Jean Pierre Nshimyimana, Current Fellow

Year

2009-2010

From

Rwanda

Sector

Clean Water

Location

Rwanda

Degree

2010 SM Civil and Environmental Engineering

“I am from Rwanda, a tiny small country in the center of Africa.  I said, maybe I cannot make a difference.  I tried, and I made it.”

Jean Pierre is developing a business that will provide clean water and green energy technologies and environmental engineering consultancy to provide superior services, designs, knowledge, and green energy solutions to community-based initiatives in Rwanda.   According to Jean-Pierre, his interest in and awareness of water sanitation and green energy issues stem from two key personal experiences.  First, Jean- Pierre came to understand water quality and kerosene lamp indoor air pollution as an international issue when he led a delegation of university students to the East Africa Environmental Health Conference held in Kampala, Uganda.  Second, through leading a team of students carrying out community sanitation during a cholera outbreak, Jean-Pierre gained exposure to combating water-born epidemics.  In addition, Jean-Pierre’s extensive experience includes his work on water quality analysis, improvement of poor sanitary conditions, and raising community awareness related to water, sanitation and hygiene for the America Refugee Committee in the Kiziba refugee camp.  Likewise, in Kigali, Rwanda, Jean-Pierre worked with engineers and industry leaders to design and improve wastewater treatment systems. A current MIT student pursuing his S.M.in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jean-Pierre has worked with teams of MIT students and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to design and implement rainwater-harvesting systems, build water tanks, improve water supply systems, and provide clean water to thousands of people living in the Bisate community.

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