In 2022, Hum'am is carrying out large-scale projects in disadvantaged areas. This year, the association is providing assistance to the village of Fakhane in Senegal.
After Tunisia, Benin, Madagascar, and Cameroon, Hum'am is returning this year to Senegal, where a water access project was already completed in 2020.
Hum'am is a humanitarian association created by specialized engineers (PIS) from the Arts et Métiers campus Arts et Métiers Paris. Since 2016, its members have been involved in solidarity projects in disadvantaged regions around the world. These apprentice engineers use their technical skills and professional experience to provide essential resources such as water, electricity, and education to populations in need.
The mobilization of 23 students
This year, the team consists of 23 students who are working on the Fakh'Arts project to help the village of Fakhane, in the Diourbel region east of Dakar, Senegal. "This is one of the largest teams we've had in several years," explain Hugo Fedherbe and Antony Benouali, engineering apprentices at the Paris campus and respectively president and head of Hum'am's Partnership Division. It includes industrial engineering and energy engineering students who contribute their technical and organizational skills to the smooth running of the project through six divisions: office, design office, logistics, partnership, communication, and events."
Install a water pumping and filtration system
The situation for the inhabitants of Fakhane is critical. Each person has access to 15 liters of water per day, which is at the lower end of the WHO recommendations, which state that an individual needs 20 to 50 liters of water per day. In addition, this water contains a lot of bacteria and spreads disease.
To improve the daily lives of the inhabitants, the engineering students have designed a solar-powered pumping system coupled with a filtration system.
The project also includes a component to renovate the village school (connection to electricity, connection of sanitary facilities to the water network, etc.) and market gardening (feasibility study, water connection, and installation of fences).
Ensuring the sustainability of facilities
"We plan to raise funds and prepare the work until May 2022, with construction taking place from May to July and delivery in August," Hugo and Antonycontinue. "And to ensure the sustainability of the facilities, we will train residents in the maintenance of the pumping and filtration systems."
Hum'am's design office has already presented the solution on site. A second site visit is scheduled for the end of January to finalize the results. To date, €5,500 has already been raised out of a total budget of €60,000.
"I'm impressed by everything they've already put in place," enthuses Ghita Benaddi, who coordinated last year's project in Tunisia (more information). "They're focused, they know what they want, and the early signs are very promising!"
