Tola Thomas is a Cal Poly Architecture student from Antioch, California.  Tola sees JI as an opportunity to take the next leap in becoming the person he wants to be. He knows it is a huge challenge, and is excited for the opportunity to do humanitarian design.

The Artisanal Cheesemaking Centre of Excellence (‘ACCE’) is a non profit dedicated to the advancement of safe dairy education in Rwanda. ACCE was launched in response to dairy and food-processing sectors defined by poor quality products and processes.

By building a dairy, ACCE will:

• • serve cheesemakers by offering hands-on trainings and short-courses in proper cheese production techniques
  • serve cheese consumers through the production of cheese varieties not available from domestic producers, lowering prices, offsetting imports and increasing demand for cheese improved dairying practices and functioning as a model processor and center for training and knowledge
  • serve the poor through job and opportunity creation, milk purchasing, encouraging rural cheesemaking

Project Details

• Humanitarian Partner: Artisanal Cheesemaking Center of Excellence Rwanda
• Sponsor(s): RRM Design
• Location: Rwanda
• Designer(s): Tola Thomas (architecture student)
• University: Cal Poly
• Professor: Jonathan Foote and Umut Toker
• Status: Design Pending