When Sadia Abdullah arrived in Vanuatu, the first thing she noticed was the heat and the humidity. The second was how friendly everyone was, and the strong sense of community. 

Sadia flew into Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, in August 2022. Months earlier, she was at home in Sydney under tight COVID restrictions and eager to go anywhere outside her living room. Now, just a three-hour flight from Sydney, she was in beautiful Vanuatu, a country she knew almost nothing about a few months prior — just “that it was a dot in the Pacific”. Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands with a population of around 300,000 people, located east of Australia on a similar latitude to Cairns.

Sadia had always known that she wanted a job that allowed her to travel. With her interest in science and maths at school, civil engineering felt like an obvious choice at university. She figured “all of society needs help building”. She had several years’ experience under her belt as a civil engineer in Sydney when a colleague sent her an advert for a volunteer role created in partnership with the Australian Volunteers Program and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) for a technical services engineer role with the Department of Water Resources (DoWR) in Vanuatu. Though she had initial apprehensions, she seized the opportunity to fulfil her original reason for pursuing engineering. Sadia was accepted to volunteer for 12 months abroad with EWB through the Australian government funded Australian Volunteers Program.

Sadia and her colleagues at the Department of Water Resources (DoWR) in Vanuatu, who gifted her a dress and basket at her farewell.

Volunteering as a technical services engineer with the DoWR wasn’t just about planning, designing and building water supply systems in rural areas; it was problem-solving in the extreme. The first few months working in Vanuatu were challenging for Sadia as she adjusted to the local culture, ways of work and different availability of materials and resources on the remote archipelago. These challenges meant Sadia had to employ a different type of engineering to what she was familiar with in Sydney. She returned to first principles engineering: understanding local community needs through consultation and problem-solving to deliver the best solutions with the resources available.

Sadia understood that as a foreigner joining the team, there would be an adjustment period culturally for herself and the Vanuatu team, “where we were trying to understand each other and how we work”. While the work of an engineer can be stressful with tight deadlines and complex problem-solving, Sadia stayed true to herself and her values of “being friendly, always treating others with respect and being open and honest about how you do things”. 

After a few months of taking lessons in Bislama, the main local language, Sadia began to put her skills to use. “I might as well try to speak Bislama and make a fool of myself rather than make them all uncomfortable speaking English”, she said. The impact was immediate: “The moment I just pushed through with speaking Bislama, everyone became much more comfortable, and I think it’s just so much nicer to converse in your home language, right?” She bonded with the team in Vanuatu and maintained a strong working relationship – they still keep in touch to this day. 

Sadia and the team troubleshooting a pump to provide an alternative access to water for a community.

In a country prone to natural disasters, Sadia and the DoWR team had serious challenges to overcome together. Following twin tropical cyclones Judy and Kevin in March 2023, mass destruction devastated the water supplies of rural communities in the archipelago. It was in this six-week emergency response period that Sadia faced a steep learning curve, working directly with affected communities on Tanna island assessing water needs and water systems, fixing leaks, and collecting data for long-term design and construction. Though initially confronting, Sadia found these periods of work to be some of the most rewarding of her time in Vanuatu, as she witnessed the resilience and spirit of the community as they came together after the cyclones to clean up the debris.  

The local community also mobilised to help themselves and each other by digging out the pipe work that had been covered from landslides, and rebuilding and maintaining the water supply system. When the water supply was finally restored, the community was so grateful and happy, they threw a big party to celebrate. For Sadia, seeing the impact of her work was rewarding, especially to witness how empowered the community were following almost a month without water. The silver lining from this emergency response is that the team is now better equipped to respond to future cyclones, based on the work and documentation Sadia and the team prepared in 2023. 

Throughout the year, Sadia enjoyed her time off work, indulging in some of the pleasures of Vanuatu’s island life – snorkelling, hiking, and exploring parts unknown to tourists, with the guidance of her new local friends. 

Sadia and her housemate and fellow Australian volunteer hiking to the peak of Nguna Island, an outer island off the north coast of Efate, Vanuatu.

Living in Vanuatu and helping engineer rural water systems gave Sadia time to reflect on her father’s upbringing in rural Bangladesh, where his village relied on a ground pump for water. “It would actually be fantastic to use all of these new skills that I’ve learned, this information, this new skillset to apply it to Bangladesh… I think it did inspire me to get back in touch with my roots and see what I can do for my village and family in Bangladesh”. 

Off the back of this year-long adventure in Vanuatu, Sadia feels positive about the future. Having learnt so much about herself and her capabilities both professionally and personally, she is excited to take on whatever future opportunities come her way. Sadia is looking forward to the day she can impart her wisdom to the volunteers who follow in her footsteps and provide them with the same care and support she received from the EWB network. Her advice to anyone thinking about volunteering overseas with EWB – “just do it! If it’s something you’re leaning towards, you should just grab the opportunity.”

If you’re interested in volunteering overseas as an Australian Volunteers Program Field Professional with EWB, check out our current opportunities at ewb.org.au/volunteer. The Australian Volunteers Program is an Australian Government-funded initiative.

The post Volunteer adventures in Vanuatu: Sadia’s life-changing year abroad appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

As a high school student, Eve Visser was told by a career advisor that she shouldn’t consider university. However, Eve was determined not to let this dissuade her. She took it as added motivation, going on to receive a scholarship to study at the Australian National University (ANU).

Currently in her third year studying Engineering and Science with a major in Climate Science, Eve is passionate about sharing her experiences and knowledge with prospective students. This interest in outreach inspired her to start volunteering with EWB’s ACT Chapter, running workshops to encourage students to pursue a path in engineering.

Path toward engineering

During high school, Eve always liked science and had friends  who were considering studying engineering. However, it was only at university that she really got a clear sense of what engineering was like as a field and future career path. 

Eve is now in her third year of study and is living university life to the fullest, juggling a job as a receptionist in college along with volunteer work with EWB and as an ANU student ambassador.

A priority for Eve was to make the most of university by getting involved in extracurriculars, following the advice she received from her mother, who stressed that university was important not only for academic work but for getting involved in clubs and making friends. 

