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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula March 30, 2006   Text © 2006 Keweenaw Now, with information from Michigan Tech University Engineers Without Borders. Photos © 2006 Kurt Paterson and Brandon Braithwaite, as indicated, and courtesy MTU Engineers Without Borders. Reprinted with permission.

MTU's Engineers Without Borders helps Bolivian school

HOUGHTON -- Just a little more than a year old, Michigan Tech's chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) completed its first international project in November 2005, when seven students and two MTU Professors, David Watkins and Kurt Paterson, both faculty in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, spent about a week building a sewage treatment system and bathroom facilities for the Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan) School in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. 

EWB-Michigan Tech members and Bolivian co-workers take a break from the action to pose for a photo. (Photo © 2005 Brandon Braithwaite. Reprinted with permission.)

Much of the assessment and design components of the project were completed by Michigan Tech International Senior Design (ISD) students who subsequently founded EWB-MTU.

In the last year, EWB-MTU has grown quickly to include approximately 75 students (first-year through Ph.D.) and faculty in several departments. The group benefits from interactions with the ISD and Michigan Tech's Peace Corps Masters International (MI) programs. For instance, of the seven EWB-MTU students who traveled to Bolivia, two participated in ISD in Bolivia, three are first-year students in the MI program and one is applying to the MI program for next year. 

Brandon Braithwaite, one of the Peace Corps Masters International students on the Bolivia trip, summed up the value of the experience in cultural communication.

Brandon Braithwaite, EWB-MTU member and Peace Corps Masters International student,  poses with his new Bolivian friend. (Photo © 2005 Brandon Braithwaite. Reprinted with permission.)

"All in all, the total group's sense of humor was the glue that kept everything together as we found smiles and laughter to be universal," Braithwaite writes. "Those who returned from Bolivia returned with a new sense of the world and a new sense of self." * 

Paterson noted that in February 2006, about one year after conception, the Michigan Tech chapter was chosen to receive the EWB Award for Chapter Development.

"These students have passion and are making important contributions to the world," Paterson said. "In return, they have become better engineers and citizens. And they've created all this on their own. University administrators everywhere should be taking notes."

Bolivian community participates in project

In November 2005, when the EWB group of nine arrived in Santa Cruz to implement the septic design, the community expressed desire for bathroom facilities in addition to the treatment system; and the budget was stretched to accommodate this request. A paid foreman, two paid masons, local volunteers and EWB members constructed the complete system and provided information on hygiene and system operation to the community.

Watkins noted one important lesson learned during this project is that the hands-on, technical expertise of local communities can be invaluable. Without the assistance of the local people, several components of the project (notably the foundation and brickwork) would have proceeded much more slowly; and the project may not have been completed during the time available, he explained.

"One rather humorous moment occurred when several of us were trying to move a section of the concrete lid onto the top of the septic tank," Watkins said. "Seeing us struggle, one of the masons motioned us all out of the way and began to move the lid by himself, using one log for a lever and two others as rollers. This was just one example of the mutual education that occurred during the project."

This scene occurred right after one of the Bolivian workers (not pictured) showed EWB members how to move concrete lids for the septic tank. Pictured, left to right, are Ken Koers, Walter Eid Ortiz (local counterpart) Brandon Braithwaite and Ryu Suzuki. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Watkins also noted meaningful and lasting relationships built between the EWB group and Bolivian community members.

"During our trip, we experienced tremendous hospitality from the community, as well as numerous cultural enrichment opportunities, despite some language barriers. For instance, on the last night of our trip, the community held a farewell celebration that included dance performances by the school children, music and dancing for the adults and a birthday cake for one of our EWB members." 

Laura Oman, the recipient of that birthday celebration, also commented on her interaction with community members.

EWB-MTU members Laura Oman and Ryu Suzuki (second from right) give an English lesson to students of the Buen Samaritano School in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Prof. David Watkins, standing, observes the interaction. (Photo © 2005 Brandon Braithwaite. Reprinted with permission.)

"I was 19 years old when we arrived in Bolivia, and this was my first international experience," Oman said. "With limited Spanish knowledge I was still able to communicate with the locals by 'talking' with my hands, facial expressions and my attempts at Spanish. This led to a lot of laughter from both sides."

The local people were the best part of the trip, welcoming the group into their homes and their daily lives, Oman added. 

"We had to decline invitations for dinner everyday because so many people wanted to have us over," she said. "I turned 20 while we were in Bolivia and the neighborhood threw me a surprise birthday party complete with cake, guitar music and dancing. It was wonderful to hear the children sing 'Happy Birthday' to me in Spanish and English."

EWB-MTU member Laura Oman celebrates her 20th birthday at a neighborhood party held during the EWB project in Bolivia. (Photo © 2005 Brandon Braithwaite. Reprinted with permission.)

The Buen Samaritano School is the most rural school in District Seven of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and currently serves nearly 300 students. At least half of the students live in rural subsistence farming homes and walk to the school from the surrounding areas. The Bolivian government has not provided funds for construction and maintenance of bathroom facilities at the school, and the low-income community could not afford to construct them. This lack of facilities resulted in direct exposure to untreated human waste -- from the open pit-latrine, from overflowing private systems near the school or from direct contact in other areas of the school property.

