#Do_Good – Page 4 – Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity

July 8, 2021August 12, 2021

Clyde Valentín : Conversations about Community and Resilience

In this episode of The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast, Clyde Valentín tells us how creativity can be used to tell stories and empower people to make their own culture.

Clyde Valentín was born and raised in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. He is the Co-founder and former Executive Director of Hi-ARTS (formerly known as the Hip-Hop Theater Festival). He is the inaugural Director of Ignite/Arts Dallas: People, Purpose + Place the community engagement initiative at SMU Meadows School of the Arts. The mission of Ignite/Arts Dallas is to challenge the imaginations of students and citizens to envision more just and vibrant communities through art and culture experiences. Clyde was a 2015 Community + Culture Fellow of the National Arts Strategies’ Chief Executive Program.

Valentín is an advisory committee member of the Latinx Theater Commons and has served as a consultant or panelist for numerous national arts organizations including Creative Capital, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP), YouthSpeaks/Brave New Voices, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Theater Communications Group (TCG), the National Association of Latino Arts & Culture (NALAC), the National Performance Network (NPN) and AlternateROOTS. He most recently joined the Local Advisory Board for Year-Up DFW and the Board of Texans for the Arts, the statewide advocacy organization for public funding in the Arts in Texas.

Clyde says, “Although I had that living memory as a native Brooklynite, I also was able to ride the wave of that creative growth.”

What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?

The Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers Podcast shares the stories of innovative social leaders and the resilient communities that have shaped them. The series explores guests’ personal experiences with social issues ranging from inequity in the arts and school segregation to climate change and police violence. Through conversations with these agents of change, listeners gain insight into the history of these matters and discover how we as a global community can work to correct them. Follow us on SoundCloud at Hunt Sages & Seekers Podcast.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

July 8, 2021July 8, 2021

Cross-Sector Collaboration for a More ‘Just’ Justice System

Anna M. Clark is a fellow of the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium — Anna Clark, Hunt Institute Fellow and the co-founder of the Inclusive Economy Consortium, wrote this post in response to the June ImpactNights™ event

The Hunt Institute, in partnership with the Inclusive Economy Consortium, dedicated its final ImpactNights™ program of the academic year June 17, 2021, to “Freedom Day” with an expert-led look at the obstructions in our justice system that hinder economic freedom for a significant number of black and brown Americans. With the highest incarceration rate in the world, the U.S. penal system creates barriers to economic inclusion for entire families. While making Juneteenth a national holiday represents progress, America cannot achieve an inclusive economy until it puts more justice into our criminal legal system.

The economic ramifications of mass incarceration are substantial. In the U.S., one in two adults has had a family member who is or has been incarcerated, and jail and prison populations have quadrupled since 1980. This represents the highest incarceration rate not only in any Western democracy but also in the world. The U.S. incarceration rate is also highly unequal, with men of color disproportionately represented, and most of them being poor. Families of incarcerated people also suffer significant economic hardships and risk not being able to meet basic needs, which can result in homelessness.

The cascade of harmful economic and societal consequences of incarceration on communities of color is undeniable and rising. According to 2009 data, almost 70 percent of black men who did not finish high school had been imprisoned at some point before age 30, in contrast with 14.7 percent in 1979. Even as incarceration rates climb, increasing evidence is coming to light that not all who are incarcerated deserve to be, and that even once released, returning citizens experience permanent punishment due to the many collateral consequences of incarceration. Such facts are indicative of systemic problems in our criminal legal system that can only be resolved through committed action across sectors.

Justice is a communal effort. To this end, we invited Yulise Waters, Deputy Director of Lone Star Justice Alliance and Hunt Institute Fellow, to facilitate a cross-sector conversation with committed voices for justice. Sharing insights and experiences from their varied perspectives, panelists included Richard Miles, the executive director of Miles of Freedom, which he founded after being exonerated from a wrongful conviction that led to spending 15 years in prison; Tiara Cooper, a LIVE FREE Texas organizer with FAITH IN TEXAS; and Brent Reaves, the president of Smokey John’s, Inc. and an advocate for private-sector leadership on this issue. Click here to watch the program.

