DAVENPORT, Iowa-- A Davenport West teacher and student made a trip to Kenya to work on several projects including, bacteria testing in several water sources, working to purify the water using filtration systems, teaching robotics in classrooms, and collecting data for their eventual return.
According to the school, on Monday, January 27, at 8:35 a.m., Davenport West Junior, Brady O’Neil, and Industrial Technology Teacher, Mr. Smith, shared their experiences on a trip to Kenya where they worked as ambassadors for Davenport West INSPIRE.
"Brady and Smith shared their findings and experiences from the nearly two week trip to Kenya, that involved working on several projects including, bacteria testing in several water sources, working to purify the water using filtration systems, teaching robotics in classrooms, and collecting data to implement upon the team’s return in Summer of 2021."
According to the school, Brady, Smith, and Ngao tested well water, everywhere they went. They tested shallow wells that were hand-dug between 40 and 50 feet that contained water from local rivers.
"The team tested the water on criteria like how clear the water was, conductivity and ph, along with looking for bacteria, which they found almost all water sources to have. What the team discovered was that community members were pumping the water straight from the well and drinking it without it being purified. As a result of not having filtered drinking water, this often leads to sickness that has affected many within the town."
Brady said, “This trip opened my eyes to a lot of things we normally take for granted. I’ve been involved in engineering since my freshman year, and we’re always doing exciting things and it’s given me the opportunity to have real-world problem-solving skills.”
Check out some photos from the trip below!
