Villanova Engineering and Foxwynd Foundation Partner on WASH Initiatives in Kenya
Villanova University’s Center for Humanitarian Engineering and International Development (C4HE) received a three-year, $225,000 grant from the Foxwynd Foundation to accelerate the implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) initiatives in Kenya’s Siaya region. Foxwynd Foundation trustee Sherri Clark selected the project in Kenya’s Siaya region for this transformational investment through the Foxwynd Fellowship Program.
Part of the College of Engineering, C4HE is a mission-oriented center committed to addressing complex global challenges, such as sustainability, education and health, through the provision of technical support services to nonprofit organizations. C4HE is focused on building partnerships with local organizations in low- and middle-income countries, and currently operates in 10 countries throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas.
In 2022, C4HE partnered with two nongovernmental organizations—Muungano Rural Empowerment Centre and Start with One—to design and build systems to improve access to water and sanitation facilities throughout Siaya County, Kenya. Through the deployment of domestic water filters and the design of solar-powered pumping systems, teams of students and faculty from Villanova have made significant improvements to the quality of life for children and families throughout the region.
“Supporting Villanova University through the Fellowship Program allows the Foundation to strengthen sustainable projects that improve health and well-being,” Clark said. “Access to safe water and hygiene in Kenya is a critical step toward building resilient communities.”
Over the next three years, Villanova Engineering students and faculty will work side by side with these Siaya-based NGOs to design, implement, optimize and sustain water and sanitation systems in two public schools, Siaya Public and the Nina School for the Deaf.
Collectively, the work seeks to serve the children and families of these schools by increasing access to clean water supply systems, increasing access to safe sanitation and improved hygiene practices, and building organizational capacity of the NGO partners.
“The Foxwynd Fellowship Program has enabled us to accelerate our efforts in Siaya, while simultaneously providing unique learning opportunities for engineering students at Villanova, and empowering local organizations to scale the impact they are having in their communities,” said Jordan Ermilio, PhD, ’98 ME, ’06 MSWREE, founder and director of C4HE.
Established in 2024 by the Bentley Family, the Foxwynd Foundation seeks to “enhance access to key pillars of human dignity and potential such as health care, housing and sustainable environmental initiatives.” The WASH programming in Kenya is supported by the Foundation’s Fellowship Program, a donor-advised fund that enables trustees to direct support toward novel, high-potential projects aligned with Foxwynd’s mission. Clark’s selection of Villanova University marks the fifth official partnership under the impactful Fellowship Program. To learn more about the program and partnership opportunities, please visit foxwyndfoundation.org/fellowship-program.
About Villanova University College of Engineering: Founded in 1905, Villanova University College of Engineering is committed to an educational program that emphasizes technical excellence, innovation, and a liberal arts education within the framework of the University’s Augustinian Catholic tradition. The result is rigorously educated, socially grounded, conscientious thinkers and doers who are professionally prepared to make meaningful change in the world.