For information about ways you can help bring about transformative justice in America, get in touch with one or more of these organizations:

• LONE STAR JUSTICE ALLIANCE, a nonprofit legal organization that improves the lives of youth and emerging adults in the justice system. Contact Yulise Waters: ywaters@lsja.org

• FAITH IN TEXAS, a nonpartisan, multi-racial, multi-faith grassroots movement of people united in values working together to achieve economic, racial, and social justice for all people. Contact Tiara Cooper: tcooper@faithintx.org

• MILES OF FREEDOM, a non-profit organization whose programs support re-entry and rehabilitation for incarcerated people and youth mentoring programs. Contact Richard Miles: richardmilesmof@gmail.com

• Smokey John’s BBQ, a family-owned restaurant committed to faith, mercy, community, and great food. Contact Brent Reaves: brent@smokeyjohns.com

Special thanks to Yulise Reaves Waters, Esq. for her contributions to this post.

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ImpactNights™ is the physical manifestation of the Inclusive Economy Consortium where we connect, share, and act. This event is about like-minded people coming together to share experiences and knowledge from the local, national, and international community within the Consortium to share their best practices and expertise. Monthly discussions are around pressing social issues facing our society. All of this is designed to get collective action for a more inclusive economy. Follow us on Eventbrite to be the first to know when event details are published so you can register to join the conversation.

This event is generously sponsored by Target Corporation and hosted by the Inclusive Economy Consortium, an initiative of Hunter & Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering & Humanity located in Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University.

Mark your calendars to join us in the Fall of 2021 to be a part of the conversation to CONNECT – SHARE – ACT!

June 29, 2021February 16, 2022

Valecia Harris, Hunt Institute Social Enterprise Graduate Program Consultant & Manager

Valecia Harris is an MBA candidate at Southern Methodist University in the Cox School of Business, specializing in Strategy and Entrepreneurship. She serves as President of the Graduate Entrepreneurship Club, Vice President of Program Development for Graduate Women in Business Club, and Vice President of Consulting Club Online Master of Business Administration (OMBA) Engagement. She also serves as a member of the Energy Club and a member of the Student Honor Council. Valecia has been recognized as an award recipient for the Cox Legacy and Cox Dean’s Circle Business Leadership Center.

Valecia has 19 years of experience in the captive lending financial service industry. She held several leadership roles at GM Financial Services where she advanced to Assistant Vice President overseeing dealer compliance operations. Her latter position included aligning strategic priorities with the company’s core values while mitigating risk. Valecia was part of several social and rewards and recognition initiatives at GM Financial, such as being a member of the first Diversity and Inclusion Council, implementing corporate initiatives for rewards and recognition employee programs, and performance enhancement development. Valecia’s career has pivoted into the entrepreneurship field. She is a new business owner of a faith-based direct-to-consumer retail business that focuses on fashion and lifestyle products. She was selected as a 2021 finalist for the Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation for her extensive leadership skills, contribution, and commitment to supporting the Texas entrepreneurship ecosystem.

At the Hunt Institute, Valecia is the graduate Program Consultant and Manager for the Social Enterprise (SE) program, where she works to develop and scale SE in order to address key barriers faced by early-stage social entrepreneurs, including capacity constraints and a need for strategic guidance, by connecting social entrepreneurs to critical resources.

When asked why Valecia was drawn to the Hunt Institute she responded, “What drew me to the Hunt Institute is the amount of work invested in supporting social entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial initiatives that create, inspire, and influence sustainable and inclusive economic development. I am excited to be part of a team where I can lend my knowledge and experience in developing strategies and supporting innovative solutions that generate transformational impact.”

June 28, 2021August 12, 2021

Alia Salem: Conversations about Community and Resilience

In this episode of the Hunt Institute Sages & Seekers podcast, Alia Salem emphasizes the importance of connecting with one’s community and beyond. For Salem, the only way to enact change and fight injustice is by supporting movements that are different from our own. Listen to this podcast to learn how we as a global community can work together to solve issues that can’t be solved in silos.

