Karmyn Schneider and Bob Campbell (Public Health) teamed with Danny Berghoff (Geographic Information Systems) and ONDA Sanitation and Environment Director Fuseini Munumi and NSP member Frederick Van de Panisha to augment work started by the GSC in 2011 to identify boreholes (water wells), map their location and test the quality of the water for bacteria and other pollutants. Team members will continue to work remotely with Mr. Munumi, sending testing equipment and assisting in data management, as he expands upon their data collection and analysis methodology over the summer and into next year. In collaboration with Mr. Munumi, the students have identified significant potential areas for future public health research and intervention.

Adam Sauer (Electrical Engineering) and Natalie McClaine (Environmental Sciences) continued work began in 2011, and expanded in 2012 by Adam and local electrician Augustine Yeboah, to explore the use of “biogas” –naturally occurring methane gas created through decomposing food scraps, animal and human waste, among other organic products— as an alternative cooking fuel source for homes in the district. The biogas team sought to source local materials and to improve designs to increase cost effectiveness.  After realizing the difficulties of many subsistence farmers to (1) make the initial investment for the necessary materials, and (2) to properly maintain the correct chemical and bacterial levels in small scale digesters, Adam and Natalie recommend that a larger biogas facility operated by a trained team would be the best option for sustainable development, and have found several organizations in-country that are currently working on similar goals.

Check out a video Adam made about Ghana Sustainable Change and the Biogas Project here