Published: May 06, 2008 09:04 pm         

Engineers without borders: Students on a mission to help the people of Ghana

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Engineers Without Borders student organization is continuing its efforts to provide the basic needs for survival — food, water and shelter — to residents of Obodan, a village in Ghana. However, the group is in dire need of financial sponsors to bring the projects to reality.

Two years ago, a group of 10 students brought a brooder house to the village. The chickens are now providing a source of income and produce for residents. The agricultural project has become a model for other villages in the African country.

This summer, a new contingent of students will be returning to Obodan to continue improving the quality of life in the village. The list of projects include drilling a well with hand tools, water reclamation of rain water from the roof of the brooder house, completing construction of a community training center and presenting laptop computers with science, math and English educational software programs that were donated by students, faculty and staff members through a campus collection drive. The students also hope to present a business plan to improve operations at the brooder house.

Participating in the project will be Jessica Lipscomb, chapter president; Albert Mui, vice president; Adam Kirchner, secretary; Ryan McGiffen, project coordinator; former officers Nathan Hazard, Dana Andre and Michael Krantz.

Rose-Hulman’s Engineers Without Borders chapter for founded in 2004 and currently has over 20 members. The organization is comprised of engineers from a wide variety of disciplines and interests.

“Our members are genuinely excited about putting their diverse skills into a place where needed,” stated Lipscomb.

Engineers Without Borders-USA is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. These partnerships involve the implementation of environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineering professionals. EWB activities range from the construction of sustainable systems that developing communities can own and operate without external assistance, to empowering such communities by enhancing local, technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills. These projects are initiated by, and completed with contributions from the host community. Since its founding in 2000, EWB-USA has operated more than 80 projects in 35 countries.

More information about Rose-Hulman’s EWB chapter can be found at www.rose-hulman.edu/ewb/ewb-rose-hulman_institute_of_technology_-_home.htm. Donations to the organization can be made by contacting Dick Boyce in the Office of Institutional Advancement at (812) 877-8443 or Richard.Boyce@rose-hulman.edu.