Engineers Without Borders

After successfully completing a multi-year water and sanitation project in La Peña, El Salvador, GW’s student-run chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has begun preparations to develop and implement a water project in Rajasthan, India.

The idea for the project began when Sophia Ertel, the project co-lead and a civil and environmental engineering major was a freshman. Sophia had established relationships with members of the Bhootiya community in Rajasthan and with Jagran Jan Vikas Samiti, a local non-governmental organization (NGO), during a gap year internship the prior year. She recommended working with the Bhootiya community to help meet some of their water needs.

The GW chapter accepted the challenge of working on a water project in Rajasthan, and Sophia and her co-lead, Madison Haley, began preparations. During the next academic year they formed a team, conducted research on potential solutions to the community’s water needs, raised funds, and gained approval from the national organization, EWB-USA.

Their work culminated in the group’s first formal assessment trip, which they made the following January. Sophia, Madison, and several other SEAS students traveled to India, accompanied by professional engineer Grace Richardson. During the trip the students conducted household surveys, tested community water sources, and entered into a formal partnership with the local government.

“We learned that there’s plenty of drinking water in Bhootiya, but agricultural practices need to be changed,” Sophia remarked. “So, we’re looking at water management efficiency, and we’d welcome help from industry professionals with experience in international development, microfinance implementation, water resource management, and civil or environmental engineering.”

Sophia and her project mates are thrilled with their progress so far and with the experience. “It’s so direct.  It’s exactly what I’m learning in my classes,” she concluded.