More recently, Bea’s passion for international development led her to volunteer overseas in Cambodia and Timor-Leste for several months with EWB Australia through the Australian Volunteers Program as a Country Strategy Mentor. 

What has she learnt over the past 10 years? When working with communities overseas, says Bea, “you’re not the star”. The people she worked with – their culture, language and knowledge – came first. “The biggest learning point was to stand back.”

Australian Volunteers Program Field Professionals, Bea and Nicole, visiting a school in Siem Reap where an accessible handwashing station was installed by EWB in partnership with Cambodian Rural Students Trust.

Working across the world

Throughout her career, Bea found working and volunteering across several countries to be a stimulating experience, one which took her out of her comfort zone and prompted her to question her assumptions while bringing her into contact with enriching and inspiring people. Bea’s wide-ranging travels have taught her the importance of flexibility and resourcefulness, and in particular, being able to constantly learn and adapt to different cultures, environments and experiences. “Working across cultures and appreciating the importance of flexibility has maximised my ability to contribute to a better world”. 

For Bea, living, working and immersing herself in communities offers an experience both more challenging and more rewarding than being a tourist. Bea finds this immersion and deep engagement critical to her work; for international development to be successful and meaningful, she says, it’s vital to have a real understanding of the situation on the ground and how the local context works. 

Bea in a workshop held by EWB Australia with local Cambodian NGO Banteay Srei.

This was particularly important in Bea’s experience working on water and sanitation in Cambodia, to avoid situations where facilities like toilets were installed but not regularly used or maintained. Putting in the effort to learn and understand communities’ needs ensures engineering projects provide genuinely effective, long-lasting solutions that help empower communities in sustainable and culturally responsive ways. 

Often, this involved taking a step back and investing time in building relationships with, and learning from, people in local communities. This was a mindset shift that Bea observed in herself and in other colleagues, especially for those transitioning away from a high-powered Western workplace culture built around getting things done, quickly. Working on business development outside of Australia required a new way of thinking and doing things – taking the time to strengthen capacity within communities rather than going in first and doing the work; collaborating together, rather than providing ready-made solutions. 

Engineering is ‘all about people’

Bea’s work in Cambodia and Timor-Leste marked new strategic directions for EWB’s country offices, charting a course for expansion and greater in-country responsibility. Her work in both countries involved extensive consultation with the country offices, as well as close collaboration with stakeholders in each country. In each case, the strategic plan focused on providing opportunities for people and strengthening capacity, in a way that reflected the country’s unique context, strengths and needs. 

Bea and the EWB Australia in Cambodia team on a trip to Siem Reap with the Australian Deputy Ambassador in 2023.

Bea’s work in Cambodia also impressed on her the value of working with communities to activate their sense of ownership and agency over their resources and equipment. Bea has seen the benefits of empowering people and helping build an entrepreneurial mindset. In one instance, Bea worked with an organisation to install a water tank in a village and gave ongoing responsibility for the facility to one person, who then started a business ensuring the village always had water. “Change starts at the grassroots level and occurs when people are empowered to take responsibility,” says Bea. 

Mentors and collaboration 

Looking back on her varied career, Bea says she’s fortunate to have had mentors who had confidence in her abilities and encouraged her to take on new opportunities and explore new fields. On her part, Bea has always been open to new challenges – whatever came up, she “‘always said yes”’.  She also cites her husband, Gavin Blakey, former Chair of EWB, as a collaborator and source of inspiration in her work. Bea and Gavin have worked together on many projects, driven by their complementary skills and a shared passion for empowering people and prioritising the development and welfare of others. 

Bea and her husband Gavin volunteering in Cambodia with the EWB Australia team.

Bea’s focus on strengthening capacity and empowering people from the ground up is what shapes her strategic work, but also her individual approach. Whether mentoring women in small businesses in Papua New Guinea, working with young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka or collaborating with EWB staff in Cambodia and Timor-Leste, Bea values the relationships she’s fostered through her work. In reflection, she says, “The major contribution I hope I have made is to have encouraged and supported people, giving them confidence and hope about their and their families’ future”. 