“I’ve been trying to do everything I can while I’m here.”

Highlights with EWB

EWB ACT Chapter members during a Regioneering trip on the south coast of NSW.

Eve began volunteering with EWB’s ACT Chapter in her first year at university after hearing about EWB’s outreach program, which sparked her interest.

Eve’s first outreach trip was to the south coast of NSW, which involved visiting two or three schools every day and running workshops. The focus of the trip was encouraging students to consider engineering as a career path, and specifically humanitarian engineering, which students may not have been aware of. 

A highlight of the trip was a workshop with homeschooled students, which Eve says was a valuable opportunity to see how the students learned and how this differs from traditional schooling. This workshop was a change from the usual style, run in a backyard with 10-15 students of varying ages. 

Eve also participated in the ACT Chapter’s Local Design Summit earlier this year, visiting a native grain farm in Yass. This was an exciting and informative opportunity for her to learn more about the native grain industry and the principles of sustainable community development. She found it valuable to see different ways of working with the land, acknowledging its local characteristics and drawing on Indigenous knowledge to improve farming practices.

For Eve, a highlight of volunteering with EWB is meeting the people in her Chapter, and being inspired and guided by what they’re doing.

“I love seeing what they’re doing with their degrees, the projects they’re doing and the things they’re involved in.”

Outreach and advice

Reflecting on her own experiences, Eve stresses the importance of role models and guidance when following a path in engineering. She says that knowing an engineer or engineering student would have been a great help for her, and that their advice would be invaluable.

This belief drives Eve’s volunteer work, which focuses on outreach and connecting with high school students who may be thinking about studying engineering.

As well as volunteering with EWB, Eve is an ANU student ambassador, contributing to outreach for schools around Canberra and working on open days and outreach programs aimed at high school students. 

Eve volunteering with the Engineering Student Association (ESA) at ANU’s Market Day.Eve encourages aspiring students to learn more about the field, keep up their maths and technical skills and persevere with a path in engineering. 

“If you’re thinking of it, don’t let anyone tell you no.”

About the ‘Futur-neers’ program: This series is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. The program focuses on deeper support and amplification of EWB’s Youth Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering.

To read about our other incredible ‘Futur-neer’ role models in the EWB Chapter network, click here.

The post Meet our Futur-neers: Eve Visser appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Growing up on a boat in the Torres Strait until she was 14, water was an integral part of Erin Hughes’ childhood. Today, it’s the focus of her work as an engineer.

After completing a Chemical Engineering degree at the University of Queensland, Erin is now a Surface Water Engineer at Hydrology and Risk Consulting in Victoria. She works in flood engineering and hydrology, working with emergency services to manage flood risks and providing technical input to dam operators across Australia.

Alongside her engineering job, Erin leads EWB outreach initiatives in remote communities that educate students about the possibilities of a career in engineering. 

Path toward engineering

A young Erin on a fishing boat with her family in 1992.

Erin grew up in the Torres Strait on her family’s commercial fishing boat. Throughout much of her early childhood, her family lived in very remote areas, sometimes spending up to 5 months of the year in almost complete isolation. 

“It was an absolutely wonderful upbringing. I pretty much didn’t wear shoes until I was 14, when I went to boarding school.”

Erin and her siblings were homeschooled by their mother, whose approach prioritised hands-on learning and connecting their education to their Torres Strait community and the world around them. It wasn’t until she started attending boarding school in Brisbane that she first sat in a classroom. 

When Erin finished high school, she wasn’t immediately sure of her career path, initially considering a TAFE course in mechanics. She instead travelled overseas on a Rotary Exchange program for a year, where her experiences cemented her desire for a career that could enable community-led change. 

Erin then commenced a Chemical Engineering degree at the University of Queensland. She found it challenging – studying heavily theoretical engineering subjects, it was difficult for Erin to understand the purpose of her studies when it wasn’t grounded in a real-life context. To date, she says her degree is the hardest thing she’s ever done. 

However, when she started a graduate job working as an engineer for her local council, Erin loved seeing what engineers were capable of doing and knew it was the right career path for her. 

“I adored the work, and knew that this was the right job for me, and I just had to get through the degree.”

Improving Youth Outreach

While Erin had come into contact with EWB during her first year of university through the EWB Challenge, it was during her professional career that she started volunteering with EWB through the Youth Outreach program. Erin supported projects targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, running knowledge hubs and partnerships with communities in South East Queensland.

While delivering Youth Outreach workshops, Erin was seeking ways to improve the program. In particular, she realised the need to target students with outreach efforts at a younger age. While the Youth Outreach program was aimed at Year 11 and 12 students, Erin found that targeting this later stage of students’ education was often too little, too late to make lasting, systemic change. To spark an interest in STEM, she realised consistent engagement all the way from primary school was crucial.

Erin refocused her efforts towards outreach workshops for primary school students in the Torres Strait, aiming for consistent, long-term engagement from prep to year 6. These workshops continued over the course of the students’ primary school education, with the aim of embedding knowledge and interest in engineering through continuous engagement. 

“It needed to be recurring. We needed to build trust within these communities, we wanted to re-engage the same students every year.”

Erin’s aim was that students would come away with improved understandings of who engineers are, what they do and what they are capable of. 

Erin on a Regioneering trip with volunteers from the EWB University of Queensland Chapter.

Measuring outreach impact

In 2019, Erin’s passion to see change in the Youth Outreach program led her to secure a grant from MECCA M-Power, which focuses on supporting educational opportunities for women and girls. Erin used this funding to conduct research measuring the impact of EWB’s outreach programs on communities in the Torres Strait. Her goal was to determine whether the workshops were achieving their aims, and provide solid evidence of the program’s impact.

Her research method involved interviewing 30 primary and high school students, who had varying levels of engagement with EWB over a period of up to 5 years. Students were asked questions on what they thought an engineer did, and whether they could apply this knowledge to what engineers could do in their own community.

