City gal on a mission to South Africa

Ahmedabad: She was on an African safari but with a purpose to bring smiles to food deprived communities in Indaleni in KwaZulu Natal, a province in South Africa.
Ruchi Patel, 20, from Ahmedabad, studying at John Hopkins University School (JHU) of Medicine in the US recently went for a two-week programme under Engineers Without Borders (EWB).
EWB is an international association of engineering students whose mission is to facilitate collaboration, exchange of information, and assistance for deprived sections of society in third world countries.
HIV prevalence rate is highest in South Africa with a shocking life expectancy of 43 years. Patel says, "AIDS epidemic has left many children orphaned. Fierce political violence has also forced surviving men and women to search for jobs in larger cities leaving their families and children with no support."
Patel, with 12 other team members, helped in construction of irrigation facilities for communities, under food security project constructing an alcock pump' and bio-gas plant.
Patel says, "We used recycled tyre rubber and lead weights in place of traditional valve sealant and springs to make the pump."
"It is heartening to find that our project changed working conditions of 20 gardeners who have 200 children under their care. Better irrigation facility increases crop yield, leading to improved nutritional diet of entire community and also time for other activities such as educating orphaned children," adds Patel.
On choosing South Africa over India, Patel says, "I do not consider India a third world country. There are many other countries where people are more unfortunate than us. However, I am also partnering with EWB-India to help them to bring more positive changes here. India's has been making giant strides in improving socio-economic situation."
Sharing her experiences in Natal, Patel says, "We identified project depending on needs of community, did an assessment trip and then worked with EWB volunteers' team from digging to designing of irrigation project."
She adds that smiles on the faces of orphaned children after completion of the project gave them ultimate satisfaction. "Even two weeks without TV, phone, music, computer did not matter then," says Patel.