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.

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In Darlau, a village in Timor-Leste, collecting water was until recently a slow and physically demanding task. Every day, residents would trek to the only springwater supply and carry buckets back up a steep hill. This job was generally done by women and children – a round trip that could take up to 2 hours, and in extreme heat during summer.

Darlau is located only 11 kilometres southeast of the capital city of Dili, but its location and topography mean its 1200 residents are highly isolated. The village is set on mountainous terrain and is reached by steep, muddy roads, which are often cut off by floods during the wet season. Basic support from the government often fails to reach Darlau, which has only recently received electricity.

EWB was introduced to the community in May 2022 through local Timorese non-government organisation, Permatil, when EWB was seeking to run participatory design workshops with a community that could benefit from engineering solutions. Through these workshops, the EWB team heard from the community about a range of challenges they faced in everyday life, spanning household sanitation, agriculture and menstrual health and hygiene. 

As the EWB team listened to and observed the community, it became clear that many of these challenges were linked to an overarching problem – Darlau’s limited access to clean, drinking water. With EWB’s extensive experience in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), the team were confident  that they could solve the community’s water supply problems.

EWB and Darlau residents testing the temporary water supply solution installed in September 2022.

As the project took shape, the EWB team was faced with the challenge of designing a water system for an isolated, mountainous area. They also needed to gain the trust of the community, who were wary of trusting and sharing knowledge with outsiders following unsuccessful or short-lived past attempts at rehabilitating the water supply. 

Over the next year, EWB worked closely with the community to build trust and design a water system that would work effectively in the terrain, meet the community’s needs and lessen the burden on women and children for water collection. 

Fostering trust and deep understanding 

EWB Technology Development Lead, Romeus, working with Darlau residents to rehabilitate the existing water supply in the community.

In May 2022, EWB started its consultation with the community through focus groups and participatory design workshops. These workshops, run over the course of a week, were an important part of EWB’s use of human-centred design to identify and explore problems that the Darlau community was facing. Used in a range of projects, EWB’s participatory design process combines a variety of formats and exercises, including group discussions to learn about the history of the community, interviews with community members in their homes, and focus groups honing in on gender-specific issues.

As the EWB team continued to learn more about Darlau, a fuller picture emerged. It became clear to the team that EWB’s consultation and design process had to be gender responsive. Women and children were largely responsible for collecting the water for cooking, drinking, bathing and washing clothes.

As women within the community felt much of the burden of water collection, it was important for EWB to integrate their experiences into developing a solution. The team prioritised improving female participation in workshops to identify gender-specific issues and later established a majority female Group Management Facility, who lead the operation and maintenance of Darlau’s water facilities.

Building the water system 

Darlau residents supporting the installation of the temporary water supply system.

Navigating the mountainous terrain was a challenge for the team during the wet season that occurs between December and May, when heavy rain floods steep roads and blocks access to Darlau. To get ahead of these challenges, the EWB team swung into early action in July 2022. The installation of a temporary water supply solution in September marked a turning point in the EWB and Darlau relationship, with greater trust and goodwill fostered now that a functional solution had been delivered. Improved collaboration and sharing were key to the design and implementation process, with the community sharing vital knowledge of local geography and existing infrastructure. 

The community had been hesitant to share details about their natural resources and springwater due to its spiritual significance and the cultural practices associated with it. Building on the trust that had been established following the installation of the temporary water supply solution, EWB was given the location of a secret spring in February 2023, marking another significant milestone. The spring was located in challenging terrain that required specific expertise to address. Prior to concreting this natural spring, EWB was invited to a cultural ceremony conducted by the community to appease the spirits traditionally watching over the mountains.

EWB attending a cultural ceremony held by Darlau residents in August 2023.