Her research showed that students had a deeper understanding of engineering following the workshops, and that they were able to connect it to their local community. As part of Erin’s research on representation and challenging stereotypes, children were asked to draw a picture of an engineer. 

“We were really interested to see whether they were identifying someone who looked like them, whether that was of a different ethnic background, whether it was female or male.”

Erin found the results were promising, with students who had been engaged previously generally drawing engineers from different backgrounds and genders instead of the “typical white male”. 

An engineer for everything

Erin’s unique upbringing gave her an ongoing connection to her community, which continues to shape her professional and volunteer work. Growing up in the Torres Strait, Erin gained a first-hand awareness of diverse forms of learning and knowledge, and the importance of place-based approaches. In her engineering work today, she emphasises that solutions to problems must be tailored to their specific environment and value local expertise.

“No matter how amazing a solution might be to a problem, if it’s not actually tailored to the community and working with that culture and that community… it’s not going to work.”

This approach also feeds into her outreach work, where she stresses to students the value of their own local knowledge and sense of place. It’s this diversity of experiences that Erin believes is what makes engineering a great career path.

“There’s an engineer for everything, and as an engineer you can create a job that’s just for you.”

In 2024, Erin will embark on a trip to Antarctica with Homeward Bound, a leadership initiative for women with a background in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine). Homeward Bound’s vision is to equip a 10,000-strong collaboration of women with the skills to demonstrate a new model of leadership and proactively contribute to a sustainable future. Erin was selected as one of only 103 applicants globally to participate in this program.  

Erin is seeking support to enable her to take part in this initiative. You can learn more about Erin’s journey to Antarctica with Homeward Bound by visiting her page here.

About the ‘Futur-neers’ program: This series is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. The program focuses on deeper support and amplification of EWB’s Youth Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering.

To read about our other incredible ‘Futur-neer’ role models in the EWB Chapter network, click here.

The post Meet our Futur-neers: Erin Hughes appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

It’s not all calculations and writing reports when you’re an engineer. Sometimes you’re abseiling from some of the tallest buildings in Melbourne’s CBD. Or at least that’s what a ‘day in the office’ can look like for façade engineer, Hannah Jury. 

Restoring, repairing and replacing facades

Four years ago, Hannah leapt out of a Bachelor of Civil and Architectural Engineering degree from the University of Adelaide and straight into the graduate program at Arup as a façade engineer. Despite not knowing exactly what a façade engineer does, Hannah was eager to find out. 

Weeks into the job, Hannah heard of fellow façade engineers conducting building inspections via abseiling – and thought that sounded pretty amazing. Years later, Hannah urged Arup to support her in completing the IRATA Industrial Rope Access Certification herself. After a week of gruelling and physically demanding training, she now holds an abseiling licence and uses it regularly to conduct monthly inspections across Australia. 

“I might be the only female abseiling engineer in Melbourne!” reckons Hannah.

But it’s not just the thrill of abseiling from some of Australia’s tallest buildings that gets Hannah up in the morning; it’s her passion for sustainability that truly drives her. Façade engineers aren’t typically associated with driving environmental and sustainable development, yet Hannah believes they play a critical role in minimising the carbon footprint of new and old construction. 

“It doesn’t matter what kind of engineer you are, there’s always going to be an opportunity to influence sustainability outcomes.”

Hannah abseiling from a building in Melbourne to conduct a facade inspection. 

Hannah’s day-to-day work sees her working closely with architects and design consultants to develop façade systems for new constructions that are built for longevity. She examines a range of factors including thermal performance, watertightness, airtightness, daylight, durability, constructability, fire performance, access and maintenance. For existing constructions, Hannah inspects the façades of buildings requiring repairs, diagnoses the issues and develops strategies to repair or replace façade elements. It’s here that Hannah has found her passion for restoring some of Australia’s oldest buildings. 

As Hannah explains, “Regular inspection helps us identify defects and deterioration early so we can recommend robust remediations, keeping the building looking good and performing well. The best low carbon building strategy is to avoid building at all, so I’m stoked to be helping extend the lives of our Australian building stock!”

From Ingenieure Ohne Grenzen to EWB Australia

When she’s not abseiling, Hannah volunteers her time with EWB Australia as the Arup-EWB Partnership Coordinator. However her journey with EWB didn’t start in Australia; she first came into contact with the Engineers Without Borders network over seven years ago when studying overseas in Germany. 

Whilst on an exchange trip in 2014, Hannah joined Ingenieure Ohne Grenzen’s (EWB Germany) Aachen University Chapter and started delivering Youth Outreach workshops to local schools. Hannah remembers delivering workshops to classes with Syrian refugees. To build the confidence of refugee students, the Chapter members would write the instructions for activities in Arabic and ask the Arabic-speaking students to explain the activity to the German-speaking students. It was Hannah’s first experience delivering workshops to school-aged children, and she was hooked from the start. 

Returning to Adelaide after her exchange trip, Hannah was eager to continue volunteering her time in the outreach space. After speaking to an EWBer friend from university, Hannah signed up as the University of Adelaide Chapter’s School Outreach Coordinator. 

“It seemed like a cool way to advertise engineering to students who wouldn’t have as many opportunities as I did.”

The University of Adelaide Chapter preparing to deliver a Youth Outreach workshop.

After completing her degree, Hannah moved to Melbourne in 2019 to commence Arup’s graduate program. Keen to meet new people through the EWB network, Hannah joined the local Victorian Chapter and soon after started volunteering her time in her current role as Arup-EWB Partnership Coordinator. In this role, Hannah supports the long-standing partnership between EWB and Arup and helps enable Arup’s pro-bono support for EWB’s engineering projects in Australia and overseas. 

One of the projects Hannah recently supported was the Rawa community school upgrade project in Kunawarritji, a remote community in the Pilbara. For this project, Arup supported the design of a basketball court and accompanying shade structure for the school, which was the first recreational sports facility in the town. Hannah spoke to Arup staff and identified colleagues skilled in structural design, civil design, geotechnics and wind engineering who could help support EWB’s work with the architects and community to develop an efficient design. Hannah also continues to support the delivery of EWB’s Youth Outreach program. 

