For almost 13 years, <a href=”https://ewb.usu.edu/” target=”_blank”>the Utah State University student chapter of Engineers Without Borders</a> has been volunteering to travel to developing countries to assist them in building such things as simple water systems or even consulting on complicated engineering projects. USU Engineering Professor Laurie McNeill said there are actually two established teams—one that works in Peru and the other in Mexico. A new domestic team is planned to start soon, working with the Navajo Nation in Southern Utah.
On KVNU’s For the People program on April 13, McNeill said the teams don’t just build something they feel people need, but rather they have the people tell them what they need.
“With our Peru project, when we started in a new community called Tuni Grande, we went down there and assumed that they would want more water because they would only get watered twice a day for about maybe an hour max,” she said. “But it turns out that they said, ‘you know, we would like more water, but our first priority is we want what little water we have to be equitably distributed amongst our community members.’”
McNeill said to help with travel expenses, Engineers Without Borders is sponsoring its <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/events/1260338910687047/” target=”_blank”>3rd annual 5K Run on Saturday, April 22</a>. More information is available on the <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/usuewb/” target=”_blank”>USU Engineers Without Borders Facebook page</a>.