Students gain experience, perspective in Ghana through Engineers Without Borders

Mechanical engineering students Connor Theisen and Abbey Vezina were selected to be part of a small group of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) students to travel over winter break to the EWB-ISU chapter’s partner community in Ullo, Ghana.

“Every day, I felt less like a student and more like a field engineer,” Abbey says.

Focused on assessment of water distribution systems and community boreholes, this trip involved measuring groundwater levels, testing water quality, and evaluating performance of one of the solar boreholes supplying water to the Ullo Senior High School campus.

The travel team primarily kept busy completing two new latrines, testing a polytank monitoring device, gathering data on solar panels at the boys’ dorm, reviewing quotes for the clinic roof and analyzing the solar water heaters at the school kitchen.

Community and gratitude

What’s one word that captures their Ghana experience?

“Community,” says Abbey, “From the first day we arrived in Ullo, everyone we met was so welcoming and willing to help. We never could have accomplished so much on the trip without the community members working alongside us, teaching us how to do things, making sure we had the resources we needed, translating conversations and lending their technical expertise.”

For Connor it was gratitude. “I am incredibly grateful for my time in Ullo, and much of that gratitude stems from the extraordinary welcome we received from the community.”

Limited resource engineering looks different

One challenge the team encountered was difficulty purchasing the necessary supplies for repairs and maintenance. Similar projects largely fail because replacement components are unavailable in the region. To avoid this outcome, the group sourced materials locally and made sure replacement parts were available near Ullo.

However, even with intentional planning, Connor says, accessing parts was not always easy. What would be a quick trip to a hardware store in the U.S. could easily be a full-day effort.

The logistical challenges pushed the traveling team to be more resourceful. Creativity and problem-solving were imperative and ultimately strengthened the final product.

“By creating solutions using materials available locally, the people of Ullo can do the same after our team leaves,” says Connor.

Why we engineer

EWB-ISU chapter’s efforts are rooted in partnership. The idea is to carry out projects “with, not for” the community, a principle guiding every stage of work.

Ideas for new initiatives originate from community-identified needs, and any designs developed are reviewed by community leadership before implementation.

“Collaboration is the foundation of any successful engineering solution,” Connor says. “Every product designed and every solution proposed should be driven by those it is intended to serve.”

Connor says the program “has shaped me as an engineer by reminding me that at its core, engineering is about serving people.”

Abbey agrees. “In general, as engineers, we all can create things to improve the well-being of others. Yes, we identify problems. Yes, we design, build and test solutions, but it’s easy to lose sight of the ‘why,’ which is to make something better for someone else,” she says.

“No matter where I end up in my professional career, my drive will always be to make a positive impact on as many people as I can, whether they’re in my own community or halfway across the world.”

Pictured above, from left: Angela Knight, Bryan York, Abbey Vezina, Johnathon Beuter, Jenna Hellman, Connor Theisen, and Jessica Kabat.