Two Bush School instructors help bring Texas A&M humanitarian effort to Goma, DRC
Silva Hamie, Ph.D., an instructional professor, and Leslie Ruyle, Ph.D., a research scientist, played key roles in a Texas A&M Energy Institute project bringing solar-powered streetlights to neighborhoods in a Democratic Republic of Congo region suffering from security and humanitarian challenges
Leslie Ruyle, Ph.D. has been to more than 90 countries in her work as an ecologist who creates solutions for wildlife conservation and international development in conflict zones. One of those places is the Democratic Republic of Congo. There, in and around Goma, one of the country’s largest cities, darkness brings threats such as assaults and kidnappings. Ruyle gave a presentation on the region’s issues that caught the attention of fellow Bush School faculty member Silva Hamie, Ph.D.; Hamie, also the assistant director for energy policy at the Texas A&M Energy Institute, thought it could make a difference in the lives of those living in and around Goma.
The Energy Institute recently wrote about the initiative, sparked by Ruyle, to bring solar-powered streetlights to Goma. Streetlights, according to the article, “erase the shadows where attackers once hid.” The project, being done in collaboration with Nuru SASU, a local power generator, “was integrated into their electricity network development program with the core objective of improving the living conditions and security of local populations,” according to the article.
“These solar streetlights are a direct investment in the security and socio-economic future of Goma’s residents,” Hamie said in the article. It’s worth a read.
