ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS USA ALAMO PROFESSIONAL CHAPTER

EWB Overview  Mission: Support community-driven development programs to design and implement sustainable engineering projects  350 projects in 45 countries  12,000 members in 250 chapters

EWB Overview Each program may consist of multiple projects, depending on the community’s needs. A program consists of a partner community and a partner in-country NGO. Chapters consist of students and/or professionals that work to implement EWB projects. National organization provides oversight to local chapters. EWB-USA Chapter 1 Program 1Program 2 Project 1Project 2 Chapter 2 Program 1

Typical Projects  Potable water  Sanitation  Transportation  Electrical power

Example Projects Composting latrines and rainwater catchment in Rwanda.

Example Projects Wastewater sewer system and pedestrian bridge in El Salvador.

Typical Project Process YearActivity 0Identify the community and need 0Apply to EWB-USA to begin a program 0.5First assessment trip 1Design alternatives analysis 1Preliminary design 1.5Second assessment trip 2Final design 2.5Implementation trip 3.5Implementation trip 5Monitoring

Texas EWB Chapters

Alamo Chapter Progress  September 2012  Chapter initiation at Southwest Research Institute  October January 2013  Preliminary chapter documents  Preliminary officer selection  February 2013  EWB-USA chapter approval  February – June 2013  Program searching and application  July 2013  EWB-USA program approval – Papachacra, Bolivia

First Program: Papachacra, Bolivia  Reasons for selection:  Connections to partner NGO – Engineers In Action (engineersinaction.org).  Recommended by EWB-USA for our chapter.  Well-defined and appropriate size for a chapter’s first program.

First Program: Papachacra, Bolivia

 Located in the Department of Tarija  11,965 ft above sea level  120 families  Primary income/sustenance from agriculture (mostly potatoes)  School teaches until 6 th grade  Community speaks Spanish, Quechua, Aymara  Needs: potable water, irrigation, education, health.

First Program: Papachacra, Bolivia  The municipal government has already implemented a piping system to each house, but the water supply (spring fed) is not sufficient.  The current system needs analysis and a filtration system, as it is suspected that the water is contaminated.  Additional springs exist near the community that could be utilized.

Initial Chapter and Program Timeline  September – December 2013:  Select Project Manager  Hold chapter elections  Plan and travel on 1 st assessment trip  January – May 2014:  Preliminary design  Fundraising  2 nd assessment trip  June – November 2014:  Finalize design  1 st implementation trip

How Does Travel Work?  Chapter members travel to the community on assessment, implementation, and monitoring trips.  EWB-USA has a maximum travel team size of 8 people; typically 2-4 for assessment/monitoring, 4-6 for implementation.  Both traveling and non-traveling members are needed. Regardless of whether you travel, the majority of the work is done here.  Travelers will be selected by the project manager.

How To Get Involved  Work is needed in many areas beside direct engineering. Several committees will be formed to manage these needs:  Finance  Fundraising  Advertising/Communications  Website Design and Management  Project Management  Project Support  Chapter Membership  UTSA Outreach  Configuration Management  Please indicate your interests to allow us to pair you with a group.

What Next?  To officially join the chapter, register with EWB-USA at ewb-usa.org.  There is a $100 annual fee for professionals. 20% goes to the chapter, 15% to the region, and the remainder to national.  We will contact you shortly based on your responses to the surveys.  Check out our website for updates and more information: ewb-alamo.org.

Next Meeting  Our next meeting will be Tuesday, September 24 th at 6:30pm at the same location: Northwest Hills Christian Church, 9560 Potranco Road.  Questions?