Mali ServiceLearning

MaliRural lighting, stoves, clean water, power, and health: 

Dr. Mark Bryden, Nathan Johnson Iowa State University Mali Rural lighting, stoves, clean water, power, and health

Project Details: 

Project Details Director Dr. Mark Bryden, Interim Chair and Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering Assistant Director Nathan Johnson, PhD Candidate Mechanical Engineering Location: Nana Keneiba, 90 miles SW of Bamako, Mali Project involvement: four years; 3-4 trips per year Length of excursion: 2-4 weeks; months if project requires Cost per individual: $2,800 - $3,500 (airfare ~$2,000)

Site Location: 

Site Location Image courtesy of Google Earth

Conditions in Nana Keneiba: 

Conditions in Nana Keneiba Rural; 8000+ in primary site location; subsistence farming Public health is central issue for welfare Illness transferred via food, water (worms); insects (malaria) Lack of latrines Personal hygiene (unclean hands / clothes, no shoes, dental care, infections) Gender disparity; little opportunity for children; education

People and Living: 

People and Living

Current Projects: 

Current Projects Collaboration with Medicine for Mali, Inc. Dr. Steve DeVore, D.O., FAAFP; Des Moines University Clean water, food preservation Household lighting Stoves Brick building Micro-hydro facility Medical facility; training center Communication

The Basics: Clean Water/Food: 

The Basics: Clean Water/Food Disease & illness prevent work in fields, sole means for food and primary occupation Deep wells access clean water; pumps with solar energy Maintenance of towers, piping, values, solar panels De-worming medication Making refrigeration a reality

Household Lighting: 

Household Lighting Need for household lighting Coal / wood indoor fires most of night; toxic CO release Deadly snakes enter at night Evening education Students developed four alternative designs in coursework; implementation and testing this spring, adaptation LED clusters powered by thermopiles / solar energy

Stoves: 

Stoves Indoor / outdoor cooking Wood for food; charcoal for warming tea Inefficient charcoal production, ship to cities, trees not replaced Replace three-stone fires with stoves over next 9-12 months Test and adapt methods; revisit

Brick Building: 

Brick Building Buildings repaired every few months; stronger bricks and construction needed Available materials (plastic bottles, sand, clay, ...); build bottle shredder and brick press; test composition

Micro-hydro Facility: 

Micro-hydro Facility Potential to generate nominal 25 kW for 8 months of year Provide electricity to school, regional hospital, wood mill, and international training center for medical doctors Second phase of planning; gathering final flow rates, establishing supply chain, outline civil works, turbine / generator sizing, power storage capabilities

Hospital and Medical Training: 

Hospital and Medical Training Provide technical support for doctor needs Adapt Western technologies for use with available power supply and frequency Design energy systems for heating and cooling of buildings / living space Efficient refrigeration for storing vaccines and other perishable medical supplies

Information and Communications Technology: 

Information and Communications Technology Establish wireless communication using N-band technology and repeaters to nearest town Build reliable, low-power use computers for school education and medical assessment support Data processing and compression for transmitting medical imagery with limited bandwidth Retrieval of weather information for crop care and modification of flow in hydro-electric facility

Service as Education: 

Service as Education Study abroad program for 6 students at Iowa State University 3-week experience, applies as credit towards graduation Solution formulation and decision-making to meet basic needs Engineering problem solving in diverse cultural, natural environment Interact with professors from multiple disciplines Collaboration with university in Bamako Intercultural dialogue; technical development and advancement Students / professors on the ground year-long to evaluate methods Promotion of service learning, student exchange; program growth Discussion and problem solving / status via Wiki and online videos

Future Outlook and Development: 

Future Outlook and Development Test lighting and stove solutions Develop supply chain for hydro facility equipment, contractors Establish maintenance program for clean water systems Examine potential for agricultural improvement, sustainability Assist medical doctors with technical needs Installation of wireless communication Examine social / cultural impacts of technical advancement

Questions and Interest?: 

Questions and Interest? Please contact Nathan Johnson with questions atlas@iastate.edu (515) 294-5311 or check out the website: www.vrac.iastate.edu/~kmbryden/studyabroad