Time seems to have just flew by at this point in Houston, but at the same relentless speed of time so did our project run. We moved on to do some calculations that would help us come up with a design that would remove dust particles of at least 10 microns in side with the best achievable efficiency but with minimal pressure drop losses. After some days of pondering and doing the calculations we went back to SOLIDWORKS software with design dimensions that proved to produce better results from the calculations. The insight of our supervisors has kept us going this far, we had another meeting with the supervisors and Dr Leautaud on which we delivered an account on the project progress. These meeting have been of a significant help to us as it helps us get more ideas from all the supervisors that contributed positively to the progress of the projects. Moving from there, in the fifth week we started to 3-D print the prototype. It was quite an exciting feeling for me and my partner to finally see the prototype in its physical form. Back at our home university we do not at present have a 3-D printer and so I am grateful for this programme as it is introducing us to many technologies that are currently not available in Malawi. It took about three days to print and assemble the prototype and it came out as we had designed it, thanks to our supervisors Grant and Jack who helped us in doing the printing.

The few weeks that I have spent working with Rice 360 have been of significance for my personal career development such that as each day passes by, I see myself developing into a better problem solver through all the challenges that we’ve faced and the brilliant solutions that we have witnessed throughout the project progress so far. In additional to that, getting to work in the same room with the fellows that are working on very big projects that will certainly impact the world and learning from their ideas, insights and skills has just been a joy to me, I am just humbled to be part of this great team and to contribute toward the improvement of global health. With all the knowledge that I have acquired through this programme so far it will definitely give me a better approach in my final year project at school, and it has already changed my attitude toward school in general as I’ve learnt through the programme that there are people out there whose lives can be saved through the knowledge that I’ve acquired through this internship.