Bringing Clean Water and Green Energy to Villages in Rural Africa

Gabby Samad Image

Gabrielle “Gabby” Samad grew up in the United States. As an undergraduate student of communications with a minor in global poverty, she had the opportunity to spend a semester in Brazil. After graduating, she worked as a community organizer, first in Brazil and then in the United States.  

Gabby knew she wanted to earn a master’s degree in development and Glocal was a perfect fit. She also decided to make aliya. Entering the program with a few years of hands-on experience, the program gave her tools for better understanding development work. Without doubt, the highlight was her internship in Rwanda. Putting her degree in communication to good use, Gabby did marketing work for Health Poverty Action, meeting with project beneficiaries and sharing their stories with the world.

Even before graduating, Gabby found a job with Innovation Africa, a non-profit that brings Israeli solar power, water, and agricultural innovations to rural villages in Africa. 

"I found my dream job – combining international field work into my practice. By bringing solar power to schools and clinics in Uganda and Malawi, facilities are now able to stay open into the night, allowing more people to benefit from education and healthcare. By providing clean and accessible water to communities, these villagers have, for the first time in their lives, access to clean water – something we usually take for granted. Water is life."

A video clip of Gabby talking about her experiences in Rwanda is available here.