Hannah’s advice for aspiring STEMinists

Hannah considers herself lucky to be an engineer, as her all-girls high school always encouraged its students to pursue male-dominanted careers. However she knows first-hand through her experience delivering Youth Outreach workshops that this isn’t always the case. Her advice for the next generation of STEM changemakers?

“Girls feel like they need to know everything back to front, inside out before they have the confidence to go for something… [But] you don’t need to be able to write a textbook on maths or science. You don’t need to be an expert, you just need to be able to use the concepts that you learn.” 

 

“STEM and maths can feel daunting because it’s just these random numbers with no meaning. For me, I found that once I applied the maths to the engineering it was no longer just XYZ but actual things that relate to the real world… That really helped me. There’s a real reason why I’m doing this and it’s less abstract. Maths has a real application with engineering and it’s not as scary…” 

Through her work with EWB, she hopes to encourage young girls to have the confidence to consider a career in STEM, because you never know where engineering might take you – as Hannah knows, some jobs can take you to surprising heights.

Video edited by Olivia Hough.

About the ‘Futur-neers’ program: This series is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. The program focuses on deeper support and amplification of EWB’s Youth Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering.

To read about our other incredible ‘Futur-neer’ role models in the EWB Chapter network, click here.

The post Meet our Futur-neers: Hannah Jury appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Volunteers are so important to EWB’s work. They dedicate time and effort to ensure the inclusion of those often left behind, drive climate action and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. We have volunteers whom support our work in Australia, and volunteers that work with our teams in-country. Kit Kann is one of them.

Kit Kann, Environmental Engineer.

Volunteering with the EWB Australia in Cambodia team

គិត កាន់ វិស្វករផ្នែកបរិស្ថាន 

បុគ្គលិកស្ម័គ្រចិត្តនៅអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែនអូស្រ្តាលីប្រចាំប្រទេសកម្ពុជា

Q: What was your motivation in wanting to become an engineer? 

A: Before I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering, I realised that technology development is dramatically increasing and technical people, in particular, engineers, are in high need for fostering the development of my country. Seeing the high demand for skilled engineers in Cambodia, I decided to pursue a career in engineering. I recently graduated from the Water and Environmental Engineering Department of the Hydrology and Water Resource Engineering Faculty at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. Although this major was not initially my first preference, I soon developed a passion for my studies on this major as I learnt of the profound impact of human activity on our environment​ and how engineers in this field could contribute in tackling the climate crisis.

១. តើអ្វីជាកត្តាជំរុញទឹកចិត្តអ្នកឲ្យចង់ក្លាយជាវិស្វករ?

មុនពេលដែលខ្ញុំសម្រេចចិត្តបន្តថ្នាក់បរិញ្ញាបត្រផ្នែកវិស្វកម្ម ខ្ញុំបានសំលឹងឃើញថាការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ផ្នែកបច្ចេកវិទ្យា កំពុងមានកំណើនយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ហើយអ្នកបច្ចេកទេសជាពិសេសវិស្វករគឺពិតជាត្រូវការចាំបាច់ណាស់សម្រាប់ជំរុញ ការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ប្រទេសរបស់យើង។ ដោយមើលឃើញពីតម្រូវការខ្ពស់សម្រាប់វិស្វករជំនាញក្នុងប្រទេសកម្ពុជា ខ្ញុំបានសម្រេចចិត្តចាប់យកអាជីពផ្នែកវិស្វករ។ ថ្មីៗនេះ ខ្ញុំបានបញ្ចប់ការសិក្សាផ្នែកវិស្វកម្មទឹកនិងបរិស្ថាន ពីមហាវិទ្យាល័យវារីសាស្ត្រ និងវិស្វកម្មធនធានទឹក នៅវិទ្យាស្ថានបច្ចេកវិទ្យាកម្ពុជា។ ទោះបីជាមុខវិជ្ជានេះមិនមែន ជាជម្រើសដំបូងរបស់ខ្ញុំក៏ដោយ ប៉ុន្តែក្រោយមកមិនយូរប៉ុន្មានខ្ញុំក៏ចាប់ផ្តើមចូលចិត្តរៀនជំនាញនេះ នៅពេលដែលខ្ញុំបានដឹងថាសកម្មភាពរបស់មនុស្សផ្តល់ផលប៉ះពាល់យ៉ាងខ្លាំងមកលើបរិស្ថានរបស់យើង និងបានដឹងថាតើវិស្វករនៅក្នុងវិស័យនេះអាចរួមចំណែកក្នុងការដោះស្រាយផលប៉ះពាល់បរិស្ថានទាំងនោះយ៉ាងដូចម្តេចខ្លះ។

Q: What was your motivation in choosing to volunteer with EWB? 

A: I first became aware of volunteering opportunities with EWB after my university professor shared and recommended this role. I was interested in the National Sanitation in Challenging Environment Engineering volunteer role as I was craving real-world work experience whilst studying my bachelor’s degree. At university, I was carrying out a research project on wastewater treatment by using anaerobic treatment process. Thus, I was very interested in applying my knowledge and skills in sanitation projects at EWB. Volunteering at EWB gave me the opportunity to see how these systems work in reality. I was also interested in volunteering with EWB as I have always wanted to work in the not-for-profit sector and contribute to humanitarian work that benefits my community. 

២. តើអ្វីជាកត្តាជំរុញទឹកចិត្តអ្នកឲ្យជ្រើសរើសធ្វើការស្ម័គ្រចិត្តនៅEWB? 

