Sustainable Rural Development, Kijiji 2023

Working with  Kijiji ISS  non-profit at their site in Tanzania, community and student teams collaborated on eight different sustainable rural development projects. Eight students, four from SMU with four from Tanzania worked with  Dr Jessie Zarazaga , Clara Rulegura Ford and Martin Rulegura from Kijiji to field-test and develop 8 sustainability projects linked to research developed at the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity; CEE Lyle's Sustainability & Development Program; and Ardhi IBR, TZ. The team included Loic, Sophia, Kristen and George (SMU) and Beatrice, Oscar, Renalda and Michael (TZ).

Each day teams gathered supplies, arranged materials and community participation and travelled to Kijiji, the new center for Sustainable Rural Development at Kasisa village.

Every element of the project started with community conversations, speaking with both men and women about primary needs and concerns. Clara Rulegura Ford, the founder of Kijiji, led the community conversations.

Robert works for the village community, and arranged community gatherings, conversations and access to the schools.