This became the site for the permanent refurbished water system, which EWB developed to avoid the design and maintenance issues that had affected previous water systems. EWB re-designed the water pipeline system to ensure it worked around changes in elevation in the area, and implemented an automatically controlled pumping reticulation system. The permanent refurbished water system was finalised in July 2023.  

Responsibility for design, construction and maintenance of the new system was shared across different groups. The EWB Australia in Timor-Leste team, with support from Feto Enginhera interns, provided engineering analysis, detailed design, project management and construction monitoring. Feto Enginhera is a locally-led group of female Timorese engineers. They were assisted in fabrication and construction work by Dom Bosco intern volunteers. Local community members also took an active part in the project through ongoing discussions and negotiations. Some local volunteers took on labouring roles, encouraging a sense of community ownership of the water supply. 

The refurbishment provided the community with a significantly improved and efficient water system. Compared to the previous system, the new system increased flow rate from 300 to 1500 litres per hour, and reduced pump power consumption by a factor of 4. More than 115 households and 1200 people now directly benefit from improved access to water. Average walking time to the water supply was reduced from 56 minutes to under 5 minutes, significantly reducing the burden on women and children. 

Creating opportunities for Timorese female engineers

EWB Technology Development Lead, Romeus, and Feto Enginhera intern, Angelica, in Darlau.

As well as improving the daily lives of the Darlau community, the project also provided work experience for female Timorese engineers. The EWB team were supported by interns from Feto Enginhera, a locally led group which aims to support Timorese women in engineering and break down the social, economic and cultural barriers that women face in the sector. Female engineers in Timor often struggle to find opportunities where they can apply their skills, with gender stereotypes and a lack of female role models preventing them from fully participating in the industry.

A long-term partner of EWB, Feto Enginhera aims to address these challenges by fostering a network of female engineers and building their professional capability through work experience and mentoring. Feto Enginhera interns support EWB’s work in Timor Leste with engineering and project management and provide valuable assistance with community consultations.

Four Feto Enginhera interns were involved in the project in Darlau, gaining project supervision experience through construction monitoring. The Darlau project was an opportunity for these interns to build capacity and expertise, giving them firsthand experience in the planning, design and implementation of a community water supply project.

The successful involvement of Feto Enginhera interns fed into the development of EWB’s new Feto to the Front project, which recently secured funding through the US Embassy Small Grant Fund. Feto to the Front formalises the approach used in Darlau, with a focus on promoting the careers of Timorese women engineers by giving them a leading role in two water and sanitation projects. The program therefore has a dual approach, addressing both the immediate challenge of water access in rural Timor-Leste and the systemic challenge of gender inequality in the engineering sector.

Can you support next steps in Darlau?

To ensure the water system is well maintained, EWB is currently providing training and technical support to a newly formed community-led Group Management Facility. The GMF is specifically intended to support women’s equal involvement, with local women commenting that this will ‘help create gender equality’ and demonstrate their ability to contribute to the community through technical work.  Selected community members will act as leaders to operate and maintain the water system.

The trust that EWB has now established with the Darlau community provides the groundwork to explore new projects to pilot. Moving forward, EWB plans to explore new potential infrastructure projects such as a large-scale ceramic water filter for schools or an accessible community toilet.

EWB Australia’s work in Timor-Leste receives support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).

If you would like to support EWB’s work with communities overseas, please donate here. 

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‘Look, listen, learn’ was the mantra of Traditional Owners on Lama Lama Country during EWB’s Impactful Futures Immersive in July, which took participants on a journey through the tropical landscapes and cultural sites of Cape York for a week. By observing and attuning themselves to the sights, sounds and voices around them, participants were able to experience a deep immersion in the culture and history of Lama Lama Country.

This Impactful Futures Immersive for industry professionals, delivered by EWB with Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and the Lama Land Trust, was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic put study tours on hold.

