Page 6 - The Keble Review 2016

Engineers without Borders
On any other weekday, I would be pulling on my white lab coat
in the basement of the BUBBL laboratory in The Institute of Biomedical Engineering, preparing for a new set of afternoon experiments. My DPhil research focuses on novel cancer therapies that use ultrasound and microbubbles to enhance the effectiveness of existing oncological treatments, particularly those involving chemotherapy. However, on this bright winter morning, instead of preparing a new batch of microbubbles for my experiments, I find myself travelling to Karimanna Agrahara, a village in the outskirts of Bangalore, India, to experience first- hand the work of SELCO – a social enterprise which implements solar energy solutions for underserved communities in India.
Over the last year, I have been working with the Oxford branch of Engineers without Borders (EWB), an international organisation whose aim is to foster development in underserved communities through engineering. Within EWB, I founded H2Ox, a project
with the goal of implementing a novel purification technology
to remove harmful contaminants, such as Arsenic, Fluorides and Nitrates, from drinking water in rural areas in India. Our team have designed a water distribution kiosk that uses innovative, user- friendly technologies to provide water in rural communities.
In our visit to Bangalore, made possible by the generous support of the Keble Association, we partnered with leading sector organisations equipped with strong community connections
and brought our first pilot to operation in January 2016. We
are monitoring the social, economic, and health impacts of the installation. We hope to demonstrate its long-term sustainability and set up new kiosks in the near future.
On the train ride back to Delhi to catch my flight back to London, I pause and reflect on the opportunity that was given to me. Being part of a college community of like-minded individuals has given me countless sources of inspiration, made me more self- critical and constantly shapes my aspirations. Whichever path I end up taking, I am grateful to Keble for the platform and ongoing support it provides me.
Valerio Pereno
DPhil Engineering Science 2013
Teaching Rugby in Rio
Thanks to a generous grant from the Keble Association, three friends and I were able to travel to Brazil during July and August 2016 to work for an NGO called UmRio. It was set up by a former Oxford student, Robert Malengreau, as a way of using rugby coaching as
a means of social development in a favela in Niterói. Since its founding three years ago, over three hundred volunteers have contributed to
the charity in a variety of ways, including former Keble students. Furthermore, the charity itself has
been able to expand, and whilst in Brazil, we witnessed its ever increasing contribution to the lives of the kids we worked with.
Our primary role with the charity was as rugby coaches. We were responsible for the planning and executing of rugby sessions for two groups of children, the six to eleven age range and the twelve- to eighteen-year- olds. It was incredibly rewarding
to work with such an age range of kids, because we could see how the
UmRio system provides for the needs of beginners and veterans alike within the same sessions, as well
as catering for the differing needs of the different age groups.
Whilst coaching, we were given the opportunity to
be part of the best situated sports’ tournament we had encountered. It took place on the main beach in Niterói and one of the two UmRio teams won the touch rugby tournament, with the other coming in third. It was incredibly satisfying to be a part of something that the kids were clearly so proud of, as well as witnessing a firm indicator of the success of UmRio’s work.
We were also able to be part of
a contact match against Federal University of Rio de Janeiro along with some of the older UmRio members, giving them their first taste of contact rugby. Additionally, ourselves and the Federal University Students also acted as mentors to the children regarding careers and university applications. This was part of UmRio’s third anniversary celebrations, which were attended by a significant number of the children’s families. This showed the high esteem the charity is held in by all those it touches. Scott Geelan
History 2015
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The Keble Review 2016