My name is Sarah Onysio and I’m a junior environmental engineering major who had the opportunity to study abroad in India this past winter. During this program, a group of Iowa and Purdue students worked with the Sehgal Foundation to complete data collection on the water quality in rural communities. We visited two rural districts, Mewat and Alwar, where the foundation is currently working on projects involving water, education, and agricultural development. In these locations, we mainly studied their drinking water and the water they use to irrigate their crops, which is the main source of income for most rural communities.

One of the main issues in these locations is saltwater mixing with the freshwater underground. This makes the water in their wells too salty to consume and their irrigation lines too saline to water crops without damaging them. We also looked at different contaminants that could cause negative health effects or indicate poor environmental health like fluoride, nitrates, or pH. Lastly, we checked for E.coli or other coliforms that could cause illness.

The days we went out to collect data were the highlights of the program for me since we were able to talk to the owners of the water wells and farming fields and learn more about their daily lives. One thing I noticed was how welcoming everyone was on their property and homes. When collecting samples, sometimes we would need to enter crop fields to find wells or irrigation lines. Rather than being unsure about people they didn’t know walking around in their fields, a lot of farmers would come out of their homes and help us get access to their water. After our work, many even invited us into their homes, getting to know us and offering us food and chai.

During the program, I was also able to visit a few elementary schools where the Sehgal Foundation was building methods of clean water access. At the first school we visited, they built a system that collected rainwater from the roof of the school, filtered it into a large tank, and then pumped it into the ground to be naturally stored like groundwater. It was amazing to see how they designed such an efficient water collection system that worked with the natural climate of the area and needed very little machinery to function.

LEARN HOW YOU CAN APPLY FOR A GLOBAL ACCESS AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP

The Global Access Ambassador Scholarship program provides awards to study abroad for a summer, semester, or academic year. The scholarships are intended to support students who study abroad with the intent to serve as Global Access Ambassadors upon return to the UI campus. Upon completion of the study abroad program and return to UI, award recipients are asked to submit a photo and an open letter to prospective students or suggest an alternate means of sharing with prospective students.

Please note that the opinions and views expressed by ambassadors are solely those of the students and do not reflect or represent the views of International Programs or the University of Iowa.

International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement.  IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.