Gashora Irrigation Project
1. GTIA (Global Team for Irrigation in Africa)
Background:
The GTIA Irrigation Project is a global collaboration between students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, USA and students at the National University of Rwanda in Butare, Rwanda. Students are designing an irrigation system for a rural farm in the Bugesera region to increase crop output. The objective is to design a system that is both sustainable and economically feasible.
Mission Statement:
The mission of GTIA’s project is to “develop an agricultural irrigation system to aid in reducing poverty in the Gashora Sector of Rwanda using environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable design practices.
Background:
The GTIA Irrigation Project is a global collaboration between students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, USA and students at the National University of Rwanda in Butare, Rwanda. Students are designing an irrigation system for a rural farm in the Bugesera region to increase crop output. The objective is to design a system that is both sustainable and economically feasible.
Mission Statement:
The mission of GTIA’s project is to “develop an agricultural irrigation system to aid in reducing poverty in the Gashora Sector of Rwanda using environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable design practices.
2. Gashora Girls Academy
Background:
Information Source: Rwanda Girls Initiativee
Although Rwanda is making great strides towards meeting the Millenium Development Goals for gender equity in primary education, only 13% of girls go onto secondary education. There are many challenges impeding their path. Crushing amounts of chores, lack of money for school fees, lack of sanitary napkins and separate bathrooms, teenage pregnancy and marriage, fear of sexual assault en route to school…these are some of the many reasons that girls in Rwanda drop out of school during adolescence at a much higher rate than boys or if they remain in school, perform poorly.
Rwanda Girls Initiative, believing education is a right and not a privilege, is dedicated to the education and success of girls. There is irrefutable evidence supporting the positive impact educating girls has on alleviating poverty, accelerating a community’s development, decreasing infant mortality, decreasing HIV/AIDS transmission, population reduction and increasing the level of education of her children.
Rwanda, a small country in central eastern Africa, is uniquely positioned to become a model for the rest of the continent. With their focus on gender equality at the top levels of government (highest percentage of women in Parliament of any country in the world) and programs like the Girls Education Initiatives at the Ministry of Education level, Rwanda sits poised to be a continent-wide example of the power of educating girls and empowering women. Through support of infrastructure and a focus on increasing the number of girls receiving a secondary education, there will be a measurable improvement in women’s potential opportunities and self determination, in turn significantly raising the annual per capita income.
Mission Statement:
Design and implement an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable irrigation and associated power generation system for the Gashora Girls Academy that will aid in its agricultural production and education and will be a living laboratory for development for the region.
Background:
Information Source: Rwanda Girls Initiativee
Although Rwanda is making great strides towards meeting the Millenium Development Goals for gender equity in primary education, only 13% of girls go onto secondary education. There are many challenges impeding their path. Crushing amounts of chores, lack of money for school fees, lack of sanitary napkins and separate bathrooms, teenage pregnancy and marriage, fear of sexual assault en route to school…these are some of the many reasons that girls in Rwanda drop out of school during adolescence at a much higher rate than boys or if they remain in school, perform poorly.
Rwanda Girls Initiative, believing education is a right and not a privilege, is dedicated to the education and success of girls. There is irrefutable evidence supporting the positive impact educating girls has on alleviating poverty, accelerating a community’s development, decreasing infant mortality, decreasing HIV/AIDS transmission, population reduction and increasing the level of education of her children.
Rwanda, a small country in central eastern Africa, is uniquely positioned to become a model for the rest of the continent. With their focus on gender equality at the top levels of government (highest percentage of women in Parliament of any country in the world) and programs like the Girls Education Initiatives at the Ministry of Education level, Rwanda sits poised to be a continent-wide example of the power of educating girls and empowering women. Through support of infrastructure and a focus on increasing the number of girls receiving a secondary education, there will be a measurable improvement in women’s potential opportunities and self determination, in turn significantly raising the annual per capita income.
Mission Statement:
Design and implement an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable irrigation and associated power generation system for the Gashora Girls Academy that will aid in its agricultural production and education and will be a living laboratory for development for the region.