ដំបូងឡើយខ្ញុំបានដឹងអំពីឱកាសការងារស្ម័គ្រចិត្តជាមួយអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែនបន្ទាប់ពីសាស្រ្តាចារ្យ
សាកលវិទ្យាល័យរបស់ខ្ញុំបានចែករំលែក និងណែនាំអំពីតួនាទីនេះ។ ខ្ញុំបានចាប់អារម្មណ៍លើតួនាទីជាអ្នកស្ម័គ្រចិត្ត ផ្នែកវិស្វកម្មអនាម័យក្នុងបរិស្ថានប្រឈម ដោយសារនៅពេលនោះខ្ញុំពិតជាចង់មានបទពិសោធន៍ក្នុងការងារជាក់ស្តែង ខណៈកំពុងសិក្សាថ្នាក់បរិញ្ញាបត្រ។ កាលនៅរៀននៅសកលវិទ្យាល័យ ខ្ញុំបានធ្វើគម្រោងស្រាវជ្រាវស្តីពីការធ្វើប្រព្រឹត្តិកម្មទឹកស្អុយ ដោយប្រើដំណើរការរប្រព្រឹត្តិកម្មបែបអាណាអេរ៉ូប៊ីក។

ហេតុដូចនេះខ្ញុំពិតជាចាប់អារម្មណ៍យ៉ាងខ្លាំងក្នុងការអនុវត្តចំណេះដឹងនិងជំនាញរបស់ខ្ញុំនៅក្នុងគម្រោងបង្គន់អនាម័យនៅអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែន(EWB)។ ការស្ម័គ្រចិត្តនៅអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែន (EWB) បានផ្តល់ឱកាស ឲ្យខ្ញុំដើម្បីមើលពីរបៀបដែលប្រព័ន្ធទាំងនេះដំណើរការជាក់ស្តែង។ លើសពីនេះ ខ្ញុំក៏ចាប់អារម្មណ៍ក្នុងការងារស្ម័គ្រចិត្តជាមួយ EWB ព្រោះខ្ញុំតែងតែចង់ធ្វើការក្នុងវិស័យមិនស្វែងរកប្រាក់ចំណេញ ព្រមទាំងរួមចំណែកដល់ការងារមនុស្សធម៌ដែលផ្តល់ប្រយោជន៍ដល់សហគមន៍របស់ខ្ញុំ។

Q: Is there a moment or experience with EWB that changed your vision or understanding of what engineering could/should be? 

A: My experience volunteering with EWB demonstrated that there is more to engineering than just applying technical expertise. Engineering can actually contribute to improving the quality of life for vulnerable people in the community. My volunteer experience also taught me that engineers should focus on developing ‘soft skills’ such as teamwork and communication to improve the quality of their work. Volunteering at EWB helped build my work experience and professional network, which paved the way to my current role in WASH at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). 

៣. តើបទពិសោធន៍ដែលអ្នកធ្លាប់ធ្វើការនៅអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែន បានផ្លាស់ប្តូរទស្សនៈឬការយល់ដឹងរបស់អ្នកពី អ្វីដែលវិស្វកម្មអាចធ្វើបានដែរឬទេ? សូមជួយចែករំលែក

បទពិសោធន៍របស់ខ្ញុំក្នុងការស្ម័គ្រចិត្តជាមួយអង្គការវិស្វករគ្មានព្រំដែនអូស្រ្តាលីប្រចាំប្រទេសកម្ពុជា (EWB) បានបង្ហាញខ្ញុំថា ការងារវិស្វកម្មអាចធ្វើបានច្រើនជាងការគ្រាន់តែអនុវត្តជំនាញបច្ចេកទេស។ វិស្វកម្មពិតជាអាចរួមចំណែកដល់ការលើកកម្ពស់គុណភាពនៃការស់នៅរបស់ជនងាយរងគ្រោះនៅក្នុងសហគមន៍ឲ្យកាន់តែប្រសើរឡើង។ ក្រៅពីនេះបទពិសោធន៍ស្ម័គ្រចិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំក៏បានបង្រៀនខ្ញុំថា វិស្វករគួរតែផ្តោតលើការអភិវឌ្ឍ ‘ជំនាញទន់’ ផងដែរ ​​ដូចជាការធ្វើការងារជាក្រុម និងការប្រាស្រ័យទាក់ទងដើម្បីបង្កើនគុណភាពការងាររបស់ពួកគេ។ តួយ៉ាងការស្ម័គ្រចិត្ដនៅ EWB លើគម្រោងបង្គន់អនាម័យបានសម្រួចបទពិសោធន៍ការងាររបស់ខ្ញុំ និងបង្កើតបណ្តាញទំនាក់ទំនងដែលជួយត្រួសត្រាយផ្លូវទៅកាន់តួនាទីបច្ចុប្បន្នរបស់ខ្ញុំនៅក្នុងគម្រោងទឹកស្អាតអនាម័យនៅ ICRC (គណៈកម្មាធិការជាតិនៃកាកបាទក្រហមអន្តរជាតិ)។

Q: What was the most rewarding part of your role with EWB? 

A: The most rewarding part of my role with EWB was prototyping the hard ground and flood-affected sanitation technology, as it aligned with my interest in wastewater treatment and expertise in installing and repairing products. I was able to apply my knowledge and help contribute to the team’s understanding of the functioning of the system before it was successfully installed in the community. The second most rewarding part of my role was liaising with the community as well as local suppliers and constructors during the implementation of this project; this opportunity pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me build my confidence in communicating with stakeholders.

៤. តើផ្នែកណាដែលអ្នកពេញចិត្តបំផុតក្នុងតួនាទី របស់អ្នកនៅEWB?

