Rusinga Island,
Kenya
Water Disinfection & Agriculture
The EWB-BGU Kenya Project is a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at improving water quality, and food security in vulnerable communities on Rusinga Island, Kenya. The project is conducted in partnership with Brightlight Academy, a local school that serves as both an educational institution and a community hub for families in the southern part of the island.
The project focuses on developing practical, low-cost, and locally maintainable solutions that address everyday challenges faced by the community. By working closely with local partners, farmers, and families, the team seeks to design solutions that are not only technically sound but also culturally appropriate and sustainable over time.
Brightlight Academy serves as a demonstration and learning site, where new solutions can be tested, improved, and eventually shared with the broader community. The project is entirely led by volunteer students from Ben-Gurion University who combine academic knowledge with hands-on field work.
So far, two delegations have taken place:
• May 2025 – Initial needs assessment delegation
• February–March 2026 – Implementation and pilot projects delegation
Water Quality
Access to safe drinking water remains one of the main challenges for many households on Rusinga Island. Many families rely directly on untreated water from Lake Victoria, which exposes them to waterborne diseases.
The water component of the project focuses on developing low-cost household water treatment solutions that can significantly improve drinking water quality without requiring expensive infrastructure. The team has been working on simple sand and gravel filtration systems, which can be built locally using affordable materials.
During the delegations, the team conducted water quality experiments and filtration tests in order to optimize the design of these systems. The project also aims to introduce simple water quality monitoring tools that can allow the school to continue testing water throughout the year.
A pilot project was launched in February 2026 with seven families from the school community. The pilot included training sessions and hands-on installation of household filtration systems, enabling participating families to learn how to properly build, operate, and maintain the systems at home.
Following the evaluation of the pilot and the lessons learned from its implementation, the project aims to gradually expand the system to all families connected to the school. These families will then serve as ambassadors within the wider community, helping to share knowledge, demonstrate the technology, and support the adoption of safe water practices across additional households on the island.
Agriculture and Food Security
Food security is a growing concern on Rusinga Island. Many families depend primarily on fishing for income and food, but declining fish populations in Lake Victoria have made this livelihood increasingly unstable.
The agriculture component of the project focuses on supporting household food production and exploring ways to extend the growing season for small home gardens. Currently, many households grow crops only during the rainy season, typically for three to four months each year.
To address this challenge, the project aims to develop small-scale agricultural solutions that can increase food production at the household level while requiring minimal resources.
At Brightlight Academy, the team established a demonstration agricultural field that serves several purposes:
• Supplying vegetables and legumes to support the school’s nutrition program
• Testing crop varieties suited to local climate and soil conditions
• Demonstrating farming techniques that families can adopt in their own gardens
• Providing a training space for parents and community members
The project also includes collaboration with the regional agriculture officer local farmers, allowing the team to learn from their experience and share technical knowledge.
Education and Community Engagement
Education and knowledge sharing are central to the project’s long-term impact. Brightlight Academy serves as a bridge between the engineering team and the broader community.
Through the school, the project works directly with students, parents and families, local farmers, school staff
Workshops and hands-on activities are designed to ensure that knowledge remains in the community after each delegation. Topics include water safety, sustainable agriculture, and practical maintenance of implemented systems.
By involving families directly in pilot projects and training activities, the project aims to support community ownership of the solutions and encourage wider adoption across the island.
Our Partners
The success of the project relies on strong collaboration with local partners and community members.
Brightlight Academy
Brightlight Academy is a private school located on Rusinga Island that serves as the central partner in the project. The school provides an educational environment for local children and plays a key role as a community hub for families in the area. Through this partnership, the project is able to work directly with students, parents, and staff while using the school grounds as a demonstration site for agricultural and water solutions.
Local Farmers and Agricultural Advisors
The team collaborates with local farmers and agricultural professionals who bring valuable knowledge about farming practices, soil conditions, and crop varieties suitable for the region.
Regional Organizations and Research Centers
During the delegations, the team also engaged with several regional organizations and research institutions working in agriculture, environmental sustainability, and community development. These connections help strengthen the project’s knowledge base and open opportunities for future collaboration.