Aqua-Africa

Happy Thanksgiving! Today, our team is thankful for the generous donor support we have received to continue our clean water mission in South Sudan. Between 40,000 and 50,000 people now have clean, accessible drinking water. Health is improved and thousands of hours of water transport time saved. We are blessed beyond measure. THANK YOU!

In Juba, South Sudan Global Handwashing Day was delayed one week to October 22nd. Aqua-Africa's Juba team was able to participate in the festivities joining government officials, students, and NGOs to commemorate the day at Usrutuna Primary School, Juba. Handwashing Day celebration aims to raise community awareness on the importance of hand hygiene in preventing diseases, particularly among schoolchildren. The day emphasizes the critical role of proper handwashing practices in reducing the spread of infections and promoting public health. By educating pupils and engaging communities, this initiative supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), ultimately contributing to a healthier population and enhanced overall well-being. Thank you Opini Gerald for sharing these photos.

October 14, 2024 - Mawiut, South Sudan. Today, Aqua-Africa representative Reath Lul Zuor joined community partner, Samaritan's Purse, in celebrating National Handwashing Day. Together the two organizations are promoting good hygiene practices, including regular hand-washing in the community. Hand soaps are costly and are a luxury item in the community. Nonetheless, educating the community on this important practice is woven into a time of celebration and gathering. Over 150 residents joined the festivities during the day. #SouthSudan #Hygiene #Sanitation #Handwashing

October 1, 2024 – Nzara, South Sudan. Today, two galvanized steel water towers were delivered to Aqua-Africa’s compound in Nzara County. These towers were fabricated by Steelstopes LTD in Nairobi, Kenya and were transported to Nzara from that plant. During 2024 and 2025 two new solar-powered Village Supplier Utility Systems will be installed in the communities of Nadari and Naziragbe in Nzara County, with the capacity to serve 12,000 people clean, accessible drinking water. However, construction of these systems will not begin until the implementation is 80% funded. $370,000 in funding is needed. The needs are great, please read on… In March of this year Aqua-Africa’s team completed a baseline needs assessment in Maiwut County at communities identified by the County Commissioner and government leaders as most in need of water resources. Dozens of residents were interviewed in these communities: Nadari, Naziragbe and Wenepai. Attached to this post is the?baseline assessment. Nadari was determined to be the highest priority installation. Geophysical survey work was also completed, and several potential drilling sites were identified in each of the three communities. The borehole for the first installation in Nadari was drilled and is high-yielding. The engineering work has also been completed, and hydraulics established for distributing water to the tap stand locations desired by Nadari community leaders. A map of the engineered system and blueprints of the systems are available on request.

In South Sudan, access to basic hand hygiene, such as handwashing facilities with soap and water, remains a significant challenge. Approximately 6 out of 10 people in the country do not have access to basic hand hygiene facilities at home. This is a critical issue, especially in rural areas and conflict-affected regions, where access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services is often limited. Efforts to improve this situation are ongoing, with organizations like Aqua-Africa, UNICEF, and others working to install handwashing stations and expand clean water access in vulnerable communities. However, progress is slow, and significant investments are needed to ensure universal access to hand hygiene by 2030.

Flooding in South Sudan, in the U.S., and elsewhere has an impact that is not well known or understood. It is dangerous methane gas! Methane is created by the oxygen deprived organic decomposition (in flooded areas) and is produced from methanogen bacteria that is at work in these conditions. Methane has a global warming impact that is 28 to 36 times greater than Carbon Dioxide! Are you enjoying the warmer weather? Nearly 40 percent of methane greenhouse gases are caused by rice paddies and flooded areas. Another 20 percent from landfills and water treatment plants. Anaerobic digesters (containment chambers) can be built inside water treatment facilities to keep out oxygen, creating an ideal environment for anaerobic bacteria to break down organic material (sludge) into simpler compounds, including methane (CH?) and carbon dioxide (CO?). Because these digesters are airtight, the gases produced remain trapped inside the system. As the organic material breaks down, biogas (a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide) rises to the top of the digester. Pipes or collection systems are positioned at the top of the digesters to gather the biogas as it accumulates. After collection, the biogas is often stored in dedicated gas storage tanks. These tanks ensure that the gas is held safely until it can be used or further processed. Methane in the biogas can be burned to generate electricity and heat (combined heat and power systems), providing renewable energy to power the wastewater treatment facility or nearby communities. Biogas can be purified to remove impurities (like carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and water vapor) to produce biomethane, a purified form of methane. Biomethane can then be used in natural gas pipelines or as vehicle fuel. There are solutions to our problems. We have only one home. God gave us dominion over it. We have work to do!

Season Two of our Emmy nominated series, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild, premieres October 5 on NBC! Check out our trailer below for a sneak peek! Jennifer Wulf, Katelyn Williams, Jenny Van Soelen, Rae Wynn-Grant, PhD, Scott Moore, Bryan Curb, Amy DeGregorio, Laura Bradley, Jeff Bundy, Phil Fairclough, Justin Aranda, Joel Villarini Falbe, Erin Finnegan, Alana Hallett, Melisa Yunlu

Conservation of Energy exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair.

Aqua-Africa and Solar Omaha Heating & Electric have an exhibit at the Nebraska State Fair. We are located at the sustainability tent just outside the Mid-America Center and next to the wildlife exhibit. Stop and see us! Our exhibit brings attention to the transformational nature of solar energy and clean water - both in East Africa and in Nebraska. The exhibit also provides the opportunity to teach important physics concepts to young scientists related to the conservation of energy. Energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transformed. Our water tower exhibit shows how solar energy is transformed to electricity to power a water pump (mechanical energy), to lift water to an elevated tank. The elevated water becomes potential energy. When it is released, and is pulled by gravity, it becomes kinetic (movement) energy and powers a small water wheel and electric generator that powers an electric fan. Multiple transformations occur from the original light energy (photons).

Now in its third year, the Aqua-Africa Build-A-Hut STEM ?? Summer Training Camp for Middle School Youths keeps growing stronger! ?? The Final Competition for the 2024 STEM Summer Camp was held on Thursday, July 18th at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Student Center with Partnership 4 Kids Middle School students clinching the First place prize of $1,000!???? Shout out to #thedurhamschool’s Faculty, Emmeline Lemos Watson and Tony Roebuck for their amazing support, helping to build the curriculum for the STEM Construction training. ???? ?? Watch KETV’s news coverage of this great summer experience here: https://lnkd.in/gJFi_bYG #stem #buildahut #summercamp #thedurhamschool . Lily Wang, Emmeline Lemos Watson, Tony Roebuck, Clarence Waters, Aqua-Africa Nebraska Extension, Buey Tut, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Nebraska at Omaha