The experience gave participants a fresh approach to their work, expanding their skills and cultural knowledge and deepening their place-based understanding of environmental and developmental challenges. Bringing professionals into dialogue with local community members and stakeholders, Immersives expand participants’ ways of thinking and problem-solving and challenge them to foreground deep understanding and cultural connection in their work.

Traditional Owners welcomed participants to the beginning of Lama Lama Country at Kalpower crossing.

‘Look, listen, learn’ 

Following Immersives held in Cambodia and Broome, the Immersive at Cape York was originally planned for May 2020 but was put on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The program returned in July 2023 with a 7-day study tour co-designed and delivered by EWB, the Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and Lama Lama Land Trust, offering an exploration of the possibilities of Indigenous-led sustainable development. Participants were able to immerse themselves in the sights, landscape and wildlife of Cape York, where they were encouraged by the Traditional Owners to engage their senses and ‘look, listen, learn’. The Immersive took participants on a deep dive into Traditional Knowledge and into the history and culture of the Lama Lama people, and their Elders’ work to return to Country after being forcibly removed.

The program was co-designed over an extended period with the Lama Lama Land Trust, who guided participants through their immersion into life on Country. The Immersive built on and strengthened EWB’s long-term partnership with Lama Lama, allowing participants to benefit from the trust built with the community through a sustained, close relationship. For participants, the Immersive placed an emphasis on observing, listening and learning from the Traditional Owners through discussions and site visits.

Deep engagement with Lama Lama Country

The second day of the Immersive took participants through a cultural tour at Mossman Gorge.

Participants began the tour in Cairns, where they were welcomed through an Acknowledgement of Country by Yirrganydji Traditional Owner Brian Singleton, and spent two days travelling up to Lama Lama Country. The journey gave participants an appreciation of the remoteness of the area and of life on Cape York, and participants were able to learn about the ecology of the region as they passed through important cultural sites such as Mossman Gorge, Laura Quinkan Split Rock Art Site, the Gateway to Cape York sculpture park at Lakeland and Scrubby Lagoon.

At Kalpowar Crossing, participants were welcomed to the beginning of Lama Lama Country by Traditional Owners, then set up camp in Port Stewart. Their time in Lama Lama Country included immersive experiences of traditional culture, food, language and practices, ongoing discussions of environmental and developmental challenges, opportunities to view key infrastructure, and visits to culturally and environmentally significant sites. Participants gained an in-depth understanding of life on Country and the challenges affecting conservation and infrastructure, including water quality, power supply, and telecommunications.

On the last day of their time on Lama Lama Country, participants engaged in a 2-hour workshop, beginning with mapping social, cultural and environmental and structural assets already present in Lama Lama Country. This led to participants identifying challenges affecting people and Country that they’d heard directly from Lama Lama people during the trip, including limited access to communications networks, the risk of frequent flood damage to infrastructure and the environment, and challenges in ensuring a safe and reliable water supply. 

Participants then identified initial potential opportunities or solutions for development, which were presented to Lama Lama Traditional Owners for their feedback.

Open minds and open hearts

Participants at Hann River Crossing on their way to Port Stewart.

Participants described the Immersive as a challenging and rewarding experience which introduced them to new mindsets and methods, teaching them to approach communities with ‘an open mind and open heart’ and ‘be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable’.

Reflections from participants described the ‘powerful and moving’ experiences they had throughout the week, including memorable highlights of ‘walking through the rainforest and being totally immersed in the stories’ and the privilege of spending time with Lama Lama Traditional Owners and their ‘willingness to share, openness and generosity’.  

What’s next?

For participants, the Cape York Immersive offered an opportunity to reflect on their professional practice, challenge their assumptions and cultivate a focus on listening and learning in partnership with communities.

The program is planned to continue in the coming months with an Immersive in Port Vila, Vanuatu which will explore engineering for climate resilience in the region. Find out more here. If you would like to be on our mailing list to hear about upcoming Immersives, complete our Expression of Interest form here. 

