Education is powerful. When positive change ripples across their community and onto others, students can use that power to do amazing things for the world. The possibilities that students have are endless when they use their energy and enthusiasm to imagine, create, and bring awareness to social causes.
One group of students who are contributing to missions worldwide are the ones working as part of Engineers Without Borders (EWB), an international organization that works on education-related projects, such as building schools, improving sanitation facilities, and implementing technology solutions to enhance learning opportunities.
Beaumont is a town far on the western tip of Haiti, with a population of just over 12,000 people. The town’s schools and orphanages were almost completely destroyed by hurricane Matthew in late 2016, and EWB’s students were among the first to bring help to the damaged region. Because of the extensive damage caused by the hurricane, national highways needed to be relocated, which meant even the sites of the previous buildings could not be reused. Furthermore, due to the interruptions of further earthquakes and one very disruptive global pandemic, work to rebuild the region was subject to many fits and starts. These resulted in teams of students and practicing engineers working on and off since 2017.
Today, dozens of these engineering students and engineers have seen their work pay off. As of today, the site is home to brand-new classrooms, an orphanage, a community canteen, and a multifunctional assembly hall with its own solar collection system. EWB has even helped create an entirely new sewage system for the small community. And because of the wide variety of engineering skills the teams were able to draw upon, the new buildings are more than quick replacements, and have even been built to withstand the frequent earthquakes that threaten western Haiti. The schoolchildren and orphans of this village are now enjoying a much safer environment in which to learn and grow their own educational futures, all thanks to the work of EWB’s students.
With inspiring efforts like these happening around the world today, it is easy to see how students can really contribute to global education and wellness.
Written by Tiffany Williams
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