies - and to promote an environmental sustainability to Lukwambe village.

We have met the NGO NGERIV, who inspired us even more to pursue our willing of making a positive impact. NGERIV was created and maintained by the community. Remmy, the founder, has dedicated his life developing the village.We want to change the lives of about 300 villagers, providing them the right access to healthy food, electricity and education. The school (that was recently built) and the ECO Camp (where volunteers who work with the NGO live), need electricity. The current village deforestation is an alarming state. We felt an immediate empathy with Remmy, because we share the same sustainability and development principles and we want so much to help them. We have understood the needs of the village, and we know that we are able to solve them with our engineering and environmental sustainability knowledge.

What we want to do: implement a power grid in the ECO Camp and school, using photovoltaic panels; implement a English school library with donated books that we will bring; plant trees and vegetables seeds. Our aim is also to have meetings with the population of the village, to explain the importance of water treatment, varied diet and caution with sexually transmitted diseases.

We share some parts of the first correspondence that Remmy sent us: "(...) there are no well, no electricity. We are facing: excessive cutting of trees for charcoal production and wood; overgrazing; intensive hunting; unsustainable agriculture; river pollution. (...) Lukwambe village is about 17km from the electricity grid. I think the only way that could solve this problem is the installation of solar energy, that would help our school, the ECO camp and households. I really need you to support my work. Renewable energy is an important tool for the Lukwambe village liberation. (...)"

About the author

Ana Catarina Foles - I'm 22 years old and live in Pinhal Novo, Palmela. My father is a physical and chemistry teacher, and that is why I had an early interest in engineering. I’ve got a Renewable Energy Engineering bachelor, at the University of Évora and what leaded me to design this project was the desire to show my soul, providing moments of happiness to others. I believe that a positive action as this causes a succession of much more of that kind. The air we breathe should be as real to me as to everyone else’s. My mission in life is to share my knowledge. Last year I've done volunteering at Casa Pia de Évora, as an education helper to disadvantaged children.

Liliana Gomes - I'm 19 years old, and coming from a family of farmers, I've always felt the need to understand the connection between man and nature. I've found in Renewable Energy Engineering the way to understand the world around me, because understanding the different forms of energy is to understand how the world expresses. I think that making a change and a positive impact in the world begins in a personal level, and I can't imagine a more productive scenario as an unknown and challenging environment. I also believe that we must do everything we can to improve the lives of those around us, using the tools around us. As a volunteer experience, I’ve participated in the rehabilitation of Óbidos lagoon.

Budget and due dates

After contacting Remmy, we got the information from the area of the village and geographical distances, and so it was possible to design the photovoltaic system, that will produce electricity. In order to promote sustainable agriculture, our thought is to buy vegetables seeds and trees. The entire budget was based on the Tanzanian economy.

894€ - The electricity needed to the village involves the use of two 150 W photovoltaic panels, 7 meters of electric cables, a gel battery, a charge controller and 5 40W LED lamps.

100€ - To promote the sustainable agriculture, we want to create a database of vegetable seeds and trees, an incubator that guarantees the independence of the village, leaving the need to import them.

Total: 994€
x 5% + 23% of the 5% = 1,055.13€

Images

Documents

• Esquema de princípio da bombagem de água do rio Ngerengere.

  pdf • 34.25 KB

• Esquema de implementação de electricidade na escola e no ECO camp.

  pdf • 25.59 KB

• Demonstração do trabalho ao nível ambiental - plantação de árvores e sementes hortículas.

  pdf • 31.76 KB

• Remmy desenhou-nos o mapa da vila Lukwambe.

  pdf • 92.29 KB