EWB Spring 2012 Newsletter

ISSUE

ENGINEERS

01

WITHOUT BORDERS STUDENT CHAPTER

SPRING 2012

EWBUCLA this issue Mission, Vision, & Past Projects P.1 Guatemala Water Project P.2 Nicaragua S.E.D. Project P.4

OUR MISSION

BOOTUP LA Project P.6 EWB Testimonials P.7

EWB-USA supports community-driven

How to Get Involved P.8

development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design

Helping communities meet their basic human needs.

and implement sustainable engineering projects, while

EWB-USA

creating transformative

Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) is a

experiences and

nonprofit humanitarian organization established to

responsible leaders.

support community-driven development programs worldwide through partnerships that design and implement sustainable engineering projects. EWBUSA members, comprised of professionals and

OUR VISION

students of engineering or other disciplines, work with local communities and NGOs in over 45 coun-

A world in which the communities we serve have the capacity to sustainably

tries around the world on projects such as water, renewable energy, sanitation and more. EWB-USA has grown from little more than a handful of mem-

meet their basic human needs, and that our members have enriched

bers in 2002 to over 12,000 members today and has over 350 projects worldwide. EWB-USA main-

global perspectives through

tains over 250 dedicated student and professional

the innovative professional

chapters, and has touched the lives of more than

educational opportunities

one million people.

that the EWB-USA

Chocantiry, Guatemala No Lae, Thailand

Rain Harvest & Water Distribution Project Began construction in 2010

Schoolhouse Project, completed in 2009

EWB-UCLA STUDENT CHAPTER Here at UCLA, we are furthering the EWB-USA mission one project at a time. In 2005, we helped start a health clinic in Samli, Thailand. In 2006, we set up a sustainable computer lab for a children’s center in Jocotenango, Guatemala, and donated computers to an orphanage in Lira, Uganda. From 2007-2010, we built a retaining wall in Mexico, a rainwater catchment system in Guatemala, a schoolhouse in Thailand, and latrines in Nicaragua.

Today, we are working on a schoolhouse for a

program provides.

community in Las BreĂąas, Nicaragua, and finishing up our rainwater catchment system in Guatemala.

Our BOOTUP Project, which was started in 2005, donates refurbished computers to local schools in Kukra River, Nicaragua Latrine Sanitation Project. Completed in 2009.

Above: digging out the topsoil.

Right: in front of the finished latrine.

the Los Angeles area.

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Provide meaningful engineering and project management experience that is well rounded in nature.

PROJECT STAT US PROJECT IMPACT Number of persons affected Directly: 90 15 Tanks Constructed

Momostenango, Guatemala

LOCAL NGO PARTNER

Left: Guatemala team members create the iron frame for the above ground tank.

CassSito is a non-profit organization that helps to provide solutions and incentives to Guatema-

GUATEMALA RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEMS CHICANTORY WATER PROJECT

lan communities to encourage their children to attend and finish their education all the way

THE NEED

EWB-UCLA RESPONSE

Since the project construction’s start

In the town of Momostenango, Gua-

To support the local development of

in 2008, our team has completed

temala, appreciable rainfall occurs

the community, our project’s goal is

four phases of the project, fund-

The total cost of the project for

only six months out of the year.

to provide families in Momostenango

raised, and constructed a total of 15

this year is $12,000.

When there is no rain, women and

with a reliable, constant source of

ferrocement water tanks.

children must walk several kilome-

clean, drinkable water during the dry

ters a day, sometimes on multiple

season.

through high school.

PROJECTED COSTS

PROJECT & TRAVEL TEAM - Project Lead -

- Engineering & Technical Lead AJ Rieck

The travel team plans to complete a

trips, to collect water from rivers and

Brandon Lanthier

streams that are unsuitable for consumption. This daily chore of finding

- June Travel Team -

water causes children to miss school

Maanya Condamoor

and women to leave their homes.

Megan Webar

Communication with the local area

fifth phase in summer of 2012 of

first began in 2006, when a team

building additional water collection

from EWB-UCLA traveled to meet

systems in the community. As we

with community-elected representa-

want to further promote the local

tives,

local

sustainability of this project, we are

water

professionals,

Diego Rubalcava-Alvarez

The water they do retrieve is not

NGOs, and contractors about creat-

beginning to reduce our direct in-

Tiffany Chang

safe for consumption. There is a

ing a sustainable solution.

volvement in the community and are

Ivneet Bhullar

large amount of heavy metal and

- Professional Mentor Tony Antich, P.E.

organic contaminants that lead to gastrointestinal diseases. This sickness cripples a family’s ability to perform work. Children become too sick to attend school, mothers become too ill to care for their family, and fathers become too sick to go to work and earn money for them.

currently putting together an instrucWe’ve developed a rainwater collection system consisting of a 7,500liter concrete water tank that collects rainwater routed from the houses’ roofs.

