A Rwandan priest who has been a key figure in western Rwanda community development projects with the CU-Boulder chapter of Engineers Without Borders will present a free, public lecture on "Rural Community Building in Rwanda" July 18.
Father John Bosco will discuss current projects and future needs at the Boulder Public Library Auditorium, 1000 Canyon Blvd., from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Bosco is the national director of Kolping Social Development Programs in Muramba where the community development projects have been based. Muramba is a densely populated area in the Western region of Rwanda with more than 110,000 people living mostly in abject poverty.
Development projects initiated by the International Kolping Society include an HIV/AIDS control campaign, an orphans project involving 3,000 children, women's economic emancipation projects, vocational training, education for the disabled, clean water and environment projects, and peace and justice initiatives.
Bosco also has worked closely with Engineers Without Borders on a series of water, sanitation and energy projects over the last three years. The projects have been funded by the Boulder Rotary Club, First Data Western Union Foundation, CU-Boulder Outreach Committee, Service Learning and Engineering Excellence Fund and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, contact Bernard Amadei at (303) 929-8167, amadei@colorado.edu, or Tom Cowing at (303) 877-6317, tomcowing@aol.com.