Creating a Fish Farm in Mali

For six months out of the year, the community of Makili, Mali, suffers a severe drought. Every year, the 2,000 residents are plagued with malnutrition due to the lack of protein in their diet. In 2007, the University of Pittsburgh chapter of EWB-USA took on a project to develop designs and implementation plans to help the community create a tilapia fish farm, which will provide nutritious food and a source of income for residents all year. Suman Ramasundaram, a CH2M HILL engineer who mentors the chapter, recently returned from a site assessment trip to Makili. During the 8-day trip, the team conducted public health assessments, gathered input from community stakeholders, contacted potential suppliers, established relationships with local partners, and gathered the technical information necessary to complete the design. The chapter is currently fundraising and working on designs for the fish farm; team members plan to return to Makili to begin construction in the spring of 2009.