This summer, in line with the mission of the organization, the Stevens Chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is traveling to Chua Chua, Peru, for their next project. EWB is a national organization with the mission of building a better world through engineering projects that enable communities to meet basic needs that were not previously being met. This organization allows college students to volunteer to reach out to these communities all over the world to bring these engineering solutions.
To learn more about the project and how the group has been planning for it, The Stute talked with Ben Knobloch, Vice President of the Steven’s Chapter of EWB. This trip marks a major step in the club’s comeback following the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding the goal of the trip and the ones that will follow, Knobloch states the purpose is to “pursue our new water retention project in the community of Chua Chua, Peru.” Chua Chua, a remote community located in the Cusco region in the Andes mountains, is part of the Q’eros Nation. The Q’ero are the last living direct descendants of the Incas and were able to survive the Spanish conquest by receding into the mountains. Their language is Quechua, a widely spoken indigenous language, and their economy relies mostly on farming alpaca and selling fleece and jerky in local markets. They have been able to maintain their lifestyle and cultural heritage for centuries; unfortunately, due to climate change, they have experienced low water retention during the dry season, which has affected the alpaca population and, thus, their way of life. In order to help them while making sure that they can maintain their cultural heritage, this is where EWB gets involved.
Knobloch noted that this first trip to Chua Chua is part of the Assessment Phase for the chapter’s project. While there, the chapter will be carrying out survey work and taking measurements. Additionally, they will be getting to know the members of the community better and allowing them to understand the plans of action better since the people living in Chua Chua will be the ones using the water retention system. This will be the first of three trips correlating to each phase of the project.
For this project, the travel team was selected based on those that were most active and best fit based on the specific goals of the trip. This project’s travel team consists of Cole Spitzner, President of Stevens EWB, Ben Knobloch, Vice President of EWB, Meghan Slate, Secretary of EWB, Vince Menichelli, Project Development Lead, and Will Franznick, Fundraising Lead. The team will also be joined by engineering advisors for the project.
To be fully prepared for a trip like this, much work went into planning. Knobloch discussed how the project group “frequently communicates with our professional engineer advisors and community stakeholders to learn more about the culture of the community, the nature of the water retention problem, the climate and conditions of the Andes in August, and other variables.” Additionally, due to the remote location of the community and no access to some basic amenities like latrines, the project group will be away from what is familiar and will need to be ready to adapt to these conditions. The travel group leaves on August 11 to make the trip and will be there for about a week.
Fundraising also became an integral part of the planning, including activities around campus and online. Stevens EWB was able to raise funds through means such as a bake sale, a partnership with Honeygrow, and campaigns on FlipGive and through EWB-USA. Due to the generosity of the community, this first trip has been fully funded.
If you are interested in getting involved with EWB, keep an eye out for events held by the chapter. Knobloch notes, “We also aim to raise awareness for our project and give back to the Hoboken community,” as seen in their recent activities, including the 14th St. Beach Cleanup event for Stevens Week of Service. Additionally, EWB holds GBMs and events on Thursday nights at 9:15 p.m., Project Development meetings on Saturdays at 11 a.m., and Fundraising Meetings on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. All are welcome. As Knobloch states, “don’t worry if you’re not an engineer—we’re looking for management skills, promotional skills, you name it! The only prerequisite is a desire to use your abilities to make a positive difference for others.”
