The Ohio State University has led humanitarian engineering efforts in Africa since 2016, putting the university and its students at the forefront of the field. Recently, students traveled to Ghana to continue these efforts, led by Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE) faculty Patrick Sours.
Over winter break, a cohort of twelve engineering students and two faculty members traveled to Kpando, Ghana for ten days of collaborative project work. Working with Ghanaian nonprofit UNiTED Partners, an organization focused on community support and sustained livelihood projects in the Lake Volta region, this trip represented a return to in-person collaboration after a five-year hiatus.
The trip was part of the Engineering for Sustainable Development in Ghana course offered through the Humanitarian Engineering Program within FABE, which uses an interdisciplinary approach to leverage elements of engineering technical design, social sciences and engineering education to prepare students to address complex global sustainability challenges. During the semester, students engaged with UNiTED to plan project implementations, developed surveys and focus group protocols, and designed data collection to take place during the visit. Students also learned about Ghanaian history, culture, and introductory Ewe, the language most commonly spoken in the region.
More than half of the students were also enrolled in Global Capstone, providing a meaningful opportunity to expand their investment in their capstone projects with more time and adding value to the work with the communities in Kpando.
“The incorporation of Global Capstone projects into the course allows for year-round engagement with our partners and provides students the opportunity to work through projects framed around the Human Centered Design Process,” said Sours.
Students spent most of the visit living and working in the community of Kpando to advance projects related to water, agriculture, and sanitation working in multi-disciplinary teams. One project was garden plot at a school where Ghanian staff are working to grow food for its students. Ohio State students ran soil and water tests, gathered requirements for a drip irrigation system, and worked alongside farmers and staff to learn about their gardening methods and needs, from tools and fertilizer to pest management.
Another student team worked at a farm outside of Kpando on the shore of Lake Volta, also operated by UNiTED. With the goal to establish a living-learning community hub for agricultural projects, the produce grown at the farm generate income to support the organization’s mission.
Billings Amoah, a third-year Electrical and Computer Engineering student, was a member of a five-member “Inspiration Team” who explored a range of potential project opportunities for the trip, gathering data and documenting findings for future projects to be continued in Global Capstone or for future students in the Ghana course. The team investigated a rainwater harvesting system at the school and conducted interviews with school staff about food preservation and preparation. Having grown up in Ghana, Billings saw the trip as a chance to return to a familiar place with new skills and perspective.
“I chose to take the Ghana course because it offered a unique opportunity to merge engineering problem-solving with cultural immersion and community engagement,” said Amoah. “I saw this as a chance to return in a different capacity to contribute to meaningful projects that address real challenges.”
The trip offered students a unique opportunity to stay at the UNiTED guesthouse and interact with members of the community. The group visited the local market, traveled to the Wili waterfall, and experienced traditional drumming and dancing.
“By connecting with those around you, you build a sense of community, and life seems to slow down to make space for those meaningful connections,” said senior biological engineering major Ellie Spiewak. “My time in Ghana taught me to be more present and intentional with the people around me, rather than constantly focusing on the future.”
The successful revitalization of this program has laid the foundation for future collaborations in which Buckeye engineers will meaningfully contribute to impactful projects in the Lake Volta Region and beyond.