Mouline Abongo studies water to work with small-scale farmers in arid areas
Mouline Abongo from Kenya studies water to work with small-scale farmers in arid areas to provide them with knowledge on how to get water from the source to the fields
I won an Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) scholarship to study for my Master’s degree in Water and Sustainable Development at IHE Delft. My specialism is the Water, Food & Energy track, with an Engineering Sciences profile.
The first time I heard about IHE Delft was in 2019, when I worked as an intern at an Environmental Consultancy firm in Kenya. Two of my co-workers were granted scholarships to study at IHE Delft in the field of sanitation. Many of my colleagues were also alumni of IHE Delft, even the owners of the company.
The Orange Knowledge Scholarships (OKP)
When I finished the internship, I went back to college to finalize my degree in 2020. Once I graduated I looked for options to continue my studies. I checked the IHE Delft website and saw the offerings in water and food studies. In 2022, I got academically admitted but unfortunately the deadlines for scholarships had already passed.
I then found out about the different funding options on the website and applied again for the 2023 cohort, I went through the different options and contacted the fellowship officers to ask for further information. I got a very quick response and the officer explained the different steps of applying for the Orange Knowledge Scholarships (OKP) very clearly. I was accepted: this was amazing news, I was really looking forward to it!
Interactions with professors
Already my first virtual interaction with staff was positive. I was also pleasantly surprised by the hospitality we received, we landed in the Netherlands late at night and we were received with open arms. I really value the interactions we have with the professors, they are always available and reachable. They care about students understanding the content.
Water from the source to the fields
As an undergraduate, I studied biosystem engineering, which has five thematic areas, including water and irrigation. I was mainly interested in water resources and irrigation. I also worked as a graduate engineer at the Ministry of Agriculture. I worked on the Small-Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project. We supervised the construction of water pans for livestock water provision and domestic use, as well as boreholes and shallow wells to provide irrigation water for small-scale farmers in arid areas.
When I worked in that project I realised that the farmers had no knowledge on how to get water from the source to the fields - they did not know the different types of irrigation. This was a turning point for me: I want to provide them with the knowledge they need.
Field trip and modules at IHE Delft
This was my first time in Europe and the weather was a big shock. But the community at IHE Delft made it much easier: I really feel part of it! Punctuality was also an interesting difference to what I was used to. Being so close with the professors also felt new: they are very approachable - we can even call them by their first name!
The teaching method is very intense. Back in Kenya, the academic year is divided into two semesters of three months, while here at IHE Delft, we work with modules of three weeks. You need to read a lot - it is very condensed but also very engaging.
But the part I enjoyed most was a fieldtrip to France. In the first week, in Montpellier, we learned skills on irrigation, measured discharges of different canals, learned about structures for irrigation, pressurized systems and more. In the second and third weeks, we went to Grenoble to conduct interdisciplinary projects. We learned about multipurpose dam reservoirs. My group worked on the usage of the dams, including the amount of water used for irrigation, hydropower and more. We also hiked a lot. It was a mountainous region so it was a lot of exercise.
After graduation
I will go back to Kenya and would love to work at the Ministry of Agriculture or at the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. But I also would like to work with an international organization that advocates for food security, like the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
As with most developing countries, in Kenya the water situation fluctuates greatly with dry seasons and flooding. I would like to work in the design team of irrigation systems. That would allow me to move up from graduate engineer to a professional engineer within five years.
Interested?
IHE Delft offers two new Master of Science programmes: the MSc in Water and Sustainable Development and the Research MSc in Water and Sustainable Development. Furthermore, IHE Delft is involved in joint MSc Programmes offered with partner institutes.
