DO 166 - Biochar Water Treatment in Malawi with Richard, Ahmad, and Josh

Doomer Optimism

Over the past several months Josh Kearns has been remote mentoring a small group of Stanford students working on biochar water treatment (mostly though one student contact). Two students just wrapped up a 10-week implementation trip in Malawi. He recorded the conversation the night before they were flying out to come back to Western Civilization. He wanted to talk to them while they were still fresh off the experience and in-context, before the mind-warp of readjusting to life in the US.

In this conversation they talked about their project and what insights and experiences they gained, what they found surprising, challenging, etc. They discussed the utility of field-based hands-on experiential education versus formal university education. They had some interesting things to say, including that living in the campus environment (in campus housing where cleaning is all done for you, eating at the dining hall where you don't have to prepare your own food, etc.) many students don't feel like "adults." Managing their own housing upkeep and meals was a salient point for them it seems.