Phoebe has done some remarkable work in the field of water and sanitation which is one of the 7 areas of Rotary’s focus. She now has the knowledge and skills that will help Rotary deliver on its global aim of giving access to clean water and sanitation to all.
Phoebe reports: I recently graduated with an MSc in Sanitation from IHE Delft, with thanks to the Rotary Global Grant Scholarship. Despite starting the study in a strict lockdown here in the Netherlands, and therefore undertaking a lot of the study online, it has been a truly unique and amazing experience. The quality of education was high, with lectures given by renowned experts from around the world. It was a multidisciplinary study, that allowed us to understand all the relevant aspects and challenges experienced with sanitation provision.
The Masters focussed on non-sewered sanitation, which is seen as a much more resource efficient and achievable approach to sanitation than conventional systems for most of the world. However, the past year has been about more than just academic study, with my diverse classmates and friends providing a lot of learning experiences from their own homes and cultures. Never have I met such a motivated group of students – IHE is really full of people who want to make positive change in the water sphere, and it was an honour to be a part of that.
I am still currently in Delft, as upon graduation I was offered the opportunity to spend an additional 3-months at IHE in order to develop two academic papers from my recent thesis on the Distribution of Responsibilities, Powers and Risks in Sanitation Governance.
Going forward I hope to utilise this Masters, along with my background in civil/water engineering, to tackle the real key problems being experienced in the water and sanitation sector today. The trajectory of my career is not clear yet, but I believe it will bring together both my technical background and a new interest and appreciation I have found for governance – as through the study it became clear that this is a larger barrier to sanitation provision than technology in almost all cases. There are many exciting and valuable opportunities out there I am excited to pursue and hope to keep you informed of. I would like to thank the Rotary for allowing me this truly life changing experience.