This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Canada-Africa Innovation Fellowship (CAIF), a program organized by Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada in collaboration with Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST). The experience was transformative, as it not only enhanced my engineering skills but also deepened my understanding of how to apply these skills to solve real-world problems in a sustainable and community-centric manner.
EWB Canada’s mission is to “engineer an equitable and sustainable future for marginalized people and the planet,” and this ethos was woven into every aspect of the fellowship. Throughout the 12-week program, our work focused on developing innovative solutions aimed at improving the lives of underserved populations, with a particular emphasis on sustainability and user-driven design.
Our Project: Designing a Cost-Effective Biodigester
During the fellowship, I collaborated with an amazing team of innovators, including Louise Foglia, Elena Sales, Mugabe Fortunate, Benjamin Pyun, and myself to tackle one of the most pressing environmental and social challenges: access to clean energy. Together, we developed a small-scale biodigester specifically designed for low-income households. This biodigester, priced at only 600,000 UGX (163.36 USD), offers a much cheaper alternative to traditional systems, making it accessible to families who rely heavily on firewood for cooking.
The biodigester we created can provide about 20-40 minutes of clean cooking gas daily and produce 1-2 tons of bio-slurry per year, a nutrient-rich fertilizer that can significantly improve agricultural productivity. This not only helps reduce the over-reliance on firewood—which is a leading cause of deforestation and carbon emissions in Uganda—but also contributes to more sustainable agricultural practices by enriching soils.
One of our major accomplishments was ensuring the biodigester could be easily adopted by the community. To achieve this, we developed a comprehensive user manual, available in English and Runyankole, which walks users through the process of building and maintaining their own biodigesters. This empowers families to take charge of their energy production and promotes the widespread adoption of clean energy technologies in rural areas.
Key Takeaways from the Fellowship
Innovation for Impact:
The fellowship reinforced my belief that engineering innovation can have a profound social and environmental impact. Through research, user interviews, and testing, we were able to design a solution that addresses multiple challenges at once—energy poverty, deforestation, and food security.Community Engagement:
One of the most rewarding aspects of the program was the close interaction with the local community. By engaging directly with the end-users, we gained a deeper understanding of their needs and challenges, allowing us to create a product that is truly relevant and practical. This experience underscored the importance of human-centered design in engineering solutions.Collaboration and Diversity:
Working with a diverse and talented team from various backgrounds—both technical and cultural—was an incredible experience. Our collaboration fostered creativity and brought different perspectives to the table, enhancing our problem-solving capabilities and ensuring that our solution was robust and inclusive.
How This Project Can Benefit Refugee Communities
Refugee populations, particularly in Uganda, often face energy poverty and depend on unsustainable sources of fuel like firewood. As a refugee myself, I am deeply aware of the challenges faced by displaced communities when it comes to energy access. The biodigester we developed during the fellowship can play a crucial role in improving the lives of refugees by providing them with an affordable, sustainable, and independent energy source.
This system offers refugees the ability to generate clean cooking gas from organic waste, reducing their reliance on firewood and decreasing the time spent collecting it, which is often a dangerous task. Additionally, the bio-slurry produced can be used to start small-scale farming initiatives, contributing to food security and providing an additional source of income. These advantages make the biodigester an ideal solution for refugee camps, where sustainable development solutions are critical.
Final Thoughts
Participating in the Canada-Africa Innovation Fellowship with EWB Canada was a life-changing experience. From the hands-on development of an impactful project to the community engagement and teamwork, this fellowship reminded me of the power of engineering to drive meaningful change. I am incredibly proud of what our team achieved, and I’m excited to see how our project can continue to benefit low-income households and refugee communities in the future.
A special thank you to Mbarara University for its global partnership with international orgnisations that bring liofe chaning opportunities to its students including myself, Herbert Kisara, and Kuyeso Rogers for their invaluable guidance throughout the process. This was an experience I will carry with me as I continue my work in sustainability and social impact engineering.