A group of Engineers without Borders has created a unique project to deliver clean water to Rwanda. The goal of clean drinking water to countries where none is available is the brain child of a NASA astronaut.

Here is a remarkable story from GreenBiz:  “The startup, called Manna Energy Ltd., has an ingenious idea, some high-flying (literally) founders and the enthusiastic support of, among others, The Coca-Cola Foundation and Ashoka, a nonprofit group that connects social entrepreneurs. The company’s idea, in essence, is this: Collect rainwater, filter it using solar energy and finance the operation with credits generated by reducing global warming pollution.

“The founder of Manna Energy is Ron Garan, a NASA astronaut and aerospace engineer who has logged more than 13 days in space, including three spacewalks, and is preparing for a six-month mission next year. Spearheading the work in Rwanda is Evan Thomas, Manna’s executive vice president, who got the project started as a volunteer back in the early 2000s and since then has worked on sustainable development in Rwanda, Nepal, Mexico and Afghanistan.

“The Rwanda water project was actually created by Engineers without Borders, a nonprofit founded in 2001 at the University of Colorado. EWB, as it’s called, raised about $250,000 over the years to from Rotary Clubs, UNESCO and the EPA, among others, in what was then a purely philanthropic ventures. EWB chapters at Colorado and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston began traveling to Rwanda in 2003, exploring a variety of ideas with local and national officials: the solar-powered water treatment system, biogas generators, drip irrigation for farmers and solar-powered lighting and computers for hospitals and schools. Being engineers, they did lots of analysis and eventually focused on the water-treatment system and biogas projects because they promised the greatest impact.”

The full story is at: Manna from Houston Brings Clean Water Systems to Rwanda

Copyright 2009 Rita Watson