QMRA summer course

by Celma

During the period of 22 July to 01 August this year I attended a summer course at Michigan State University (MSU) about Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment. This course was an important experience that provided tools and knowledge to implement AMRA into my PhD research. It also served as a network platform within QMRA researchers community group. Throughout that week I attended lectures and learned how to develop case studies. The course was very intense but I was still able to get around East Lansing visiting the MSU Campus and the University Museum.

Celma
Celma at MSU.

It’s always great to return to Mozambique

by André

I just return from another full month in Mozambique and I am now taking the time to share my thoughts about what happened. Continue reading

Attending the Workshop on “Water Equity and Resilience in Southern Africa”

by Adriano Biza

Through an invitation of Professor Leila Harris, on behalf of the International Waters Research and Training Network I had the opportunity of participating in a “Workshop on Water Equity and Resilience in Southern Africa”, which was held between 24th and 26th August 2016, at the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies, Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Continue reading

Busy weeks, busier weekends

by Jay-el

It was a week of balanced hard work and having fun. Our weekday schedule was hectic with several interviews and of course, data analyses and writing. And our weekend was jam-packed with sun, sea, and seafood at Ilha de Inhaca. Both had definitely satisfied our objectives on advancing on our researches and exploring Maputo at the same time. Continue reading

One full month in Maputo!

by Jesper

After spending most of our last weekend inside or in close proximity of our residence we are receiving more and more comments from people urging us to explore more of Maputo and its surroundings. Of course we all agree, we are not visiting Mozambique to merely sit in a study room for two or three months. That is why this week we planned a visit to the agricultural zone of Maputo and the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Infulene. For the weekend we planned a travel to the nearby island of Inhaca, which is famous for its beautiful beaches and restaurants serving well-priced fresh lobster. Monday and Tuesday are regular days when we wake up around 7am after a rooster has been urging us to get up for some 2 hours. We visit the canteen for a bread to the side of either a cup of sweet tea or even sweeter milk. Followed by a cup of coffee sometimes accompanied with some shared pastry. Continue reading

First weeks in Maputo

by Jesper

Travel and arrival
On Friday 3rd of June we arrived happy and healthy after a long flight with very extensive meals served by our friends from Turkish Airlines. Our stops in Istanbul and Johannesburg had both been very smooth. We boarded our final plane and set foot on Mozambican ground for the first time. We are a group of three master students all working on our thesis. Our backgrounds however are very different. Iana recognized a lot of things from the place where she lived her childhood in Brazil and she can communicate very well with Mozambicans since she speaks Portuguese fluently. Jay-El also explained that the climate and general atmosphere reminded him of his home country the Philippines. For me, Jesper, as a Dutchman, everything about Maputo is very new and different from the cities and countries that I know. Continue reading

In the Pursuit of “Lobolo”

by Nessia Fausta

1. The Candidates
I was a bit surprising when I realized that I have been in Maputo for a month. What have I obtained in a month? Have I met some ideas and willingness from other parties worth fighting for? For the whole first month I took my time investigating the construction companies; their locations, their monthly water consumption, their source of water and their future plans. At the end of my interviews, I always proposed to them for being our partners to build the pilot project of wastewater treatment plant for concrete production. Does it seem like I am searching for a spouse? It is analogically similar. I looked for their locations, asked them for a speed date, talked about their current conditions and finally showed them my intention by saying, “Will you ‘marry’ me?” Haha. Thus, perhaps it is the time for me to prepare the “lobolo”. Based on the information from my new friends here, lobolo is the term of traditional marriage proposal for the people in Southern Mozambique. In this event, the family of the groom should give some valuable gifts for the family of the bride. It usually includes a set of clothes, kapulanas (traditional cloth, usually used as a skirt or a headscarf), crops, cattle, some amount of money as a symbol of the gratitude for the bride’s parents for giving birth, educate and taking care of her, and some additional requirements which have been listed by the family of the bride. The event continues to a very big party, where people dance and celebrate the union of the couple. Continue reading

Weeks 4 and 6: Field work and results

by Frank Huijgens

Boa tarde!

After the first guided tour around the campus in week 3 with Mr. Congolo, I started preparing drawings of the existing sewer network. But I quickly realized that this was a quite difficult job. Actually the only source available was the Master Plan for UEM campus made in 2004. During the first guided tour I saw a part of the network displayed in the Master Plan and after I went back on my own in week 4 with a pencil and paper I compared the sketches with the map – fortunately both were the same. But this network only covered around 50% of the buildings. I asked Mr. Congolo some questions during the guided tour around the campus and with his answers and assumptions I made a map of the sewer network of the other buildings. Continue reading

Maputo in the first two weeks: between two sides of the sights

by Nessia Fausta

It has been two weeks since I arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. After being picked up by Delio Zandamela, the very friendly international mobilization staff, I arrived in Residence 1 of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM), my dormitory for the next 2 months. Breathing the warm air after a long journey, I slowly absorbed my daily life experiences here; the country, the city, the people, and the project itself. Continue reading

Laboratory equipment in Maputo

by André

After a long period we finally got some laboratory equipment in Maputo. Celma, Noor and all the BSc and MSc students involved in the project have now access to high-quality laboratory equipment for their work, including a spectrophotometer, several field probes and several other items. All the equipment was donated to Universidade Eduardo Mondlane and can be used for education and research purposes. If you wish more details about the equipment or wish to use it please don’t hesitate to contact us.


All the equipment in boxes last year in Delft.

lab_equip_Ilab_equip_III
The equipment in Maputo a coupled of weeks ago.