Alia Salem is the Founder and Executive Director of FACE (Facing Abuse in Community Environments). Her professional background is in organizational development, community organizing, and communications with a particular focus on the intersections of institutionalized racism and the push towards an equitable pluralistic society. She also has a certification in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA).

Alia is a co-founder of the Palestine Action Committee of Texas and an active board member with both the Dallas Peace and Justice Center and the North Texas Fair Housing Center. She is a proud 2019 Roddenberry Fellow and a Dallas Public Voices Fellow with The OpEd Project. Alia is the former Executive Director for the DFW Chapter of CAIR and is a 14-year veteran of community work within the broader DFW metroplex. She is a published writer and public speaker, and her work has been featured on most major media outlets globally. She is a graduate of UT Arlington with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with her three focuses of study being in Communications, Sociology, and Religion/Culture.

Alia Salem says, “I’ve always had a propensity to [a] serve, but also [b] to do so in a way that kind of fills a void and contributes my skillsets for the broader good, for the greater good.”

What is Hunt Sages & Seekers?

June 21, 2021February 16, 2022

HunTalks: The Gambia Energy Project

Mohammed Njie has a mission to bring clean energy to The Gambia. Since his first day at the Hunt Institute, he has been working to make this vision a reality. Mohammed is a senior at Southern Methodist University double majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Lyle School of Engineering. He was the first Student Social Entrepreneur in the history of the Hunt Institute Social Enterprise program. He is recognized as a Grand Challenges Scholar, winner of SMU’s Big Ideas, and is also part of the SMU Incubator. Mohammed was born and raised in The Gambia in West Africa. After graduating high school, he constructed his first electric car. His childhood helped solidify his life mission from a young age: helping to close the energy gap between the Global North and South, starting in The Gambia.

The limited energy sector in The Gambia leaves the majority of the country’s population in need of electricity. The demand for energy in the Gambia far exceeds the available supply. For more than three decades, the national utility company NAWEC has struggled to meet the ever-growing demand. Of the 48% of Gambia’s population that has access to electricity, they experience frequent blackouts because the supply is unreliable. The Gambia has one of the highest energy production costs, not only in Africa, but in the whole world ($0.32/KWh). The high costs are mainly due to the importation of expensive diesel that is used as fuel for generators by the national utility company. The rest of the 52% of the population do not have access to a grid that supplies energy, resulting in no access to electricity. This leaves two categories of customers in the Gambian electricity market: (1) Urban Gambians with unreliable access to electricity and expensive tariffs, and (2) Rural Gambians with no access to electricity at all.

Mohammed discusses his motivation, saying, “Energy infrastructure is at the foundation of economic, environmental, and social growth. The Gambia, the smallest country in Africa, lacks this essential infrastructure but has the desire and resources to support it. Janta is the solution that will bring clean, reliable energy to the Gambia to facilitate the country’s growth and development. The need for energy in The Gambia is necessary now more than ever given the effects of climate change on agriculture, the country’s most important industry. This makes our venture a necessary and worthy cause.”

In this edition of HunTalks™, Mohammed shares his journey to make this vision a reality as a student employee in the Institute. Click on the video above to hear him share about his colleagues in the Institute and how they have contributed to his success.

Previous posts about Mohammed Njie:

December 15, 2019: “2019 Social Enterprise Cohort”

February 28, 2020: “Mohammed Njie – Travel Feature”

July 1, 2020: “Hunt Institute’s First Student Social Entrepreneur”

November 9, 2020: “Innovation in Tintinto, The Gambia”

December 15, 2020: “2020 Social Enterprise Cohort”

April 13, 2021: “Illuminating Tintinto | Hunt Institute’s Project for SMU Giving Day 2021”

April 14, 2021: “2021 SMU Giving Day: The Power of One Person’s Vision”

May 19, 2021February 17, 2022

Alejandra Hinojosa

Alejandra Hinojosa is currently pursuing a MA in Sustainability and Development with a specialization in Global Sustainable Design and she is intending to graduate in 2022.

Alejandra is involved as a board member of non-profit Promise of Peace. In her spare time, she enjoys film, being outdoors, painting, gardening, and thrifting

In her role as Graduate Research Assistant for Dr. Zarazaga, Alejandra will be working on projects with Kijiji Sustainable Solutions. In the future, she plans to pursue a career spearheading collaborative projects at the intersection of sustainable design and environmental justice.

