NSBE Boston Announces a New Partnership With Engineers Without Borders
As a Chapter, NSBE Boston is dedicated to supporting engineering initiatives both domestically and abroad.We are proud to announce a new partnership between Engineers Without Borders- Boston Professional Chapter (EWB-BPC) & NSBE Boston Professionals to fund community development projects in rural Tanzania.
These projects will improve the quality of life and safety for two rural Tanzanian communities especially in the midst of COVID-19. In addition to funding, we are looking for engineers to volunteer their expertise and resources for upcoming projects.
See below for the projects being funded:
Mkutani Water Supply Project
“In Mkutani, our big project is to provide a clean, accessible water distribution system for the 3000-person community. We have already successfully drilled a 120-meter deep well and installed a solar-powered pump. Even with these improvements, women and children must still walk 5 miles to obtain potable water from the well, or draw water from a nearby polluted river. This takes time away from other educational and economic opportunities. The next step is to construct a distribution system to transport the water the 2.5 miles between the well and the community to expand utilization of this clean water source. A remote implementation trip is planned for October 2020 to begin work on the Mkutani Water Supply Main Pipeline. Donations will go to purchasing the pipe and installing large tanks with a distribution point so that the women and children of Mkutani will no longer have to walk 5 miles for clean water to drink.”
Mkutani School Construction Project
“EWB-BPC has also partnered with the EWB-MIT student chapter to improve Mkutani’s primary school. A new building is currently being designed to provide seven new classrooms. This will improve the experience of young students and provide space for evening adult-education classes.”
Mkutani Girls Latrines Project
“We are planning to build a block of girl’s latrines at the school, as the current facilities are dilapidated and inadequate for the amount of female students attending the school. A block of 12 latrines including a washroom has been designed and implementation is being planned for January 2021.”
Chamhawi Water Supply Project
“Our newest project aims to provide potable drinking water to the community of Chamhawi, Tanzania. Currently, women and children from the community haul water from a river approximately half a mile away from their homes. As a first step towards the goal of providing access to safe drinking water, we plan to drill a borehole and install a hand pump in order to improve the health of the approximately 600 Chamhawi community members. We have contracted with a driller and plan to install a well this August. Originally, EWB-BPC was planning to travel to Tanzania this summer for the well-drilling and assessment of the next phase, but given the COVID-19 pandemic, we are now planning for remote implementation in August 2020.”
Looking For Volunteer Opportunities?
There are many technical and non-technical opportunities to volunteer across the Globe. You can be notified of Chapter events and project updates by joining their mailing list via their website. Additionally, you can join their Slack channel by emailing Roisin Floyd-O’Sullivan at president@ewbboston.org
Example Opportunities:
–Technical Assistance in Building Wells
–Participating or Organizing Fundraising Events
–Providing Administrative Assistance
