Connecting pipes and drawing plans is only part of the job for University of Idaho”s Engineers Without Borders chapter.
EWB-UI is partnered with Carani, Bolivia, to design and construct a water supply system.
William Parker, EWB-UI president and senior electrical engineering major, said some of the homes in the Bolivian community have access to water infrastructure, but many residents do not. When it comes to designing the project, Parker said the desires of the community and its cooperation are fundamental. He said it”s important not to go into a project thinking you know best.
“It”s the social component that makes or breaks these projects,” Parker said. “The key is seeing people as partners and equals.”
Parker said the residents were concerned about water, especially for their crops, since a majority of the people of Carani live off the land.
“It”s kind of a balance between joining the modern world and holding onto tradition,” Parker said.
William Parker | Courtesy
Engineers Without Borders students load gear onto a car in their partner community of Carani, Bolivia.
He said the government began the project and installed some tanks, including one on the edge of a woman”s land. Parker said because of where the tank is placed, she doesn”t get pressurized water in her home while her neighbors downhill do. When tensions between the neighbors rise, Parker said the woman has been known to turn the water off.
He said talking with people about putting water lines through their property is a critical part of the design and they have to be supportive.
EWB has committed to partnering with Carani for at least five years, and teams of EWB members have visited the community twice for assessment and planning purposes. This summer, Parker said members of the chapter will return to begin the construction phase. In the meantime, Skype calls are used to keep in touch.
“Everything has to be ready to go,” he said.
Nathan Suhr, a civil engineering graduate student and EWB member, said Engineers in Action helps coordinate projects around the world, including UI”s project.
“We wouldn”t be able to do this kind of operation without them,” Suhr said.
Suhr has been on every trip EWB-UI has taken and has seen projects develop.
“Until the material shows up, it”s not real for some people,” Suhr said. “This community is very excited and willing to work with us.”
Each year, EWB-UI must raise between $20,000 and $30,000 to fund the trip to Bolivia and the supplies.
“We have a really big budget and the money directly aids people in need,” said Monica Erickson, a sophomore civil engineering major and EWB secretary.
The group does various fundraisers throughout the year, including their spring Fundraising Bash April 1 at the 1912 Center.
Doing the legwork to raise the funds pays off, Erickson said.
“We”re taking pretty average science and turning it into small improvements in people”s lives,” Parker said.
Suhr said EWB-UI is committed to five years, but the partnership could last much longer.
“We”ll be there as long as they have a use for us,” Suhr said. “Basically, the goal is to put ourselves out of a job.”
Erickson said EWB-UI is open to students of all majors and skillsets.
“We need all sorts of skills, not just math,” Erickson said.
Katelyn Hilsenbeck can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Katelyn_mh