When asked what motivated her to work at the Hunt Institute, she replied, “I was drawn to the innovative projects I’m working on with Kijiji that promote equity, collaboration, and sustainability. The passionate, socially driven work is always the most exciting to be apart of.”

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

May 13, 2021February 28, 2022

Hunt Institute Senior Tribute Spring 2021

Each year in the month of May, there is the bittersweet turnover that is a result of having a team of student workers. We cheer for students completing their education at Southern Methodist University and at the same time, wipe away a tear watching them leave.

I personally cannot help but reflect on each senior’s time at the Hunt Institute with nostalgia; I remember their training, watching each one grow in their own talents, and celebrating their breakthroughs in projects, processes, and academic challenges. At the same time, though, I am comforted by the introduction of new team members capable and ready to receive the baton and run the race.

As is tradition, we are thrilled to showcase some of our graduating team members through a Senior Tribute video. As we have done with many of our traditions, we have adapted this video to represent both our distance and in-person team members. We invite you to watch the video above to meet some of our graduating team members and hear their takeaways from their time at the Institute.

Impressively, most student workers in the Institute are leaders in student organizations, honors program members, recipients of scholarships with strict academic requirements, and/or volunteers in their community and on campus at SMU. Honestly, sometimes I do not know how they do all this while maintaining such good grades and producing such quality work in the Institute. They are ranked in the best of the best all-around students at SMU in my eyes.

In the almost five years I have run the Institute’s program, it has grown and improved because of the input and perspective of each team member. We are interdisciplinary in nature. 20% of our students have majors in Dedman, 30% in Lyle, 13% in Meadows, and 9% in Cox, while 28% have majors across multiple schools. In addition, 41% of our student workers have two or more majors. 22% of our students are masters level, while the remaining 78% are undergraduates. This combination creates a unique opportunity for growth in each student in their perspectives and interpersonal skills.

Over the years, we have tested many new ideas; some worked, and some did not. I always remind the over-achievers that failure is part of what innovation is all about. For most of us, that is hard to handle. You beta test things on a small scale and keep looking until you find the right solution to the given challenge. It very rarely is the first thing you try. Our successes are the result of all the failed attempts. Speaking of learning, I learn more from them than they do from me on many occasions. Reverse mentoring is a common practice in the Institute!

One of my favorite things is when seniors tell me they accepted an offer of employment. We jump up and down cheering, telling all the other team members the great news! Everyone joins in the celebration. We laugh, we cheer, we clap, and affirm them that this is the fruit of years of labor. I usually say, “Of course they chose you, you are exactly what they are looking for!” and I mean it. This does not just happen overnight, certainly not just because they got lucky. Each one earned their offer.

I end this note congratulating our seniors for finishing strong while facing many challenges along the way. Seniors, based on the legacy you leave behind in our Institute, you all are truly world changers. We are grateful for each of you and your contribution to the work of the Hunt Institute while you studied at SMU.

Congratulations and welcome to the alumni family! #PonyUp – Corrie A. Harris

JuliaGrace Walker contributed to the graphic.

Read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems here. We invite you to listen Join us for ImpactNights® or listen to our podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the Institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our weekly update by emailing your contact information to huntinstitute@smu.edu.

May 6, 2021February 17, 2022

Better Building: Compressed Earth Blocks Report

“Our society as a whole needs to leverage the forces of globalization, technological advancement, and climate change – what the UN calls ‘the three mega forces’ – for disruptive solutions to further inclusive sustainable economic development,” said Director of the Hunt Institute Dr. Eva Csaky. “We can reach this goal by harnessing the power of disruptive collaboration.” The CEB research partnership and collaboration between Dr. Brett Story and the Hunt Institute began in 2015 for just this purpose.

Previous phases for this research included Phase I, focusing on the strength testing of CEBs under a variety of conditions including varying moisture levels, cement content, and soil type. This research was followed by Phase II, focusing on determining characteristics for different types of soil found globally as a first step in standardization.

