The Student Angle Engineering on a Global Scale: EWB Has Worldwide Impact
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CSU students and villagers carrying water in El Chile, El Salvador. Gabe Miller is pictured at front right.
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"Engineers Without Borders is not about laying the pipe in the ground, but seeing the smile on the child's face as he watches the water flow through the pipe." Thus, graduate student Gabriel Miller recounts a fellow volunteer's observation of the profound impacts this growing program is having on the citizens of developing countries, and on the volunteers working with them. Gabe, a student of civil engineering and now president of CSU's Engineers Without Borders (EWB) chapter, has played a vital, hands-on role in the implementation of EWB's first project in El Salvador. El Salvadorian families live on a mere 5-10 gallons of water per day, in comparison to families in Fort Collins that utilize upwards of 125 gallons. EWB plans to access a local aquifer with a number of drilled wells, to address extreme water shortage and quality issues in the area.
Although challenges are inherent to any project, Gabe emphasizes, "It is facing these challenges and hurdles that make our projects exciting and interesting." Not only in the villages themselves, but here at CSU, Gabe daily faces obstacles securing funding for projects, and generating support from faculty, staff and professionals, as well as finding the time as a full-time student to run such a large organization.
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Basket making in Purulia, India
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With great challenges come great rewards, not only for the people touched by EWB, but also for the volunteers themselves. In lieu of his experience, Gabe emphasizes, "Participating in international engineering projects has deeply broadened my perspective on life and left me with a passion for trying to help people in developing countries who are living without basic necessities. It's wonderful to know that, as a student, you can really make a difference in some people's lives and put our engineering knowledge to practical use."