Outstanding Contribution to the Community or Environment Cardiff University 2013

Over the past 18 months, Dr Dan Rogers (Lecturer in the School of Engineering) has become involved with Mothers of Africa and made three trips to Zambia where he led a team of three Cardiff University engineers to build a self-sufficient solar photovoltaic system that provides power to a computer classroom, a local health post and nurse’s accommodation. For his involvement, Dan has won the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Community or Environment 2013.

Dan originally became involved with Mothers of Africa when its founder (Prof Judith Hall) asked for engineering support for a trip to Zambia in January 2012 to make an assessment of energy and computing needs at off-grid medical facilities. The team identified a health post at Shiyala village where a local Women’s housing co-operative agreed to work with the charity to build a computer teaching facility which would be used to provide health education to the local community and healthcare workers, as well as IT facilities for a local school. The electrical system now installed by Dan, Lee Thomas and Jon Stevens provides a reliable electrical supply to three buildings completely independently from the grid.

The existence of accessible IT provides a means to improve computer literacy and enables educational clubs for local children and adolescents to take place in the evenings. The local community were actively involved in the project, contributing their considerable construction expertise and learning essential basic electrical skills. Involving the local workforce was an integral part of the project, enabling local people to gain a better understanding and sense of ownership after the project was completed.

For more information on the award go to:
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/celebratingexcellenceawards/CelebratingExcellenceAwards2013/communityorenvironment2013.html