Engineers Break Down International Borders

By Liz Wassmann

Although the club name suggests otherwise, Engineers Without Borders is not just for engineers. EWB is open to all majors, since more than just engineering skills are needed to ensure the success of the projects.

Santa Clara's club is just one chapter of the national club, Engineers Without Borders-USA, which designs and implements projects for the benefit of marginalized communities in the developing world.

The Santa Clara chapter organizes a trip to Honduras every summer to work on a continuing project that supplies water to a rural village.

Senior and club secretary Terra Oldham, who went on the trip this past September, explained that the village of El Pital in the Cangrejal River Valley does not have enough water in general, let alone enough clean water.

In El Pital, parasitic infections and dysentery are the two main sources of illness, and both originate from contaminated water.

This summer, for the first time, the club is planning two separate trips to Honduras: one will focus on sanitation and the other on surveying. A real focus is placed on educating the community about the water system to ensure it stays productive even after the students leave.

Over the past four years, the club has tripled in size. There are now about 25 regular members.

Throughout the year, EWB hosts various fundraising events such as a Honduran Culture Night and this year, the first ever Engineering Kickball fundraiser, which is coming up in February.

In addition, the club was given the Most Sustainable Club Award by the Office of Sustainability and the Council of Sustainability for the first time this year.

The club also contributes in rural Honduras by tutoring local school children in science, math and (of course) engineering.

Senior Rachel Reid, EWB event coordinator, stressed that students from all majors all welcome. Because of the recent addition of an education committee, there is a real need for students who are strong writers or have studied Spanish to help teach the Honduran community about the project.

Contact Liz Wassmann at ewassmann@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.