Projects
Kirengo, Kenya
APRIL 2024 - PRESENT
Awarded to our chapter in 2024, Kirengo is located about fifty miles from Nyansakia, near the Tanzanian border. The community consists of four villages with a total population of over 5,000 people. Increasingly severe droughts and reduced rainfall, driven by climate change, have forced many residents to travel long distances to access a neighboring river, which is contaminated upstream.
In December 2024, EWB-UMD made its first trip to Kirengo to gather essential information on the community’s needs, local terrain, available water sources, and potential solutions. Now, we are focused on designing a sustainable system and planning our next trip for implementation.
Nyansakia, Kenya
JANUARY 2019 - 2024
EWB-UMD's first official first project as a chapter: Nyansakia, Kenya is part of the "Great Lakes Region" of Kenya. The community here does not have access to clean water, and at certain times of the year, there is not enough water to go around. Our goal is to bring clean water to the community year-round. Our chapter has visited the site three times, in 2019, 2023, and 2024.
During our 2024 visit, we assessed the system's integrity and ensured the community was equipped to manage its maintenance. Moving forward, we will maintain communication with the community to support the system's ongoing functionality. Since this community is near our new project in Kirengo, Kenya, we will likely continue to visit and provide support during future trips.
Paraxaj, Guatemala
AUGUST 2018
Two of our chapter members traveled with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities chapter to Guatemala in August of 2018 as a way to learn about the implementation trip process and gain field experiences with Engineers Without Borders.
Bertha's Community Garden
MAY 2021
As we were unable to travel abroad during Covid-19, we designed and built a rainwater catchment system for a local community garden which provides free fresh produce to a food desert in Central Hillside. EWB-UMD has continued to help maintain the garden, and as part of a mission to turn the garden into a local cultural center designed and constructed a pergola on its grounds.