These

water

tanks

hold

enough water to supply a family with more than a third of their clean drinking water for the entirety of the dry season.

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FUTURE WORK

tion manual with integrated translations, pictures, and diagrams. Our local partner NGO and the community’s elected representatives have the framework set for expansion. Expansion will not only provide more households with drinkable water but will also help build economic resources within the community.

TRIP RECAP

EWB UCLA

PROJECT PROGRESS EWB’s Guatemala travel team completed two more tanks during their September Implementation Trip this past fall.

GUATEMALA WATER PROJECT Budget Breakdown Monitoring Phase : WATER TANKS Tank Materials Item Description On Campus Prototype Tank Materials for 8 Tanks Contracted Labor

Spring Summer Preparation Implementation Estimated Total $2,000 -$2,000 -$1,600 $1,600 -$1,000 $1,000 Tank Materials Subtotal $4,600

A completed above ground water catchment tank.

CONSTRUCTION

Travel & Logistics Item Description Airfare Ground Transportation Miscellaneous Visas for 8 Travelers

Spring Preparation $4,750 -$200

Summer Implementation Estimated Total -$4,750 $800 $800 $300 $500 $80 $80 Travel & Logistics Sub Total $6,130

Housing & Accommodations Item Description Lodging for 8 Travelers Meals and Food We greatly appreciate any do natio n yo u co uld o ffer us. We guarantee that 100% o f yo ur do natio n will be put to wards o ur pro ject. Engineers Witho ut B o rders-USA is a registered 501(c)3 o rganizatio n.

A ll do natio ns are tax deductible.

EWB team members begin cementing the wire frame.

Spring Summer Preparation Implementation Estimated Total -$450 $450 -$900 $900 Housing & Accommodations Sub Total $1,350

Guatemala Project Need Total Expenses Amount Raised Current Need

PROJECT SUCCESSES The team found that families that own a tank save 6 manhours a day during the dry

$12,080 $5,000 $7,080

season and that their water quality is safe for consumption

A LOOK INTO THE COMMUNITY

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PROJECT STAT US

Partnering with local communities to design and implement sustainable engineering solutions.

PROJECT IMPACT Number of persons affected Directly: 60 Indirectly: 100

Las Breñas, Nicaragua

LOCAL NGO PARTNER

Left: Mentor Paul explaining the schoolhouse design to the local community

FUNCOS (Nicaragua division of Sustainable Harvest International) is a non-profit organization stationed in

NICARAGUA SANITATION EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT (S.E.D.) PROJECT

Bluefields, Nicaragua. They

THE NEED

The team met with the community

The team dug out drainage channels

Currently, many of the children of

members of Las Breñas Sector III

along the edges of the excavation

Las Breñas only attend school for

regarding construction and project

site to account for the rainy weather

half the year, if at all. The heavy

guidelines. The team also met with

that would come before the next

rains and the long distance to the

FUNCOS directors to discuss the

return trip.

PROJECTED COSTS

nearest schoolhouse prevent them

design and construction logistics of

The total cost of the

from getting their education. Our

the schoolhouse. A centralized loca-

schoolhouse project is $35,000

project’s goal is to provide the

tion was chosen based on the com-

children access to education by

munity’s

giving them the means and ensuring

and

their safety.

tests were taken. In

provide local farming families with both the proper training and the necessary tools to preserve the natural forests, while helping them overcome poverty.

for completion. We have an immediate need of $10,000 to

preliminary

soil

December 2011, the EWB-UCLA RESPONSE

travel team made a

- Project Leads Oren Freiberg Henry Phan - Engineering & Technical Lead -

In June 2010, the implementation and

assessment

phase

of

the

schoolhouse was completed.

Eugene de Valle

3D Drawing of Schoolhouse Design

Jonathan Wright - December Travel Team -

Crystal Lin, Wesley Mercado,

on the schoolhouse

“It’s refreshing to see how much the community appreciates and enjoys life despite lacking the basic comforts that we take for granted in the US.”

trip and surveyed the

-Warren Kadoya Travel Team

proposed schoolhouse site. The team then

foundation. There is still a need for the purchase of materials such as concrete, cement, and various construction Your

tools.

partnership

would help us move

began excavation with the help of

design

plans

were

redesigned and updated to reduce

Side

Front

- Professional Mentors -

the amount of manual labor, while still strictly adhering to U.S. building

Mike Dadik, P.E.