Phase III’s objectives were somewhat altered due to the global pandemic which resulted in breaking the work into two parts. This semester the team developed a report entitled,” Better Building: Compressed Earth Block Report,” which highlights the market opportunity and sustainability of compressed earth blocks in construction. The project manager is JuliaGrace Walker, and the undergraduate researcher is Madison Rodriguez.

The next part of the project will take place during the summer and fall term of 2021. In Phase III, analyses will be performed and data will be compared from the test structures at both the Taos and Dallas campuses. Relationships between soil type and mix design, block strength, and thermal properties will also be investigated. Additionally, this investigation will include models developed by Dr. Story’s lab team which is comprised of Ph.D. students Jase Sitton and Robert Hillyard, as well as undergraduate researchers Adriana Mena and Ziyu Sun. Combined together, both parts of Phase III will inform the vision of a living laboratory at SMU@ Taos.

Dr. Story’s vision is ultimately “…to use the data obtained during this project to make recommendations for full-scale, more permanent structures that can be used by faculty and students at the SMU Taos campus. The information learned during this project will be used to start the design of a “living” laboratory, which would be a laboratory building constructed with CEB and instrumented with a variety of sensors. In this way, the structure is both the laboratory space as well as the test specimen.”

CEBs are an emerging earthen construction technology that contribute to stronger and more resilient earth infrastructure. As interest in sustainable construction technology has increased, more research has been conducted on CEBs as an alternative to traditional masonry. Comparing CEB to traditional masonry, CEB structures can be more energy efficient throughout their life cycle. When approached accordingly, they can are energy efficient to produce and transport, while conserving resources and reducing waste production. CEBs are better insulated due to their high thermal mass and thermal resistance. Subsequently, their high thermal inertia gives CEBs the advantage of humidity regulation, and evaporation of water in the earthen walls contributes to natural cooling. CEBs represent a cost effective, energy efficient, and sustainable solution that directly contribute to the ninth and eleventh UN Sustainable Development Goals, which address industry, innovation, and infrastructure, as well as sustainable cities and communities. CEBs indirectly contribute to many other SDGs through their impact on health, household incomes (through cost savings) and quality of life.

Sam Borton contributed to this post.

May 6, 2021February 17, 2022

2021 Social Enterprise Intrapreneur Cohort Update

Social Enterprise, social intrapreneur, climate-smart and inclusive economy. Pharr Andrews, Dr. Candice Bledsoe, Julianna Bond, Matt Sheldon, Dr. Eva Csaky, Hunter and Stephanie Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity, Lyle School of Engineering, Southern Methodist University

In our Social Enterprise program, we believe that intrapreneurship can bring together the best of both worlds: the innovation and dynamism of entrepreneurship, and the resources and market platform of existing organizations. Research has repeatedly demonstrated the benefits of intrapreneurship, and an increasing number of organizations are implementing programs to proactively and intentionally encourage intrapreneurship, especially in the business community. Social intrapreneurship is a more recent and somewhat lesser-known concept. Social intrapreneurship combines social entrepreneurship, the mindset of pursuing bold ideas and innovative solutions to address social and environmental problems, with intrapreneurship.

Since launching the 2021 Social Enterprise cohort at the beginning 2021, each of the four social intrapreneurs has made significant strides in pursuit of their transformational ideas for a climate-smart and inclusive economy. As this semester comes to a close, we want to highlight their progress.

Pharr Andrews

Ms. Andrew’s project aims to find solutions to address the energy poverty gap. In March, she served as a panelist at ImpactNights® and helped spark the discussion around reducing the energy burden for LMI households. Throughout the semester, she has worked to increase awareness of the issue and the urgent need for action. This month, the Hunt Institute and Pharr will be hosting a virtual workshop to bring together key stakeholders to collectively develop clear next steps to get more homes weatherized. If you are in a position to assist with this project, don’t hesitate to contact Pharr Andrews via LinkedIn.