In August 2004, Michigan Tech International Senior Design (ISD) students met with District 7 Sub-mayor Blanca Vargas and identified the Buen Samaritano School as one site requiring immediate engineering assistance. The student design team visited the site and found an open pit with logs across the top to be the only facility. The design team then met with the community to determine the needs of the school and gather appropriate data. After considering several alternatives, the team and community selected a drainage field and septic tank to serve the school’s planned expansion to 450 students. A follow-up visit by ISD students in August 2005 found the pit filled in, forcing students either to use the bathrooms at neighboring homes (subsequently overflowing several systems) or to use inappropriate locations on site (increasing exposure). 

Michigan Tech's Engineers Without Borders work on a septic system with members of the Buen Samaritano community. Project construction was a group effort. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

With a strong desire to work with communities and construct projects in the developing world, MTU students founded a chapter of EWB in January 2005 and selected Buen Samaritano as the first project. The chapter immediately began a fundraising effort and established contact with Mauricio Eid Ortiz (Bolivian Campus Crusade for Christ) to help organize the trip and coordinate efforts with the community.

Very unfortunately, the chapter was affected by the untimely death of Danielle Ladwig, a graduate student planning to travel with the team to Bolivia. Knowing that she would have wanted the work to continue, the chapter decided to complete the project in Danielle’s honor.

Memorial plaque for MTU graduate student Danielle Fawn Ladwig, who passed away just before she was expected to join the EWB Bolivia project. The MTU chapter of EWB dedicated the project to her. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

Though only nine EWB-MTU members made the trip to Bolivia, many more members of the student chapter, as well as the chapter’s professional mentors (Max Schmiege and Mike Paddock, CH2M-Hill) were instrumental in the project’s success. Particularly noteworthy were students’ fund-raising efforts. With each member of the travel team contributing $500 towards airfare, more than $10,000 remained in fund-raising needs. The students responded with a wide range of fund-raising activities, including writing letters to Michigan Tech alumni, weekly bake sales and a band benefit at a local nightclub. Increased fundraising efforts around campus led to greater public awareness of the project and EWB, and meeting attendance began to increase. The team also developed promotional t-shirts, stickers, window clings, post cards and posters to hang around campus and the community.

EWB-MTU members who completed the Buen Samaritano septic project pause for a final group photo with the Eid Ortiz family at the school. Pictured are, kneeling, Ryu Suzuki, left, and Ken Koers; standing, from left, Mauricio Eid Ortiz, Prof. Kurt Paterson, Yaneth Eid Ortiz (Mauricio's wife), Laura Oman, Prof. David Watkins, Beth Myre, Brandon Braithwaite and Walter Eid Ortiz. Not pictured are EWB-MTU members Adam Ward and Melissa Trahan, who participated in the first part of the project but were unable to remain the entire week. (Photo © 2005 Kurt Paterson. Reprinted with permission.)

When the EWB group left Santa Cruz the septic system was complete, and the bathroom facilities were nearly operational. All materials were purchased, and remaining construction funds were left with Mr. Eid Ortiz to ensure the facilities would be ready for school to begin.

Watkins noted recently, "We've received news that the system is functioning well."

EWB-MTU plans future projects, local educational outreach

The Michigan Tech chapter of Engineers Without Borders created a program that has grown its membership 200% and encompasses students in thirteen majors (including five non-engineering majors) across all academic levels (freshmen through doctoral).

Both professors expressed pride in MTU's new EWB Chapter and admiration for the students' work.

Paterson noted the group is 40% women, and all five officers elected for next year are women.

"They've traveled to two countries to assist developing communities, are partnering with universities and non-governmental organizations in three countries, spent their Spring Break building a sustainable home for a poor family in Colorado and are developing outreach programs for local schools," Paterson said. "The students are volunteering up to 20 hours of their time per week, offsetting project costs with their own money and engaging the local community in their efforts."

EWB-MTU members, both faculty and students, and students from MTU's Peace Corps Masters International program will participate in MTU's celebration of Earth Week throughout this week by sharing their first-hand experiences: They will present "Sustainable Building Techniques Used in Developing Countries" during the Lunch and Learn session from 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 31, in Memorial Union Building (MUB) Ballroom A.

Watkins said the next group of ISD students (including several members of EWB) plans to return to Santa Cruz in Summer 2006, and at least one visit to Buen Samaritano will be scheduled to monitor project operation. EWB-MTU will maintain regular contact with the Buen Samaritano community.

Paterson notes EWB members are planning more projects and fundraising efforts. This week three EWB student members will leave for Guatemala for ten days of community assessment in the village of Fronterizo. 

"They will be teaming up with CCGAP (Copper Country Guatemalan Accompaniment Project) members and a professor from a university in Guatemala to conduct a village survey and extensive engineering measurements," Paterson explained. With these findings we will assess what project(s) have community interest and technical viability and whether to proceed to the design and build phases."

* Editor's Note: Watch for a Viewpoints column by Brandon Braithwaite, with more of his photos, coming soon.

For more photos of MTU's Engineers Without Borders project in Bolivia click here to go to Page 2.