ផ្នែកដែលខ្ញុំពេញចិត្តបំផុតក្នុងតួនាទីរបស់ខ្ញុំនៅ EWB គឺការធ្វើប៉ាន់គំរូបង្គន់បច្ចេកទេស (prototyping) សម្រាប់តំបន់ដីរឹង និងតំបន់រងផលប៉ះពាល់ដោយទឹកជំនន់តាមរដូវកាល ដោយសារវាស្របទៅនឹងអ្វីដែលខ្ញុំចាប់អារម្មណ៍ គឺទាក់ទងនឹង ការធ្វើព្រឹត្តិកម្មទឹកស្អុយ និងជំនាញក្នុងការដំឡើង និងជួសជុលសម្ភារៈ។ ខ្ញុំអាចអនុវត្តចំណេះដឹងរបស់ខ្ញុំ និងជួយរួមចំណែកជាមួយក្រុមការងារក្នុងការស្វែងយល់ពីដំណើរការនៃប្រព័ន្ធបង្គន់អនាម័យ មុនពេលត្រូវបានដំឡើង ដោយជោគជ័យនៅក្នុងសហគមន៍។ ផ្នែកដែលខ្ញុំពេញចិត្តបំផុតទី២ ក្នុងតួនាទីរបស់ខ្ញុំ គឺការទំនាក់ទំនងជាមួយសហគមន៍ ព្រមទាំងអ្នកផ្គត់ផ្គង់ និងជាងសាងសង់ក្នុងតំបន់ ដែលឱកាសនេះជម្រុញឲ្យខ្ញុំចាកចេញពីដែនកំណត់ផ្ទាល់ខ្លួនរបស់ខ្ញុំ និងជួយបង្កើតទំនុកចិត្តរបស់ខ្ញុំក្នុងការ ទំនាក់ទំនងជាមួយភាគីពាក់ព័ន្ធនានា។

If you’re interested in joining the EWB volunteer network, go check out our current volunteering opportunities! And a reminder that you don’t have to be an engineer to volunteer with EWB – we have volunteer opps available in administration, marketing, monitoring & evaluation, mobilisation and more.

The post Volunteering for ‘real-world work experience’ appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Volunteering with the EWB Australia in Vanuatu team

Harshana is part of EWB’s volunteer crew in Vanuatu, and is just one of the hundreds of volunteers across the EWB volunteer network! Volunteers dedicate time and effort to ensure the inclusion of those often left behind, drive climate action and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. Harshana is currently leading the ‘Vertical Gardens’ pilot in Kokoriko, Vanuatu.

Learn more about EWB volunteering opportunities here.

The post Meet EWB volunteer, Harshana! appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Chrissia, Civil Engineer

Volunteering with the EWB Australia Timor-Leste team

Q: Why did you become an Engineer?

A: During secondary school, I loved calculus and physics because I loved calculating, and when I finished school, I continued my university study and decided to study civil engineering. I want to have a variety of professions within my family, because my parents are working in the health profession, so I want to challenge myself to study in another area. This motivated me to become an engineer. After I got to know more about engineering during my university study, it was more motivating for me to become an engineer to continue to contribute to developing my beloved country Timor-Leste through the civil engineering profession.

Durante eskola sekundária, ha’u gosta matemátika no fízika tanba ha’u gosta halo kalkulasaun, no bainhira ha’u ramata eskola, ha’u kontinua estuda iha universidade no deside atu estuda iha area enjeñaria sivíl. Liután nee, ha’u hakarak iha profisaun oioin iha ha’u-nia família laran, tanba ha’u-nia inan-aman serbisu iha profisaun saúde nian, entaun ha’u hakarak dezafia ha’u-nia an atu estuda iha área seluk. Bainhira ha’u aprende liután kona-ba enjeñaria durante ha’u-nia estudu iha universidade, motiva liu tan ha’u atu sai enjeñaria ida hodi kontinua kontribui ba dezenvolvimentu ha’u-nia nasaun doben Timor-Leste liu husi profisaun enjeñaria sivíl.

Q: What was your motivation to volunteer with EWB?

A: I wanted to build my engineering knowledge and skills to contribute to my professional career as a civil engineer. Many engineering graduates have volunteered with EWB and through this they have been able to really develop their professional career. In my country Timor-Leste, the main criteria with many engineering vacancies is to have a lot of work experience. With minimum working experience it was difficult to compete for these vacancies. Through this volunteering with EWB, it has been very helpful to increase my work experience for these future job opportunities.

Ha’u nia motivasaun hodi hili voluntáriu iha EWB mak atu bele promove ha’u nia abilidade enjeñaria hodi bele kontribui ba ha’u nia karreira professional, tanba graduadu enjeñeiru barak mak voluntáriu ona iha EWB no liu husi voluntáriu iha EWB bele kontribui duni ona hodi dezenvolve sira nia karreira professional. Iha ha’u nia nasaun Timor-Leste, vaga barak mak loke iha kritériu tenke iha esperiénsia servisu ne’ebé barak, entaun ho ha’u ne’ebé iha esperiénsia servisu mínimu tebes, difikulta atu ha’u atu bele konkorre ba vaga servisu sira nee, entaun liu husi voluntáriu ida nee bele ajuda tebes ha’u atu aumenta tan ha’u nia esperiénsia servisu nian hodi bele kompete ba vaga servisu iha futuru mai.

Q: Is there a moment or experience with EWB that changed your vision or understanding of what engineering could/should be? 

A: My volunteer activity with EWB has thoroughly developed my consciousness and  mindset that as an engineer. I cannot only take into account my skills in my technical area, but I must also develop my skills in areas such as communication and collaboration skills. In my work as a civil engineer, I cannot work alone, I work with many people, so I need to communicate and collaborate well with other teams so that in working together, we can develop effective and sustainable engineering ideas and solutions to be implemented in the community.

Iha ha’u nia atividade voluntáriu, ha’u konsente tebes katak nu’udar enjeñeira ha’u la bele haree los de’it ba ha’u nia abilidade iha area tékniku hodi promove maibé ha’u mós tenke promove ha’u nia abilidade, liu-liu iha abilidade sira hanesan komunikasaun no kolaborasaun iha servisu ekipa, no seluk tan tanba iha ha’u nia servisu nu’udar enjeñaria civil, ha’u labele servisu mesak maibé ha’u tenke servisu ho ema barak, entaun ha’u presiza komunika no kolabora diak ho ekipa sira seluk, hodi bele hamutuk dezenvolve idea/ solusaun enjeñaria ne’ebé própriu, efetivu no sustentavel hodi bele implementa iha treinu.  

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your current or most recent role with EWB?

