Case study 3

Claire, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering, is working at Sustainable Harvest, an environmental NGO outside of Kigali as a Haas summer fellow. In an effort to reduce malnutrition and increase community empowerment, the organization provides agricultural training for local women to grow and sell their own produce. The women participate in a six month program where they learn about sustainable agricultural practices, health and nutrition, and small business management. In conversations with the Executive Director, Claire came up with the idea to build a solar oven for the demonstration farm so that the women could bake breads and cook meals. She applied for and received funding for project materials and living expenses.