African Student Association members learned about current efforts to improve conditions in Africa and other countries as part of their meeting Friday.

Penn State students and faculty presented their ongoing projects in parts of Africa, El Salvador and Kentucky.

Sylvain Kouame, president of the African Student Association (ASA), said he wanted everyone to see the projects and started the meeting by saying, "We have great things to show you."

Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) has multiple ongoing projects dispersed in various parts of the world. ESW facilitates a certificate program in community service engineering for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in engineer service learning. The group's projects include water supply and wind-powered electrical generation.

Kouame said the goal of the presentations was to get more involvement pertaining to issues affecting African countries.

Faculty adviser Tom Colledge began the presentation by telling the group the intent of engineers, which is to focus on problems with social and cultural concepts that are sensitive to a host community.

Colledge also focused part of his presentation on poverty in the world. About 46 percent of the world makes $2 a day or less. By 2030, it is anticipated that two-thirds of the world will make less than that, he said.

"We need to focus not only on our concerns but the concerns of others," he said. "We worry about a roommate snoring and parts of the world don't have shelter."

Khanjan Mehta, consulting engineer for the College of Engineering and staff adviser, and Mark Brill, project leader, spoke about their work in Kenya. Their group, which works to produce wind energy, is partnered with Bowling Green State University, University of Nairobi and the Kochia Development Group. "We use wind because it's there on Lake Victoria," Brill said. "It's easy to manufacture and maintain."

ASA member and Kenya native Janet Sei said she didn't like this idea because she doesn't think it will be beneficial to the people.

"There's more water than wind, so I think hydroelectricity would be better," Sei said.

The project is currently building a prototype, and in the spring they intend to apply the product of the wind energy project. This summer the group plans on building the first prototype in Kenya. Mehta said the project still needs help on construction in State College and funding to get started.

Jeff Baker, group leader for the El Salvador Water Service Project, spoke about the group's progress, which started last fall. The group is training people for water survey and quality and is currently working out a government and private land agreement, among other tasks.

Baker said they hope to complete an extensive study on the area, secure more funds and design and implement the project next year.

A water treatment system is currently being implemented in Appalachia, Ky. Alternative Waste Treatment System group leader Sarah Klinetob presented the group's accomplishments, which include creating a preliminary design and winning $2,500 at a competition.

The last presenter of the evening, Michael Adewumi, director of Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA), spoke about how livelihoods in Africa are at risk and education is needed in order to produce a prosperous society. AESEDA wants to create opportunity, prosperity and a stable society.