Engineers Without Borders - Valparaiso University is a service-based organization consisting of university students from all majors committed to partnering with international, national and local undeveloped communities to effect transformation change through common action. EWB-VU seeks to aid these communities by using technical and engineering skills to design and implement sustainable projects which incorporate environmental and cultural awareness and which aim to broaden the global perspective of our local community.

Fundraisers  

April 19th 2012, Culvers day! Come on out on the 19th and support EWB by bringing our flier with you!

EWB - VU is currently working with the village of Maesera in the Kilema district of northern Tanzania on a dual project to rehabilitate a local irrigation canal and provide sources of clean drinking water within 400 meters (0.25 miles) of every household. More information on our current international project can be found on the Projects page.

Funding: The required funding for this 2011-2012 project in Maesera is projected as no less than $50,000. In previous years we have been successful due to generous contributions from outside sources and fundraising efforts. After working hard with grants and our generous contributors, we are currently working on our total donations. If you would like to help us reach our goal, you can donate! 

Success in Tanzania (2011)

Last summer, Valparaiso University's chapter of Engineers Without Borders returned from a successful humanitarian trip to Masaera, Tanzania, a village nestled at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The team from Valparaiso University has been working diligently the past few years to improve a canal system which supplies most of the water for the area. Recently, this canal has suffered serious damage due to erosion. With help from villagers, the travel team has been able to install a drop box (a cement slab which helps to absorb energy from falling water, reducing erosion) at Junction 1 along the village's vital canal system. Without this dropbox, water would have continued to erode through the hillside, resulting in 3,000 villagers being in desperate need of water. The travel team was thrilled to find that they were able to finish work on the dropbox one day earlier than anticipated. While in Tanzania, the team also met with the Masaera Water Council to discuss improvements that can be made to its organization and the assurance that the council will pursue regular maintenance and repairs on the canal. The trip also allowed EWB to build a closer relationship with the people of Masaera. The trip has been extremely successful and with a dropbox firmly in place, the villagers are more reassured about the reliability of their water supply. If interested, EWB-Valpo's former president Michelle Roy accompanied the travel team and is writing a blog on the experience. There are also more pictures from this 2011 trip in the projects section as well as on our Facebook page.

                                                                                                                                Mt. Kilimanjaro

 Installing drop box

 Recognition

 Valparaiso University's chapter of EWB was selected to partake in the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) which occurred from April 1st to April 3rd, 2011 in San Diego, California. Two EWB-Valpo students attended the conference and proudly represented Valparaiso University on an international scale. The conference was founded by former President Bill Clinton and allows students from both Graduate and Undergraduate institutions to discuss and search for remedies to global issues. In order to attend, EWB-Valpo had to submit an application which consisted of proposing a 'Commitment to Action'. Focusing the application on the recent service trip to Tanzania, it is no wonder that EWB-Valpo has been accepted. With national recognition such as this, EWB-Valpo will be able to continue making a difference and encouraging others to do the same.