Engineers Without Borders host auction to raise funds
Posted on Feb 08, 2010 in News
On Feb. 3, Engineers Without Borders (EWB) hosted a charity auction to raise funds to cover group travel expenses to Zambia for work on a new humanitarian project.
“There were a total of 15 items up for bid, ranging from dinners at great restaurants and artwork to wine and Botox treatments,” said Andrew Uehlin, president of student chapter of EWB.
The auction had a lot of interesting items up for grab. Among them were an all-inclusive, five-day wild game hunting safari in the Northern Cape region of South Africa for two, a weekend in the Napa/Sonoma wine country of California at a beautiful resort and spa, and a week at a beachfront condominium in Seagrove Beach, Fla.
EWB is a non-profit humanitarian organization that partners with developing communities worldwide to improve their quality of life and living.
“This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students,” said Uehlin.
UAB’s EWB group has started a project in partnership with Servants in Faith and Technology (SIFAT) in Lusaka, Zambia, involving the construction of a training center that will teach community leaders from all over the African continent different technologies to improve the overall health and viability of their communities.
Rural communities with documented high occurrences of sickness could send leaders to the training center to undergo a six to 12-week training session.
There they would learn skills in water purification, proper hygiene, and other strategies for combating the spread of sickness and disease.
They would also learn sustainable agricultural techniques to alleviate malnutrition. Upon returning to their communities, the leaders would teach others these valuable skills.
“It’s a proven system that works, and SIFAT has been doing it for 30 years with tremendous success,” added Uehlin.
According to Uehlin, 16 students plan on taking this trip.
“Two from Auburn University, one from the University of Alabama, one from the University of Southern Mississippi, and the rest of us from UAB,” said Uehlin.
“We wanted to include other surrounding universities in this project to both promote EWB as an organization, as well as provide students from other universities the chance to visit an exotic and different part of the world, experience a new culture, and do something that helps people in need’” Uehlin added.
Uehlin has high hopes for the trip’s success.
“This is a very ambitious project that will be built in stages over the next two years. We have been fortunate to have a great group of people which include architects, engineers, building contractors and construction managers (both as students and faculty), in addition to a generous corporate sponsor, B.L. Harbert International,” he said.
“Our partner, SIFAT, has purchased seven acres of land for this project, and we are finalizing our designs and preparing for our trip in May. Fortunately, B.L.Harbert is currently constructing a U.S. Embassy near our project site in Lusaka, Zambia, and in addition to funding, will be providing on-site heavy equipment and logistical support for this project.”
Email: ttalexander33@gmail.com
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