FIU’s Global Water for Sustainability Program (GLOWS) will be helping to improve water quality in Rwanda.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded GLOWS a five-year, $21.9 million grant for a project dubbed Rwanda Integrated Water Security Program. The program is designed to positively impact human health, food security, and resiliency to climate change for vulnerable populations in the African nation by improving the sustainable management of water quantity and quality.
“The implementation of the Rwanda Integrated Water Security Program provides a unique opportunity for FIU to be a key player among the institutions engaged in supporting the development of the Rwandan water sector at all levels,” said Maria S. Donoso, director of GLOWS. “This project will have economic benefits, improve nutrition for families, decrease health problems and increase productive time which currently is being spent looking for water, largely from unprotected sources.”
GLOWS will select two to four watersheds to implement and integrate a wide range of low-cost and innovative technologies for water supply, sanitation and agriculture in Rwanda. The program will focus on multiple-use water services, sanitation marketing and product/supply chain development, as well as on-farm water-use efficiency schemes. The program also will implement initiatives related to community climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, together with climate resilient water management. In the health sector, importance will be given to scaling up community hygiene behavior change. Lessons learned during these ground-level interventions, coupled with the results of national policy and institutional assessments, will be the basis for cooperation with national authorities to influence existing policy and create opportunities to replicate ground-level interventions in other parts of the country.
GLOWS is a consortium of international organizations led by FIU, working to increase social, economic and environmental benefits to people of the developing world. Other members include CARE, WaterAid America, Winrock International, World Vision and the World Wildlife Fund. The consortium provides expertise across the policy, governance, educational and technical dimensions of integrated water resources management. GLOWS is an integral component of FIU’s School of Environment, Arts and Society in the College of Arts & Sciences, furthering a mission of tackling the world’s environmental challenges while effecting long-term, positive social impacts. In addition to the Rwanda Integrated Water Security Program, GLOWS has conducted projects in Peru, Ecuador, India, and Morocco, and is presently working in Tanzania, Kenya, and Georgia in the Caucasus.
This is an interesting coincedence. I am from Rwanda and recently applied to FIU. I hope I get accepted.
Hi Manzi,
Glad to read this from you. I am also from Rwanda, I am already at FIU since last Fall. I do really hope you get admitted and can meet you.
Hi, my name is Rebecca Dahdah and I am a Junior level Civil Engineering Student at FIU. I am also the President of the student chapter of Engineers Without Borders at FIU. As listed on our national website: http://www.ewb-usa.org
“Engineers Without Borders – USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.
The activities of EWB-USA range from the construction of sustainable systems that developing communities can own and operate without external assistance, to empowering such communities by enhancing local, technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills. These projects are initiated by, and completed with, contributions from the host community working with our project teams.”
After reading about GLOW and this program I am truly at awe and touched. With Engineers Without Borders (EWB) we have been working on creating a potable water system for an Indigenous Community in Costa Rica. I cant not stop my thoughts, there are so many possibilities for the two organizations to collaborate, I would also like to no know student cant get more invoked. I would really love to become a part of the GLOW mission. If there is anyway I can be put into contact with Maria Maria Donoso, the Director of GLOW at FIU please let me know. Her information is not listed on the GLOW website.
Thank you for this post! Very touching and meaningful. I am glad that your university has this program up and running!
Rebecca Dahdah,
Please reach out. It is regarding Haiti.
Best,
Albert Gomez
VP-Industrial Components
Haiti Director-1st and Alton
Lead Contributor-Haiti MPHISE
albert@1standalton.org
305.321.3214
Hello,
I am a junior at FIU in the international relations programm. I am very interested in finding ways to be involved in this.
Thank You.