A: The most rewarding part of my most recent roles with EWB is supporting the team in water filter project research, such as data collection on water filter use and treatment, evaluating health outcomes, and supporting the large-scale ceramic filter project planning, design, prototyping, and testing.

Parte ida-ne’ebé fó kontente liu mai ha’u-nia knaar foin daudaun ne’e ho EWB mak konaba apoia ekipa iha peskiza projetu filtra bee nian, hanesan iha kolesaun dadus kona-ba uzu no tratamentu ba filtra bee, halo avaliasaun ba rezultadu saúde husi filtra bee ne’e rasik, nomos suporta iha projetu filtra-bee ho eskala boot, liu husi halo planu, dezeñu, protótipu, no teste.

The post Volunteering for skills and to contribute to ‘my beloved country’ appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

“I’m quite motivated by doing things other people don’t. Being one of the only female students in my engineering classes didn’t bother me. I proved that I could be there.”

Long-term EWB Chapter volunteer Emily Chung has never been one to stick to the status quo. Back in 2011 when she applied to study a double degree in Civil Engineering and Architecture, it never worried her that choosing a career in two male-dominated industries may come with challenges. 

Not only did Emily graduate from The University of Sydney in 2016 with flying colours, but she was also later awarded 2021 Female Engineer of the Year by the Association of Consulting Structural Engineers NSW in recognition of her involvement in unique and technically challenging projects, and impressive volunteer career with organisations such as EWB Australia.

Emily on-site at Wynyard Place in her role as a structural engineer in 2017.

First Taste of Being a Socio-Technical Engineer 

Emily first came across EWB Australia in her second year of university when she took the EWB Challenge, a curriculum-integrated project-based learning opportunity for undergraduate engineering students. In a group, Emily’s team designed a modular, early learning centre for a village in Timor Leste. It was through the EWB Challenge that she first saw how human centred design can have a transformative influence on not only individual lives but society as a whole. 

“After doing the EWB Challenge, that’s when I really saw how engineers can have an impact and how technical skills can be used in a beneficial way.”

A year later after taking part in the EWB Challenge, Emily joined her local EWB Chapter. Inspired by EWB’s vision of a world where technology benefits all, Emily was excited by the opportunity to volunteer her time with an organisation that aligned with her values and aspirations. 

Emily later became Co-President of the University of Sydney Chapter in 2014, where she helped organise EWB’s second ever Regioneering trip. Alongside her fellow Chapter volunteers, Emily visited 14 high schools over 3 days in Central-West NSW. During these visits, it became clear to Emily that engineering wasn’t well known or understood as a potential career option for many of the students at these schools. Through the Youth Outreach workshops, Emily not only introduced the students to the possibility of being an engineer, but also showed them how engineering has the capacity to improve the lives of others. 

After graduating from the University of Sydney Chapter, Emily started volunteering as the Local Partnerships Coordinator with the NSW Chapter. In this role, Emily helped formalise partnerships and develop programs, such as the successful employment support program for migrant and refugee engineers in partnership with Metro Assist.

Emily ended up volunteering with EWB for a total of 7 years, where she was able to take her learnings from this period and use them in her professional life. Emily found this experience extremely rewarding. She was able to advocate for the social and environmental issues that matter to her while simultaneously inspiring the next generation to be part of the solution to these problems.

Emily volunteering with Habitat for Humanity alongside her colleagues at TTW in 2018.

Spreading the Volun-cheer!

Whilst continuing to volunteer her time with EWB, Emily began working as an intern with structural engineering consultancy firm, Taylor Thomson Whitting (TTW) in 2015. Soon after joining TTW, Emily noticed the firm didn’t have any community based programs for employees to take part in. Drawing upon her vast volunteer experience with EWB, Emily took it upon herself to create a community based initiative. And with that, The Community Engagement Group was formed! 

Through this initiative, Emily created ongoing impactful opportunities for TTW staff to participate in helping the community and creating inclusive and meaningful activities for all. Some of the rewarding volunteering initiatives Emily led staff to participate in included assisting with renovating women’s crisis accommodation with Habitat for Humanity, cooking meals for people in need with Our Big Kitchen, and helping remove rubbish from the Sydney Harbour through the Sydney Clean Up Kayak program. 

The Community Engagement Group initiative not only enabled Emily to continue her passion for volunteering, but also inspire her colleagues and drive cultural change within the organisation. 

From all this, it isn’t hard to see why Emily won the ACSE Female Engineer of the Year award in 2021. The award is given each year to a leading female engineer who is a role model for other women in engineering. Emily acknowledges that it was because of her previous volunteer experience that she was able to contribute to TTW in a meaningful way.

“Make sure that you take advantage of all opportunities because you never know where they might lead.”

Every opportunity has the potential to open new doors; Emily is proof of that.

Video produced by Olivia Hough.

About the ‘Futur-neers’ program: This series is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. The program focuses on deeper support and amplification of EWB’south Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering.

To read about our other incredible ‘Futur-neer’ role models in the EWB Chapter network, click here.

The post Meet our Futur-neers: Emily Chung appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

As Elise kicked off her first year studying a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at The University of New South Wales, it quickly became clear to her that girls still lack the opportunities they need in high school to set them up for success in a STEM career. 

It wasn’t until Elise took a subject in programming that she found her true calling, and later made the decision to switch to a Bachelor of Software Engineering. Now in her third year of study, Elise is using her skills in software and data solutions to improve public transport timetable scheduling for Transport for NSW in her role as a cadet. She also volunteers her time with the UNSW Chapter as the Chapter’s Co-President. 

Drawing upon her struggles and experience of ‘imposter syndrome’ during her first year of study, Elise is using her story to inspire young women to find the right career path for them.

Road to University

Elise working on a project for her grade 12 Design and Technology class; an aquaponics teaching resource to engage students with science and technology in primary schools.

Elise experienced gender stereotypes early on when it came to her education. At her all-girls high school, students had the opportunity to choose from a wide range of subjects such as food technology, textiles and child studies. However, Elise realised that it wasn’t sewing or cooking that caught her attention – it was what she learnt in her maths and science classes that truly fascinated her. 

