Summer 2022 Implementation - EWB CU is finally headed back to Rwanda!

 Muraho friends of EWB CU Rwanda!

This is Megan, updating the blog a little more than 2 weeks before we leave for Rwanda for the implementation of our team's seventh rainwater catchment system. A lot has happened since our last post in Summer 2019 (Covid, remote implementation at Gasiza, system upgrades, etc.), so it feels appropriate to write an update before we embark on our upcoming adventure.

Our team this year consists of four students and one professional mentor: myself (current Project Manager and Chapter Vice President), Jack (PM in 2021), Catherine (our team's treasurer), Aria (a newish, but very enthusiastic, team member), and Travis (our professional mentor who works as an engineer and has traveled with the team several times before). We will be setting out to build the team's seventh rainwater catchment system - preceded by Munini, Nyarutosho, Ntarama, Gasebaya, Kibaya, and Gasiza. We'll also be visiting these past systems to evaluate their performance and speak with community members who use them.

Covid-19 has certainly been a major challenge for the team, and we're excited to finally be able to travel again. I joined the team during the remote implementation of Gasiza in Fall 2020, and the struggles of remote, international communication put a lot of stress on us. Like many other clubs, we dealt with substantial turnover and decline in membership, which has been a setback to say the least. I'm excited to have the travel aspect of EWB back and to rekindle relationships with members of the community. It still blows my mind that I'll actually get to meet the people I've been on so many Zoom calls with over the past two years in person!

Pre-Travel Column Progress

Construction started with site clearing about two weeks ago, and so far everything is going smoothly. It's really helpful to have masons and other workers who have built a similar system in the past because they are familiar with our design and easy to work with. Columns have been constructed, and hopefully the tanks will arrive before we do so that we can complete the plumbing and roofing of the system while we're in-country.

Jack and Aria mixing concrete!

Our team has been doing our best to prepare for implementation, not only with required paperwork, but also by spending time together in preparation. We have attended a concrete mixing workshop and watched Hotel Rwanda together in the past few weeks, which have given us the opportunity to get to know each other better and think about the ethical implications of our work. 

Before we get going, I also wanted to take a moment to thank and acknowledge everyone who has helped us along the way. Thanks to everyone on our team, past and present, who has helped work on the project, to all of our generous donors who have helped to fund the trip, and to our incredible community partners at DRD who have supported preparations and been a voice and advocate for the community (thanks Jean!). Thanks also to our friends on the Guatemala team who have shared their wisdom with us, and our past team members who haven given us insights into what it's like to travel to Rwanda with EWB.

That's all folks! Stay tuned for daily-ish blog posts starting when we leave for Rwanda on July 22!

Much love,
Megan