Notes from the Field 2009

We are advised to write our intro blog while packing. Well, that doesn't exactly fit into my just-in-time, panic-driven packing methodology. So, I'll write this entry now, about 22 hours before my flight leaves for Tanzania.

I'm an Environmental Health student in the UMN School of Public Health interested in global health, especially water issues related to health. I just finished a marathon of a semester (and an actual half-marathon this morning, incidentally) where much of my time and energy were focused on a project working to design a sustainable system that addresses the water problems of Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai, India. (Here's the Challenge's website--future SPHers, I recommend you apply for this excellent class!) The project turned out to be a great preparation for this field experience.

I'll be traveling to an area of Tanzania near the city of Arusha where I, along with the rest of the research team, will be based at PeaceHouse Africa, a Minnesota-headquartered nonprofit boarding school for AIDS orphans. The team consists of four engineering students from Michigan Tech University, four students from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, as well as public health student (and blogger!) Robyn Browning. This is the pilot year of a 3-year NSF-funded program where we'll be laying the groundwork to conduct research and eventual improvements in the areas of safe water, sanitation, air pollution, and malaria.

For the first few days, we'll be forming partnerships with NGOs and research centers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania's largest city. Then, we'll move to PeaceHouse Secondary School to continue the project. I'll be taking a brief break in the middle of the trip to hike up Mount Kilimanjaro with fellow SPH student (and blogger!) Amber Koskey. Pending internet availability, I'll update this blog as much as possible. Thanks for reading!