Congratulations to our most recent University of Rochester Projects for Peace recipients
Lina Abdou ‘26
Area of study: International Relations (BA)
Minor (s): Economics and Studio Arts
Born in Troy, Ohio, Abdou was raised in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. From Mid-June to the end of July, Abdou will return to Casablanca for her project titled “Peace as Infrastructure: Strengthening Single-Mother Households in Morocco.” The project aims to confront the institutional practices and socio-cultural norms undergirding violence against women and create conditions where dignity, safety, and peace are possible.
“I developed this project because I’ve seen how structural inequality operates in quiet but deeply impactful ways, especially for divorced, widowed, and single mothers in Morocco,” says Abdou. “Growing up, I became aware of how these women are often expected to carry entire households while navigating economic instability, legal challenges, and social stigma, often without meaningful support. What struck me most was not just the lack of resources, but the absence of consistent, community-based systems that allow for long-term stability.”
Abdou will collaborate with Association pour l’Égalité et la Citoyenneté (ATEC). The project will include a workshop series focused on reducing exposure to conflict and building non-violent, stable ways of navigating daily life.
“When women have access to resources, knowledge, and supportive networks, they are better positioned to sustain themselves and their families,” says Abdou. “This project is my way of contributing to grounded, everyday peace, one that is built through support systems rather than imposed from the outside.”
Among her many accomplishments, Abdou received the Charles Miller Williams and Mary Washington Williams Memorial Prize from the Department of English in 2025 and received the Metro Justice “Solidarity in Action” Award in 2024.
Sonia Irakoze ‘28
Area of study: Mechanical Engineering (BS)
Sonia Irakoze ’28 will return to her country-of-origin Rwanda this summer for a project titled “AquaSolve Rwanda: Solar-Powered Filtration for Peace” that aims to bring solar-powered water filtration to the Lake Mirayi area of the Bugesera District. She plans to collaborate with a local water and sanitation engineer for technical support while leading the construction and maintenance of one or two solar-powered water filtration kiosks in the Gashora sector along Lake Mirayi, a non-potable water source that many residents use despite risks of parasites, bacteria, and attacks from crocodiles.
Irakoze will work to build relationships, trust, and cooperation among wide range of stakeholders that are affected by water access issues. She plans to engage vulnerable youth, women, homeless individuals, low-income people, and local community leaders in decision making on sites of filtration kiosks, construction, management of use, and maintenance of kiosks. She will lead workshops and aims to train 10-15 “water protectors.”
“Peace is when people can live with dignity, without fear, and without having to fight for basic needs like water,” says Irakoze. “When some people drink safe water and others must risk their lives or steal to get it, there is no real peace.”
Irakoze joined URochester as a Alan and Jane Handler Scholar and has been deeply involved in student organizations including the National Society of Black Engineers, Women & Minorities in Computing, the CubeSat Club, and working as a student alumni ambassador. In the summer of 2025, she received support from the Schwartz Community-Based Internship program to serve as a development intern with the Uganda Water Project, working on data-driven outreach campaigns to raise funds for clean-water infrastructure in Uganda. This relationship will serve as a continuing source of support during her project this summer.