Engineers Without Borders Cal Poly SLO Chapter

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1 Engineers Without Borders Cal Poly SLO Chapter With teams in Thailand, Nicaragua, and India, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is working hard to help communities around the world help themselves.

2 Clean Sand for Clean Water Huai Nam Khun, Thailand The project is located in Huai Nam Khun (HNK), in the Chiang Rai province of northern Thailand. This mountainous village has a population of around 3,000 people and is home to Chinese and Burmese families. HNK has limited access to clean water and basic sanitation, which has led to many health problems. Joni Morse of Faith International brought HNK to the attention of EWB-USA. Clean water has been HNK s priority and since 2005 Cal Poly students have been working with the local communities. Most recently, in December 2010, 50,000-liter Slow Sand Filter systems were implemented at six sites providing central access to treated drinking water to six Hill Tribe communities. The Cal Poly team has maintained a strong relationship with HNK and continues to facilitate sustainable development. The Need: 3,000 People with Untreated Water Huai Nam Khun s 3,000 residents receive their drinking water from untreated community distribution systems, many with plumbing into their homes. This gravity-fed system provides an adequate quantity of water, but sediment infiltration and untreated pathogens are cause for great concern. Coupled with poor waste management and little sanitation education illness is rampant, especially during the rainy season.

3 The EWB-USA Response: The EWB team chose Slow Sand Filtration as an appropriate and sustainable technology. All components of the systems are built using locally available materials and do not rely on electricity or any other form of power. The systems require constant maintenance so a healthy and reliable relationship with the community will ensure the longevity and sustainability of the systems. The technology is easily reproducible, the largest barrier being cost, and after a complete technology transfer the availability of clean water will greatly increase. Project Cost: $55,000 For more Information: Slow Sand Filters: Slow Sand Filters are a sustainable technology exceeding the World Health Organization s guidelines for filtering water. In each of six communities, a centrally located system provides 7,000 Liters per day of treated drinking water to a community spigot. Each system includes one roughing filter, designed to remove turbidity and suspended solids, two slow sand filters which use a biological process to remove pathogens and further decrease turbidity, and two storage tanks to provide public access to a reliable quantity of clean water. Please contact: ewbthailand@gmail.com Moving Forward: With six operational systems in place, it is important to further monitor the state of each system and the quality of the water. The continuing relationship between EWB and the HNK community will involve continued technology transfer including proper maintenance training. It is imperative to allow each community to maintain and assume ownership of their systems to ensure clean water in the future.

4 Healthcare from the Ground Up Barrio Camilo Ortega, Nicaragua In September 2009 Cal Poly students, in coordination with EWB-USA and local NGO, ATRAVES traveled to Camilo Ortega to complete Phase I of the implementation of a health clinic. During this trip, EWB Cal Poly helped lay the building foundation and construct two retaining walls and the slab. Prior to the trip, the community excavated and leveled the site for the retaining wall footings. In August 2010, EWB Cal Poly completed Phase II by constructing the walls and roof of the health clinic. Community members and the NGO have helped the construction by diging, laying bricks, helping pour the concrete, and carrying cinder blocks down the hill. The EWB-USA Response: EWB Cal Poly is currently designing the finishing touches on the health clinic, so that it can be utilized by the community. It will have three consultation rooms, a gynecological room, bathrooms, one lab, and a pharmacy. The building shell and roof have been designed conservatively to withstand loads from the high seismic region. The walls of the clinic will be constructed with patients and doctors privacy and comfort in mind. The Need: Camilo Ortega has approximately 18,000 residents with no access to any form of basic healthcare. The community needs a clean, sanitary, and accessible facility for health care professionals to provide the community members with care. Moving Forward: Once the clinic is completed, ATRAVES will staff and supply the health clinic with local and international doctors and the medical supplies. To ensure that the constucted health clinic fully meets the community s needs, EWB Cal Poly will make a follow up trip to Camillo Ortega. Future projects with this community or another community of Nicaragua will then be assessed.