4

assessment

schoolhouse

Charlotte Insull, Dennis Nguyen,

Paul Friedlander, P.E.

Summer 2012 to begin construction

forward with the project.

the local community members. The

Warren Kadoya, Albert Yang,

Gerard Convento

second

The travel team plans to return in

preference,

build the foundation.

PROJECT & TRAVEL TEAM

FUTURE WORK

guidelines. *Drawings made by Albert Tang, fourth year Mechanical Engineering student, Travel Team

The community members eagerly await the start of construction. This summer, all of us hope to be one step closer to seeing the schoolhouse completed for the children.

EWB UCLA

TRIP RECAP

INTO EL RAMA

We took a 6 hour bus ride from Managua to El Rama.

NICARAGUA S.E.D. PROJECT

INTO BLUEFIELDS

Budget Breakdown Schoolhouse Phase : FOUNDATION

From El Rama, we took a 2

Schoolhouse Materials Item Description Concrete Cement Rebar Nails Wood, 1x12 beams, 8' Contracted Labor

Price Per Unit Units Needed $200 30 containers $10 50 bags $60 3000 lbs $5 5 boxes $890 0.5 m 3 --Schoolhouse Materials Sub Total

Estimated Cost $6,000 $500 $2,000 $25 $500 $1,000 $10,025

Price Per Unit Units Needed $690 8 travelers $17.50 8 travelers --$10 8 travelers Travel & Logistics Sub Total

Estimated Cost $5,520 $140 $410 $80 $6,150

Travel & Logistics Item Description Airfare Bus/Boat Tickets (to Bluefields, Nicaragua) Gas & Driver Fee for Private Boat to/from Project Site Visas

hour boat ride to Bluefields, and spent the night at FUNCOS.

INTO LAS BREĂ‘AS

During a 9 hour boat ride into the community, we capsized!

SCHOOLHOUSE SITE

Housing & Accommodations Item Description Hostel in Managua Food at Project Site (rice & b eans)

Price Per Unit Units Needed $15 8 travelers --Housing & Accommodations Sub Total

We greatly appreciate any donation you could offer us. We guarantee that 100% Nicaragua Project of your donation will be put towards our project. Engineers Without BordersTotal Expenses USA is a registered 501(c)3 organization.

All donations are tax deductible.

Amount Raised Current Need

Estimated Cost $120 $50 $170

The community members helped us dig out the topsoil.

Need $16,345 $6,400 $9,945

A LOOK INTO THE COMMUNITY

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BOOTUPLA EWB-UCLA supports education through technology in the inner city of Los Angeles

WHAT IS BOOTUP? BOOTUP is a project within EWB that works to bring the

PROJECT STATUS

educational advantages of computers to underprivileged students in Los Angeles’s unfunded inner city schools.

Computers and computer equipment are accepted from donors who find out about the program through advertising or word of mouth. The BOOTUP team then refurbish-

PROJECT IMPACT Number of persons affected Directly: 30 Indirectly: 50

es the computers and donates them to a local school, where the students can use them for everything from writing essays to researching topics for their science

PARTNER SCHOOLS

projects. We usually take computers that are 3-10 years old and in working condition. It is generally best to

New Los Angeles Carter School

take donations from small businesses that want to get rid of large amounts of computers and equipment at once. We do also accept donations from individuals. Once we have collected enough computers for a refurbishing session, everyone gets together to fix up the computers and prep them for donation. We schedule a time and date to deliver the computers to the school, and we make sure that all the computers are working before we leave the school.

HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED? BOOTUP meets on a need-basis. To get involved with BOOTUP no prior experience is necessary, all you need is approximately 10 hours to give per month to refurbish computers and help set them up at the recipient schools. We will teach you all you need to know about refurbishing computers, just come with an open mind! We usually meet in the EWB office on the 6th floor of Boelter Hall. Please contact either Rohit or Sandeep, and we will let you know when the next meeting is.

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PROJECT TEAM - Project Leads Rohit Mathew Sandeep Bhateja

WHY ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH EWB? Each member has his or her own story behind why they are involved with Engineers Without Borders.

Maybe their reasons will inspire you to become an active member as well. Read on to find out more.

Derek Meng First Year Electrical Engineering

“Having spent four years in Model UN and three in a debate club, I found a growing passion for the issues that often popped up in these clubs. Ranging from potable drinking water to providing primary education (essentially, the Millennium Developmental Goals), the hardships faced by a large portion of the global population every year depressed but encouraged me to learn more and to do more. Coming to UCLA as an electrical engineer major, I understand that the likelihood of my future career crossing paths with my passion is small.

Thus, I came to Engineers Without Borders as a way to pursue my passion. This club fit exactly into what I was looking for - a way to continue my passion but through an engineering related route.”

Crystal Lin Fourth Year Chemical Engineering

Since coming to UCLA this year, I’ve made an effort to try out just about every civil engineering club on campus. As much as I’ve enjoyed being a part of these different projects, my time spent with Engineer Without Border’s Nicaragua Project has definitely been the most rewarding. When you work with EWB, not only do you get to develop engineering skills, you have the opportunity to use these skills to benefit others as well. This is what makes EWB such a unique club and what has led me continue to be involved in the Nicaragua project. I’m proud to be a part of EWB, and I’m excited to travel with the team to Nicaragua this summer to put our design into action!

Dasha Gloutak Second Year Mechanical Engineering

"I'm involved in EWB because it benefits not only myself and other EWB members, but also people in need on a global scale. EWB gives us the chance to take what we have learned in class and apply it to a project for a community in need. In high school, I was able to partake in my church's annual trip to Mexico where we would build a few houses for families in need. It was such a great experience getting to know the families and building the house, and EWB has allowed me to continue volunteering and helping and giving to others where I have been blessed. I can't wait to go to Nicaragua this September!"

“I joined Engineers Without Borders because I wanted to participate in a project that would give me the opportunities to both help others in need and apply my engineering education that I’ve learned in the classroom. After a trip to Ethiopia in 2008 to study the success of different drinking water systems and well projects, I came back wanting to go in a certain direction in my life. EWB provided that route. I am happy to say that as an undergrad, I learned as much about the Nicaragua Project through volunteering. As a graduate student, I have continued participating, but I feel far better equipped to help realize the projects goals.”

Henry Phan Masters Student Environmental Engineering

“Simply put, I left my heart in Nicaragua, and I want to see this project through. I want little Diego, Noelia, and Carla to benefit from our schoolhouse. I am also attracted to the interdisciplinary engineering partnerships formed through EWB. Working with Civil E, Mech E, and EE students has been rewarding and valuable.”

Nico Chaves First Year Civil Engineering

Eugene De Valle, P.E. Ph. D. Candidate Structural Engineering

“It is easy to get jaded living in the United States. Life here is quite comfortable and it is easy to over exaggerate personal problems until stepping into someone else’s shoes and see how they live. Although there is poverty no matter where you live, participating with Engineers without Borders (EWB) gave me the opportunity and challenge to utilize my engineering skills for a country/ community not familiar to me. On a more local level, participating in EWB has been very rewarding. Teaching fellow members who are willing to step up to the challenge and learn more about building construction, has been one of my best experiences in UCLA. Their passion and energy to help complete strangers motivates me and gives me confidence in what I do. Finally our mentors are more than willing to teach us how to become better engineers as well as encourage us to become better people.

Even though one person cannot solve all the world’s problems, but hopefully our collective effort through EWB nudges the world towards a more positive direction.”

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? 7

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How to Get Involved • Come check out one of our general meetings.

We meet on Tuesday nights during the school year, from 6pm-7pm in Engr IV 38-138. We will go over some general club topics, then split up into project groups. If it is your first time, just talk to Suzanne, the president , after the meeting and she will answer any of your questions.

• Become a member of Engineers Without Borders USA. Help make a difference by becoming part of a nationally renowned group of volunteers that partner with those in need

CONTACT

around the world. Our members are building bridges and reliable shelters; they are working with the communities to access clean water and electricity and are utilizing their education and skill sets abroad. Become a member and change

PRESIDENT Suzanne Brown

a life! What are you waiting for? Get involved with Engineers Without Borders USA today!

Visit http://www.ewb-usa.org/get-involved/membership for more details.

• Consider being a sponsor for any of our sustainable projects.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department 420 Westwood Plaza 5732 Boelter Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095

Your financial support plays an integral role in helping us see our plans into action. Whether you are part of the Bruin family, a trusted friend, or a corporate supporter, you can help us MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Our students take on the entire project, from conception, all the way through assessment, design, construction, and follow-up. Now we need your

ewbucla@gmail.com

support to help us continue the effort. Credit card donations allocated to the University of California LA Chapter can be

HTTP://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/SITE/EWBUCLA/

made online at http://ssl.charityweb.net/ewbusa/. Checks written to “UC Regents” (with the memo: EWB-UCLA) can be

HTTP://WWW.EWB-LA.ORG

mailed to the address on the left. Thank you for helping us build a better world by engineering sustainable solutions.

Civil and Environmental Engineering Department 420 Westwood Plaza 5732 Boelter Hall Los Angeles, CA 90095

Special thanks to the following organizations for their support:

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