Engineers without Borders

A volunteer friend of mine, Kellie from Colorado, had been busy developing a potable water project for a tiny community above her site. She had commissioned the help of Engineers without Borders from Kansas States University (EWB-KSU). (This is the same project I emailed some family and friends about asking for donations. Thank you to everyone who donated!)

The project includes replacing the drinking water system for this community and eventually building a new storage tank.

The EWB-KSU group came to Ecuador from January 3rd to January 12^th to perform the work and assess the future work for the project. I had been in contact with Kellie to help because I wanted to take part in a project that was very close to my interests and also because of my previous construction experience here in Ecuador. I also helped translate and discuss the ever changing problems on a construction project. Several other Peace Corps Volunteers were also going to help.

I was happily anticipating this project because I was excited to share my engineering experiences, be a helpful translator, talk to people involved with Engineers without Borders (I wish to join a group when I am in graduate school), and to help an under-served community.

Then, the day before I was going to leave for her site, the Peace Corps office asked the volunteers not to go because of a...well, we'll call him a “person of concern”. I don't think I will go into the details of this situation online because I am sure Peace Corps would not appreciate that. But I will say this person was acting a bit nutty and was not Ecuadorian (just to avoid the assumption).

A day after they had started working, two volunteers were given permission from the office to help with the project, and I was one of them. I dropped what I had planned for the day and traveled to Kellie's site.

Upon arriving I met the 25 or so people from Kansas. Some were associated with the EWB group and some were from a church in Manhattan, Kansas. We ate dinner and prepared for the next day.

This community is comprised of 22 indigenous families and is located aside one of the steepest mountainsides I have ever seen. This system runs up and down at least 1,000 feet, purely in elevation change (not counting the horizontal distance). It was crazy to see. Plus the work would include carrying all the materials up to the mountain.

Then early the next morning we started our work. The group had worked the day before and spent most of the previous day digging trenches along the mainline and uncovering the existing system. When we started the next day we dug the lines out to the houses. We also walked around and got to know the system and discussed what would be possible in the short amount of time the group had at the community. Saturday, the following day we laid the mainline pipe as the community continued trenches to their houses. We also walked the hour hike to the natural spring, where their water comes from. This was one of the coolest hikes I have done in a long time. (And there are lots of great hikes in Ecuador). That night they had a meeting where they discussed the project and the problems. We had schematic drawings on a board and everyone was talking and designing. Discussing what could be done this trip, what materials were still needed and the easiest and cheapest way to complete these objectives. Real engineering! Oh, how I miss it!

On Sunday, the group had a travel/rest day. Guess what they did on their “day of rest”…climbed a mountain! Kellie had organized a rented bus to drive everyone up to Chimborazo (the tallest mountain in Ecuador), where we climbed from the first to the second refuge. Yay snow! And hot chocolate! And by the way...that elevation can get you, even when you've been climbing mountainsides at more than 3,200 meters (10,500 ft) at the worksite. Our highest point on Chimborazo was at 16,500 ft. This is also the highest elevation I have been at in real life, with the exception of airplanes. I was actually dizzy. I also hula-hooped up there! We met this Australian girl who brought her hula-hoop. Naturally.

That night a local traditional band played for the group and taught some of the traditional dancing steps. A couple of shamans also came and did a prayer for the group. The coolest thing was this 16 stringed Andean guitar (though not actually called a guitar) and the very talented guy who played it. In fact, they were all very good.

Monday, was back to work. Each day was getting more and more productive. We had divided into groups (which we had been doing, but it was better defined at this point). One group (my group) was climbing all the way up with a couple community members to discuss the connection to the large existing storage tank. We exposed the pipes and ordered what was needed so we would have it for the next day. The next group was working on replacing the buoy valves in the pressure breaker boxes. And another was laying the pipes to the houses and installing the meters, and another group was laying the rest of the mainline. The final and most important group, made lunch for about 60 people (all volunteers and community members). After my group was done, I did some translating about how and when we would be installing the system.

Then we climbed down for lunch....where I received the surprising news that all volunteers who didn't live in that community were required to leave because of this “person of concern”. Damn him. We immediately had to say goodbye, hike down the mountain from the project, and pack our bags and go. This meant I wouldn't see the system turned on, or fully installed. I was really sad about this. All because of some crazy man, that I have never even met, can mess up such an interesting and helpful project.

I do appreciate that Peace Corps is paying that close attention to the safety of the volunteers, that really only says good things about them. I am just irritated that I couldn't see it finished out. I really learned a lot from this project and enjoyed working with the KSU group. I loved doing engineering work again and I am looking forward to doing some critical thinking again when I return to the US. The good news is...this won't be my last Engineers without Borders project!