- $0 RAISED OF $12,000 GOAL
- 0 DONORS
- 304 DAYS REMAINING
Engineers Without Borders at MSU
Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to build a better world through engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs. The Michigan State University chapter (EWB-MSU) is an entirely student-led branch with members from all engineering disciplines, and receives support from faculty, alumni, and university organizations.
Our aim is to partner with communities across the globe to improve access to clean water and adequate sanitation in an effort to raise the quality of life for all involved. Our local volunteer work engages with community organizations to provide educational events that align with our core values, all while working to achieve the mission of EWB both in the Lansing area and around the world.
Your Support Will Make a Big Difference
In December of 2024, our project team traveled to the Mangalali village near Iringa to conduct the assessment phase. With our partners, AfyaPlus Organization and the Department of Environmental Science at Ruaha Catholic University (RUCU) representatives, we worked with the community to complete household surveys, test various water sources, and meet with various community leaders in education, public health, and water. Through the data and insights we gained, we are better able to understand the water scarcity and water quality crisis facing the community.
As a result of the collected data it appears that a deep bore well located near the center of the village along with a distribution system to create multiple access points for the community is the most promising solution. In the meantime, our team is creating an official recommendation on water storage practices, chlorine disinfection instructions, and manure management to reduce the risk of infection via water.
The team has now begun the implementation phase of the project where they will work with faculty advisors, professional engineers, the AfyaPlus Organization, and students and professors at Ruaha Catholic University, to analyze the data and formulate a solution. At the end of the implementation phase, club members will travel to the community again to oversee the construction of the chosen solution.
In addition to the extensive benefits in Mangalali, the members of the club, both those who traveled and those who did not, have had the opportunity to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to a real-world problem. Students spend the entire school year practicing leadership, professional communication, creative brainstorming, and data analysis skills while planning, fundraising, and documenting for the project.
“The trip really motivated me to continue my career in engineering as I can clearly see now that it can have a vast positive impact on people’s lives. I have also grown in my gratitude for my life in the United States and how I am able to have as much clean, filtered water as I want any time of the day or any day of the year.”
- MSU-EWB Member Learn more about the Michigan State University chapter of EWB by following the links below!
How Your Donation Will Be Used
We estimate the implementation phase of our trip to cost approximately $46,000. This includes plane tickets, lodging, food, a hydrological survey, well digging, well structure construction, a distribution system, and other miscellaneous supplies.
All of the proceeds will go directly to EWB-MSU to aid in the completion of the project. Your contribution will help us in various ways:
- $10 = Hotel room for 1 night in Iringa, Tanzania.
- $25 = Water testing strips.
- $50 = Tanzanian Visa fee.
- $100 = Round trip bus ride from Dar es Salaam to Iringa for 1 person.
- $500 = Meals for all of the MSU team while in Iringa and Mangalali for 4 days.
- $1,000 = Flight from Detroit, MI to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- $2,000 = Round trip flights from Detroit, MI to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
- $5,000 = Permanent structure covering the well access point.
Who We Are
Engineers Without Borders at MSU is a student organization within the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. We are a university chapter of the national organization Engineers Without Borders USA. Our organization is composed of students studying several engineering disciplines at Michigan State University (though we are open to all majors). Our mission is “to improve the quality of life of others in our local, national, and international communities.”
Make a Gift by Mail:
University Advancement
Spartan Way
535 Chestnut Road, Room 300
East Lansing, MI 48824
*Make check payable to Michigan State University and write “Appeal 25GGDCF1EWB” in the note section.