5 Following Up: EWB Cal Poly returned in March 2011 to seal the windows, paint the walls, and tile the floor. This trip served as an assessment trip for the future installment of septic tanks and water run-off systems. Project Cost: $70,000 For more Information: Please contact:

6 Engineering at Himalayan Heights Sainji Village, Uttarakhand, India The community of Sainji rests at the base of the towering Himalayas. Left largely to fend for themselves, the community members have strong roots in terraced farming agriculture, but many lack basic sanitation and practices. Health issues, such as diarrhea, are prevalent in Sainji and current sanitation practices contribute to poor health. In addition, the community has suffered a dramatic decrease in rainfall, resulting in poor crop yields and unbalanced diets. In September 2009, EWB Cal Poly accepted a request for assistance from an NGO working in Sainji, the Garwhal Organization for the Upliftment of the Needy. The Need: The village of Sainji, a subsistence farming community in rural northern India, relies heavily on its corn production as a food source. Corn is eaten on a daily basis year round. To remove the kernels of dried corn from the stock, locals pick them by hand. This process takes an unnecessarily long time and the repetitive motion of dekernelling causes long-term disabilities. A dekernelling tool will help alleviate discomfort and joint pain. Additionally, several families in Sainji lack household toilets; therefore, open defecation is practiced by approximately 25% of the population of 300 residents. Implementing household toilets will eliminate the need for open defecation and increase the village s overall health.

7 The EWB-USA Response: Last year, our team prepared a wooden device that we planned to construct in the village. After initial testing during the summer 2011 trip and demonstrations with the locals, we redesigned the device on location, replacing the wood with bamboo. Bamboo is lighter and its shape makes it easier to hold. It also grew locally on their land so it is easy to access and much cheaper than wood. We also assessed the land through soil and water testing, as well as site surveying to determine whether toilets are feasible. Project Cost: $70,000 For more Information: Please contact cpewbindia@gmail.com Potential Projects: The student team designed and constructed bamboo tools to aid in removing kernels from dried corn stocks. These devices were made available to the villagers during the summer trip in A toilet and sanitation project is being researched for implementation by December Moving Forward: After a successful implementation, the team will continue to monitor the villagers use of the corn dekernellers. Using local materials, our team was able to come up with a device that makes this task significantly easier and faster. The devices are simple and easy to manufacture which will hopefully inspire them to continue use and production of these devices. The results of the soil and water testing from the summer 2011 assessment trip conclude that toilets are a feasible option for the community of Sainji. This year, the team will focus on household latrine research, design and construction.

8 Corporate Sponsorship Benefits Platnium Sponsorship: $3,000 and up Recognition at all EWB Cal Poly promotional activites including fundraising events Engraved plaque to recognize contribution Recognition with logo during all bi-weekly chapter meetings Recognition in press releases, project presentations, and publications As well as all the benefits of Gold, Silver and Bronze Gold Sponsorship: $2000 Company logo on EWB T-Shirts As well as all the benefits of Silver and Bronze Company logo featured on EWB Cal Poly website Recognition in tri-annual newsletter As well as all of the benefits of Bronze Silver Sponsorship: $1000 Company logo featured on EWB Cal Poly website Recognition in tri-annual newsletter As well as all of the benefits of Bronze Bronze Sponsorship: $500 Company logo on EWB website Customized giving plans also available.

9 All Donations can be sent to: Engineers Without Borders Cal Poly Chapter 1 Grand Ave. IME Dept San Luis Obispo, CA For further information, please contact Gabriela Igel, our Corporate Fundraising Coordinator, by at gigel@calpoly.edu We would like to thank you for considering giving a gift to sponsor EWB Cal Poly to help underprivileged people help themselves. Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) supports community-driven development programs worldwide through the design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects while fostering responsible leadership. For more information, contact administrator@ewb-usa.org or call

10 Engineers Without Borders -USA, Cal Poly Student Chapter 1 Grand Ave. IME Dept Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo