Bugesera, Rwanda · Summer 2026
Beside a lake you cannot drink from.
AquaSolve Rwanda is changing that.
Solar-powered filtration kiosks for communities near Lake Mirayi — built with local people, for local people.
2+ hrs
Women and girls in Gashora walk this long, every single day, to reach water — time taken from school, rest, and work.
In sight.
Lake Mirayi is visible from the community. The water inside it is still not safe to drink.
No data.
The exact contamination has never been tested. The worry is real. The water stays in use anyway.
“In Gashora, hardship doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it is a line of yellow jerricans waiting in the sun. Sometimes it is a child who walks for hours to carry one bucket home, then turns around and does it again tomorrow. Sometimes it is being thirsty within sight of water you cannot drink.”
Funded through
Project lead
Sonia Irakoze
Location
Bugesera, Rwanda
Pilot timeline
Summer 2026
Pilot model
Community-led
Why this project exists
“She could see the children from her classroom window — walking instead of learning.”
For three years, Sonia attended GGAST — Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology — on the edge of the community. Inside the fence: water from taps, electricity, a science classroom. Outside: children her own age walking for hours with yellow jerricans.
That contrast didn’t leave her. Years later, as a mechanical engineering student at the University of Rochester, she turned what she first witnessed there into a project she could build: AquaSolve Rwanda.
The plan
Two phases
Starting with people, not pipes.
Phase 1 builds the community foundation. Phase 2 builds the infrastructure on top of it.
Phase 1 · Summer 2026
Education & Awareness
Hands-on community workshops on water safety, hygiene, sanitation, and environmental stewardship. Stories gathered, data collected, local partnerships deepened — building the foundation Phase 2 will stand on.
Phase 2 · After Phase 1
Solar-Powered Kiosk
After professional water testing and community listening, a multi-barrier solar-powered filtration kiosk extracts, treats, and distributes safe drinking water through public taps — locally managed, sustainably maintained.
Start here
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Each page focuses on one job: project details, community context, updates, or contact.
Project
Problem, solution, filtration process, and expected outcomes.
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About
Sonia's story, the team, and the partnerships behind the pilot.
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Blog
Short articles explaining the project, technology, and community model.
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Contact
A simple way to ask questions or offer support.
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Support the pilot
Every contribution brings safe water closer to Gashora.
Workshops, water testing, community training, and the kiosk itself — your support makes each step real.
Project · 3 min read
Why AquaSolve Rwanda Starts at Lake Mirayi
AquaSolve Rwanda begins with a simple contradiction: communities live beside a major water source, yet many still lack safe drinking water.
Technology · 4 min read
How a Solar-Powered Filtration Kiosk Works
The kiosk combines solar power, intake screening, layered filtration, protected storage, and controlled distribution.
Collaboration · 3 min read
Collaboration Works Best When Roles Are Clear
The collaboration documents define how advisors, project supporters, and long-term partners can contribute without confusion.