Dr. Candice Bledsoe

Dr. Bledsoe’s work is focused on developing youth as change agents and young entrepreneurs. Last month, the Action Research Center, founded and directed by Dr. Bledsoe, hosted the annual Cutting Edge Youth Summit, bringing together students, parents, teachers, and community leaders to learn about the importance of leveraging cultural wealth to become agents of change. To date, the program has supported 2,513 students and 785 parents. This summer, Dr. Bledsoe will be working to connect her various initiatives under the Action Research Center umbrella in order to expand her impact.

Julianna Bond

Julianna Bond’s project focuses on enabling the enablers: how can consulting firms use their unique position – straddling organizations, industries, and sectors – to accelerate innovation and amplify social impact? Ms. Bond spent the semester conducting a deep dive into the processes and resources that already exist in this space. Over the summer, she hopes to develop an initial draft of a framework for empowering consultants to serve their local communities and champion sustainability.

Matt Sheldon

Matt Sheldon’s initiative aims to create a circular system to recover food waste and bioplastics and convert them into energy. This system has many benefits, namely: diverting waste from landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and creating new revenue streams. This semester, Mr. Sheldon has held numerous meetings with stakeholders across DFW who are interested in partnering with him on this type of solution. Over the summer, he plans to conduct the economic analysis necessary to move the project forward.

“From governments to leading think-tanks, foundations and global corporations, we have been observing expressions of support and anticipation that social entrepreneurs and social enterprises will play a critical role in rebuilding after the pandemic and steering our society towards a more sustainable and inclusive economy. But the challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enterprises remain significant. The purpose of our program is to help understand these challenges, identify proven best practices to tackle them and to empower the most promising social entrepreneurs in our local community to put their ideas into action and to maximize their impact.” Dr. Eva Csaky, Executive Director of the Hunt Institute and founder of the Social Enterprise program in the Institute.

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest for more updates on the 2021 Social Enterprise Cohort of social intrapreneurs as they continue working on their initiatives this summer.

To read more about the Hunt Institute’s work to develop future-focused solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, please click here. For the latest news on the Hunt Institute, follow our social media accounts on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We invite you to listen to our Podcast called Sages & Seekers. If you are considering engaging with the institute, you can donate, or sign-up for our newsletter by emailing huntinstitute@smu.edu.

April 25, 2021February 17, 2022

Winners of the Kijiji Innovative Sustainable Solutions Design Competition

Winners of the K.I.S.S Design Competition

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021, The Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity hosted an exhibition featuring the various architectural designs created by 17 teams of 31 students from 3 universities competing for 1st prize in the Kijiji Innovation Sustainable Solutions Design Competition. Students, staff, and faculty of Southern Methodist University were invited to view the displays. Additionally, Clara Rulegura Ford, founder of Kijiji Innovative Sustainable Solutions (K.I.S.S.), and a panel of 4 judges, were tasked with selecting the student team that would get the chance to implement their design at the Rulegura Center in northern Tanzania.

KISS Design Competition — The exhibit at the Hunt Institute displayed students’ designs.

The Center, which will be built in Kasisa Village, will serve as the hub for executing K.I.S.S.’s mission – to promote sustainable development in rural Tanzania and to protect the country’s wildlife and natural resources. The Center will be used for community meetings and trainings for villagers to learn sustainable methods and practices related to energy, construction, health, agriculture, and more.

After much deliberation on all of the wonderful submissions, the judges declared the following teams as the winners of the K.I.S.S. Design Competition:

The first-place winners are Renalda Lwilla and Muhumuliza Lugeiyamu from Ardhi University.

KISS Award — The certificate awarded to the first-place team.

The second-place winners are Walter John and Immaneul Mutoka from Mbeya University of Science & Technology.

The third-place winners are Doreen Sanga, Emmanuel Waheke, Jackline Samwel, and Daud John from the University of Dar es Salaam.

To view the design plans of the top three teams, visit the competition site here.

When asked about the success of the event, Ms. Ford commented, “I was so impressed by the design ideas from the students. They were well thought out and just wonderful. I congratulate the winners for a job well done, and I’m so proud of all the students for their courage and willingness to participate in the contest. Their energy and enthusiasm gives me hope in a bright, sustainable future for Tanzania.”

Stay tuned to the Hunt Institute Digest for updates on the Kijiji project and the construction of the Rulegura Center!