Not only did the trip give him valuable information for improving the incubator design, it also gave him insights into understanding and appreciating another culture. Young had traveled abroad but had never been to Africa before, and the experience, he said, was life-changing.

Burkina Faso was dry, dusty and very hot, with sand storms, dirt roads and bad traffic. In the countryside outside Ouagadougou were mud huts and one-room schools; in the capital, Young said, the buildings didn’t seem to be structurally sound.

Young and fellow UGA students were ready to appreciate what they saw and learned, as Kisaalita had prepared them very well for a different culture, and for the poverty, Young said. He also guided his students in useful directions on their projects.

Young joined Cox Communications as an operations engineer after graduating in December 2005. But he continues speaking to other engineering students about his experience, recommending that they work with Kisaalita on a Third World project.

“I tell them they’re not going to have a similar opportunity again to help someone,” Young said. “It’s one of the most rewarding experiences they’re going to have in their lives. It’s worth the time to give people some hope.”