Her love of maths and science was encouraged by her teachers and her older sister, Adele, who also studied engineering at The University of New South Wales. When the time came for Elise to apply to university, it made sense for her to explore the possibility of being an engineer.

Having been accepted into a Bachelor of Civil Engineering at UNSW, Elise was eager to begin her studies at the start of 2020. However, within the first couple of weeks she noticed that some of her male peers had a considerable advantage over her. Unlike most of her cohort, Elise did not have the opportunity to choose engineering studies during high school. She initially found this confronting, and it made her doubt her decision to study engineering.

“I went into engineering not really knowing what it was like and what engineering actually involved. I really started doubting myself about my ability to do STEM… It was demotivating feeling like people had an advantage over you.”

These feelings of uncertainty continued to trouble Elise until she began a programming course. She had so much fun learning about coding and found herself excelling at it. This was a lightbulb moment for Elise. She realised that she always had the skills to do what she wanted, she just hadn’t found the right pathway yet.

“It’s good to be reminded that it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the path for you if something is too hard for you or you’re not fully enjoying it. It just means that you haven’t found your niche yet.” 

The importance of role models in STEM

Elise with her older sister, Adele, at the UNSW Women in Engineering Camp in 2019.

Although Elise experienced many challenges during her first year of university, studying engineering also provided her with opportunities to meet like-minded people and positive role models. One of these opportunities was through EWB Australia’s Chapter network. 

Elise first came across EWB when she was in high school. One day, Elise’s older sister, who was the School Outreach Director at the UNSW Chapter, asked her if she could help carry resources to an EWB Youth Outreach training day. It was here that Elise listened to a presentation about Youth and Community Engagement. Captivated by what she learnt, Elise immediately knew that she wanted to volunteer with an EWB Chapter. Elise saw this as an incredible opportunity to influence and inspire the next generation of young changemakers.

“I’ve always wanted to find a career that helps people and improves the world, and I think we’ve perfectly captured that through humanitarian engineering.”

Two years after attending that first EWB workshop with her sister, Elise is now the Co-President of the UNSW Chapter. She works closely with her team of directors to plan, organise and execute Youth Outreach Workshops as well as professional and social events for university students. Her role as Co-President provides Elise with the platform to pass on her message to young people: 

“Take your time to find your niche. Don’t ever give up because you think it’s too hard or because you think you’re not good enough…You probably just haven’t found the right path for you yet.” 

The UNSW Chapter at a training day in 2022.

In Australia, women account for 15-20% of undergraduate engineering students and only 12.4% of engineers in the workforce. In a male-dominated industry such as engineering, Elise knows there’s incredible value in having inspirational role models for young people to look up to. By sharing her story and volunteering her time with EWB, Elise hopes that she too can be a role model for young girls, much like her sister was to her.

About the ‘Futur-neers’ program: This series is funded by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. The program focuses on deeper support and amplification of EWB’s Youth Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering.

To read about our other incredible ‘Futur-neer’ role models in the EWB Chapter network, click here.

The post Meet our Futur-neers: Elise McCaul appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

It was 2007. Lizzie Brown, EWB’s Education Officer at the time (who later became the CEO of EWB from 2010 to 2015) gave a presentation about the EWB Challenge to Tim and some 180 students peers. It was the very first time that EWB was to offer this unit in universities, as a pilot program. As Lizzie spoke about the fantastic work EWB does in the humanitarian sector, Tim became more and more enthralled.

“It was eye-opening,” Tim reflects. Tim had some awareness of humanitarian engineering but had no idea that there was an organisation that existed to help change the world through engineering. “I remember thinking – ‘wow, this is why I wanna do engineering!’” Tim says. 

A taste of designing for the real world

The EWB Challenge would go on to ignite in Tim a life-long passion for humanitarian engineering. The design brief for the 2007 pilot program that Tim worked on focused on the sustainable development of the Uluru Children’s Home, an orphanage located in Tamil Nadu, India. He remembers becoming obsessed with doing well, so he could progress to the next round and have the opportunity to do more work with EWB. As part of the EWB Challenge, students work in groups of 5 or 6, to develop a design solution that addresses the brief. During the program, students get the chance to present their design solutions to their fellow students. This was the first time Tim and his peers had presented in front of lots of people.

“I remember that my fellow EWB Challenge team mates all got dressed up in suits and ties to give our presentations – we were tracksuit-wearing Uni students in country Geelong. But we really wanted to do a good job!” Tim says. 

The EWB Challenge was a fantastic experience for Tim and truly influenced his career trajectory. Tim reflects that, “the EWB Challenge planted the seed that started it all, really”. 

What happened next

After finishing university, Tim started work for a farming company, utilising his engineering skills to build fully automated chicken farms. It was a cool job and Tim did enjoy coming up with mechanical solutions to improve the farm’s efficiency. But he wasn’t entirely satisfied. His true passion lay in the humanitarian sector. In order to pursue this course more actively, Tim started using his annual leave to volunteer with organisations that were working on water sustainability projects in Indonesia and Myanmar. His path then crossed with EWB again, when he landed a role as an volunteer EWB Field Professional based in Timor-Leste for 15 months. Tim then went on to participate in four of EWB’s Humanitarian Design Summits as a mentor, before landing a role on staff at the EWB head office. His engineering journey, which started 15 years ago in Geelong, has now taken him all over the world.

Tim now works as a Policy Analyst at the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning. Whilst the work he does now is a lot different to the work he was doing in Timor-Leste his desires and motivations are the same. Tim is determined to help improve people’s quality of life – whether they live in Melbourne or Timor-Leste “Everyone deserves access to clean drinking water,” Tim says. 

And he still has his stickers (but his MySpace account was closed some time ago).

Over its 15 years, the EWB Challenge has impacted the career trajectory of thousands of engineers just like Tim. The EWB Challenge aims to educate and inspire future engineers to contribute to solving real-world problems through human-centred engineering. 

You can learn more about the EWB Challenge here.

The post The challenge that blew his mind: Tim Kuiper appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.