IHPO is developing products for the developing world.
Innovative Humanitarian Projects Organization was created by Grant Moore, senior in electrical engineering, and his classmates, with help from adviser Thomas Baginski, in order to provide portable, eco-friendly water purifiers to developing countries.
Moore, IHPO president, said his interest in creating this organization was sparked during a group project for a business engineering and technology class.
"We were challenged with making a business plan and a mock-up of some sort of product, but we went beyond the call and got a real prototype working," Moore said. "We were like, 'Wow, if we could do this, why stop here?' So we decided to start this club."
Moore said he is passionate about providing clean water to developing countries because it's a real, life-threatening issue for people worldwide. Poor water quality affects people's lives on a fundamental level, from their physical needs to their education.
"We sing, 'Rain, rain, go away' when other people are praying for it," said Harrison Mills, junior in accounting and IHPO vice president. "I think that this is important because sometimes we might take for granted these necessities and how easy they come to us and how something as simple as water can be overlooked. I think it's important for students to get involved and help someone in need."
Moore said his group improved upon existing water purification technology to make it more sustainable. IHPO developed one solar-powered device and one that's powered by a hand crank.
"We took technology that was developed in conjunction with the U.S. military and really made it much more eco-friendly and much more humanitarian," Moore said. "Our device doesn't use batteries, and we think that has a lot of benefits because in these third-world countries, batteries are hard to get and they're poor quality when you do get them. And they're un-environmentally friendly to make and dispose of."
Moore said IHPO has already delivered water purifiers to other countries.
"We have one graduate student who has gone to Uganda to do testing there," Moore said. "We have a partnership with a man in Huntsville who is involved with Rotary, and he has taken some of our purifiers too. We've also had them tested by ex-Marines in Alaska and a lot of other cool places."
Tara Jones, sophomore in accounting, serves as the IHPO chief marketing officer. She said that aside from providing a crucial service to developing countries, the organization also provides an opportunity for Auburn students to get involved.
"We hope to get people involved that might not know anything about engineering," Jones said. "Maybe they have a business mindset like me or want to help with graphic design or marketing. We can combine skillsets from across the colleges on campus. It has the potential to cross so many bridges because we all have a fundamental humanitarian desire."
Moore said the group plans to expand past just water purification to encompass any innovative humanitarian project. He said he hopes the organization can create a lasting change.
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