International Projects
EWB-USA, Virginia Tech Chapter
Throughout EWB at Virginia Tech's history, we have done multiple international projects. These include work done in Uganda, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and most recently in Haiti.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The city of Veron, Dominican Republic lies just outside of Punta Cana and is the home of many workers in the Punta Cana Resorts and their families. Over the years, the population has drastically increased without governmental support.
In 2006, a health clinic was renovated with help from Grupo Punta Cana and the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. A lack of clean water, a necessity to public health, still exists. A professor at Virginia Tech, Dr. Dillaha traveled to the area and noticed a need in the community that EWB-VT could fulfill.
The community of Veron is growing rapidly and many residents need medical attention. The local clinic treats the residents without having a clean water supply, the water is pumped from a well and used for patients of the clinic. It is essential for this water to be clean as it has a direct impact on public health. In January 2007, EWB-USA-VT Chapter coordinated a trip to Veron to assess the community and gather water quality data. Water samples were taken throughout the community. From the twenty samples taken coliforms were present in many locations. Data collected at the local clinic warranted a design for a UV disinfection system. By Spring of 2007 a UV disinfection system had been evaluated and the VT chapter had their final implementation designs completed. In August of 2007, members of the team returned to Veron, Dominican Republic to construct the housing unit for the UV disinfection system. The uv disinfection system for the clinic was an overall success. the system has ran very efficiently and there have been minimal problems. Although the UV disinfection system in the clinic was a success, there is still a need to cleaner water throughout the community. In late 2008 new project mentor, Will Stacy, traveled down to the Dominican Republic and saw a great need for cleaner water in the schools of Veron. EWB-USA-VT Chapter plans to travel back to Veron for an assessment of the schools drinking water in the spring of 2009. A new filtration system could possibly be put in place by the summer of 2009.
There have been preliminary talks with the leaders of Grupo Punta Cana to implement a full scale water distribution system for the entire community of Veron. EWB-USA-VT Chapter is credited as being the catalyst for this future endeavor. To implement a water distribution system for the community was the initial project until it grew out of the hands of a student chapter. It is intended that the VT Chapter remains in contact with the local organizations and community leaders to make sure the project follows through to completion.
The leaders have requested that EWB remain a presence in the design process.
OBJECTIVE
HAITI
The Haiti project team is working with Partners In Health, The Haitian Health Care Foundation, and the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population to rebuild the dilapidated outpatient clinic in Hinche, located in the poor central plateau of Haiti. The clinic is more than 60 years old and wholly inadequate for the approximately 75,000 people who depend on its services. Engineers without Borders will be providing the design and funds to build the clinic and Partners In Health will operate and maintain the clinic. This past spring Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners In Health came to speak at Virginia Tech, and was introduced by the student co-leads for the Haiti project, Colin Glesner and Darius Emrani. Also, this summer two recently graduated VT students and a VT alumnus made a trip to Hinche and did a survey of the clinic site. Currently, the Haiti team is finalizing our case statement, the core document that will broadly state the need of the community, how we aim to address that need and who will be involved in the process. This will serve as the foundation for all of our fundraising efforts and once it is finalized we will begin fundraising in earnest. To date we have raised $9,278 dollars in donations and have had 637 hours of student and professional time volunteered for the project worth approximately $9,188. In the coming semester we are planning to have a geotechnical survey of the clinic site done, an important first step to determining parameters for the design of the clinic and ensuring that the clinic will last for decades to come. Also, in January we will be sending a group of Virginia Tech students to Haiti to meet with members of the community, the Haitian Government and Partners in Health.
UGANDA
The Uganda team traveled to Africa this July to implement their solar power system for the Hope Integrated Academy, a primary and secondary school run by the Uganda Rural Fund (URF). The travel team consisted of four VT students, Rich Allevi, Andrew Arana, Maggie Lewis, and Colin Glesner, one VT alumni, Andy Kinel, and the teams professional mentor, Phil Powell. Despite some shipping problems that led to most of the teams equipment arriving three days before they were scheduled to leave, the project was completed on time, and the last day the school was powered entirely by the solar panels, with some power to spare. The project also managed to come in under budget, by virtue of a local friend haggling down the price of the batteries that were purchased in country. Engineers without Borders Virginia Tech plans to continue working with The Hope Integrated Academy, and a trip back to Uganda is tentatively being planned for January 2010.
Xix, Quiche, Guatemala
Background Information
EWB-VT is working in Xix, Quiche, Guatemala on a water and public health project servicing Instituto Mixto Con Orientacion Agricultura (IMOA), a Mayan boarding school. The school itself focuses not only on traditional schooling but also focuses on community leadership through citizen responsibility and service. EWB-VT traveled in May 2009 on an implementation trip and installed a treatment system to treat the schools water source. Because their water source is seasonal, the project team is now focusing on providing a year-round water source for the school, along with providing solutions for other needs such as wastewater drainage.
Facts
•During the months of January-April, the region experiences almost no rainfall.
•During the 2008 summer the school was forced to rely on contaminated surface water for its water, which led to intestinal complications for many of the schools 80 students and faculty
•The project team looks to develop an educational system to teach the community proper sanitation practice.
•Wastewater currently drains into sealed concrete vaults.
•The School for New Mayas was recently formed to support the school.
PHOTO GALLERY
Guatemala Photos
MORE TO KNOW
Welcome to the Virginia Tech chapter of Engineers Without Borders--USA. We are a service organization that works to connect engineers with communities that need our help, all over the world.
Our mission is to partner with disadvantaged areas to improve their quality of life through the implementation of environmentally, equitably, and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing internationally
responsible engineers and engineering students through education, encouragement, and experience.
We engage in international projects, local service projects, and community outreach. You, too, can be a part of that.
Everyone is welcome to attend our meetings every other Tuesday of each month. You can find out more on the pages of this website and join our listserv by e-mailing ewb_vt.edu.
