In 1997, three men founded the Lake Victoria Agricultural and Environmental Conservation (VIAGENCO) organization in Luanda, Kenya, with the vision of improving their community. The initial focus was to address agricultural issues, but the founders quickly realized that many of the problems in the community stemmed from poor health care. A partnership was forged with the Visiting Nurses and Hospice
Care of Santa Barbara (VNHCSB) in 2004 in hopes of creating a healthier environment for Luanda residents. In 2008, VNHCSB asked EWB-UCSB to join the effort to provide clean water and electrical infrastructure for a newly built health clinic. Since 2008, the EWB-UCSB Kenya team has worked closely with the VIAGENCO clinic to implement a rainwater catchment system, a medical waste incinerator, and electrical infrastructure at the VIAGENCO clinic. The team has also built two groundwater distribution systems in the surrounding area. The goal of the project is to continue to provide access to clean water, quality healthcare, and education to the extended Luanda community.
