Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania Partners with the EWB-Portland Profe

ssionals to Expand Sustainable Energy Efforts

Engineers Without Borders Portland Professionals Chapter (EWB) traveled to Lasha
ine Village, Tanzania in June to oversee the expansion of a rainwater harvesting
system and the installation of an expanded solar energy system at Orkeeswa Seco
ndary School, built and operated by the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanza
nia (IEFT). Addition of a second water tank and expansion of the energy system e
nsures there will be enough resources to accommodate the growing student populat
ion.
Northern Tanzania, August 11, 2010 -- Engineers Without Borders Portland Profess
ionals Chapter (EWB) traveled to Lashaine Village, Tanzania in June to oversee t
he expansion of a rainwater harvesting system and the installation of an expande
d solar energy system at Orkeeswa Secondary School, built and operated by the In
digenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT). Addition of a second water tan
k and expansion of the energy system ensures there will be enough resources to a
ccommodate the growing student population.
“It was great to see how all of our efforts over the past year have come to frui
tion,” said Brad Ostapkowicz, EWB travel team member. “You gain a lot of perspec
tive when you are in direct contact with the students who the EWB’s projects are
helping. It also gives us incentive to keep working through the next coming yea
r; knowing the students will be progressing in their studies, in part, due to th
e sustainable sources of water and electricity we helped to provide.”
The 60,000 liter rainwater harvesting system, installed by EWB last year, was in
creased with the addition of another 60,000 liter ferrocement tank. The tanks wi
ll soon be supplemented with a bio sand filter to treat collected rain water, an
d a pipeline to deliver water directly to the school’s kitchen. EWB partnered wi
th Chloride Exide, Ltd. to expand the 160-Watt solar power system Chloride Exide
donated the year before. The school now has a new 1,080-watt solar energy syste
m to power their classrooms, staff offices, and their newly constructed science
lab. There is now enough energy available to power the entire school, as well as
the future library and computer lab. Orkeeswa students are also anxiously await
ing the arrival of new energy efficient computers that they will be able to use
on a daily basis.
“The most amazing part of the trip was driving around the villages, meeting the
students’ families and seeing their home life,” said Ada Banasik, programs coord
inator for IEFT and EWB travel team member. “As engineers, we of course enjoy se
eing our designs implemented, but the hospitality and warm smiles of the Orkeesw
a students, their families and literally thousands of village children that seem
to spill out of the bush wherever we show up is unforgettable and makes the cou
ntless hours of design work, report writing and fundraising that made this proje
ct possible so rewarding. Thank you Lashaine!”
IEFT is dedicated to providing affordable secondary education to underprivileged
indigenous children in rural Tanzania. They have made it a priority to create a
reliable and sustainable infrastructure at Orkeeswa School; understanding that
students’ ability to attend school depends on the availability of a reliable and
safe source of potable water and a renewable source of energy. Rainwater is the
only source of water available to the Lashaine Village, prior to the installati
on of the new tanks the school was collecting rainwater in small plastic tanks p
ositioned under the roof downspouts. The volume of the plastic tanks, however, w
as insufficient to last through the entire dry season and the school was forced
to truck in water from neighboring areas, diverting funds away from the school’s
budget.
IEFT opened Orkeeswa Scondary School in April of 2008. The first 40 students tha
t were enrolled in English-immersion classes have nearly completed their Form II
(sophomore) courses and an addition of 40 more students each year has begun Eng
lish-immersion classes. IEFT plans on expanding school facilities and accepting
additional classes until they have reached the full build-out in 2013.
For additional information about IEFT or the EWB-IEFT Partnership, please visit
the IEFT Web site at www.ieftz.org, or the EWB Web site at www.ewbportland.org/t
anzania. If you are interested in joining the team, sharing similar design/const
ruction experiences or assisting with obtaining the funds necessary to complete
this project, please send an e-mail to tanzania@ewbportland.org.
About the Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT)
The Indigenous Education Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit co
mmunity-collaborative organization that provides quality, affordable secondary e
ducation to underserved indigenous children in rural Tanzania. IEFT empowers chi
ldren to positively transform their lives, improve their communities and break t
he cycle of extreme poverty, while working to preserve their culture and traditi
ons. Through the development of Orkeeswa Secondary School in Lashaine Village, I
EFT provides secondary education to children who have no hope of continuing thei
r education past primary school. The opportunity to receive further education is
the key to escaping extreme poverty for students and their families. www.ieftz.
org.
About the Portland Chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA)
The Portland Chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) is a group of pr
ofessionals committed to volunteering in support of the EWB-USA mission and visi
on. EWB-USA partners with developing communities to improve their quality of lif
e through the implementation of environmentally sustainable, equitable, and econ
omical engineering projects while developing internationally responsible enginee
rs and engineering students. We welcome all professionals, of any variety, to vo
lunteer on EWB-USA sponsored projects. www.ewbportland.org.
Contact:
Jenna Stenderup
Olive PR Solutions
350 West Ash St. #103
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 955-5285
jenna@oliveprsolutions.com
http://www.ieftz.org