EWB Australia would like to acknowledge the Lama Lama Traditional Owners who supported our time on and allowed us to safely visit Country. We would like to thank the Lama Lama Land Trust, Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and their staff and partners who have shared so much with us to inform and support the delivery of 2023 Cape York Immersive. We would also like to thank other individuals and Traditional Owner groups who met with us on their Country at different parts of our journey on our way up Cape York to Lama Lama Country. We are also grateful to the support of our corporate partners who supported their staff to attend this Immersive. 

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The link between sanitation and education became especially apparent when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Cambodia, with school closures resulting in the disruption of learning. Improving hand hygiene was a key part of reopening schools safely and minimising disruption to education. 

The EWB Australia in Cambodia team has recently partnered with local student-run organisation, Cambodia Rural Students Trust (CRST) to install handwashing stations across five rural schools in Siem Reap, aiming to improve access to sanitation and create a foundation for positive educational outcomes. Alongside their work designing and installing handwashing stations, EWB also worked closely with CRST to assess 10 schools in Siem Reap on their provision of sanitation facilities.

Andreas Zurbrugg, the Deputy Ambassador from the Australian Embassy in Cambodia, visiting the EWB Australia in Cambodia team in Siem Reap to see our handwashing stations.

WASH and Education

Approximately 22% of schools in Cambodia lack basic drinking water services and 37% of schools lack basic sanitation services. Ensuring adequate sanitation can be a challenge in rural areas in particular, due to poor infrastructure and a lack of awareness about hygiene. 

Hygiene became a key priority for schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview, Tan Sopheak, principal of Sret Secondary School in Siem Reap, emphasised the need for good hygiene practices to keep students engaged and consistently attending school.

‘Washing hands prevents illnesses and the spread of infections to others. If any students are infected, they will miss school and spend time at the hospital.’ 

Making sanitation facilities widely available, including at schools, is an important part of reducing dropout rates. This applies particularly to female students, who often drop out of school to help take care of their families. 

Tan Sopheak stressed that improving sanitation in rural areas and providing a hygienic, clean environment would impact students’ lives for many years to come.

‘If we are not healthy, everything is impossible to accomplish. Overall, health is incredibly important.’ 

Assessing sanitation in Siem Reap schools

The EWB team supported community partner, CRST, in conducting sanitation infrastructure assessments at 10 schools in rural Siem Reap. EWB ran a series of workshops which trained CRST in conducting field assessments, developing assessment templates and measuring infrastructure. Through the workshops, CRST were able to build the skills they needed to successfully carry out this assessment and other similar work in the future. 

EWB also helped CRST expand the scope of their assessment, widening the focus from drinking water to incorporate other questions about water source, number of toilets, gender inclusivity and disability inclusion. 

The results from these assessments were provided to the schools, giving suggestions for improvements they could implement and which facilities were needed to ensure good hand hygiene and access to clean drinking water.

Installing accessible handwashing stations

An accessible handwashing station installed at Sret Secondary School.

  EWB Australia in Cambodia first began designing accessible handwashing stations in 2021 in response to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. These stations were implemented in COVID-19 treatment centres and quarantine centres throughout the year. They were specifically designed to minimise touchpoints, operated using a foot-operated pedal.  

The positive response to these stations led the EWB Australia in Cambodia team to expand the initiative to schools. Handwashing stations were installed at five primary schools in Siem Reap province, providing accessible sanitation facilities to 490 students and 30 teachers.

The stations were designed using EWB’s Technology Development Approach to develop a prototype that considered disability access. The team consulted with community partners throughout the installation process, conducting site visits to schools to better understand their needs. Installation of the handwashing stations commenced in November 2022, with stations at five schools now complete.

The handwashing stations are located in outdoor spaces outside the schools. They were designed to be no-touch, operated using a foot controlled pedal, and are connected to solar panels. The design for the stations also incorporates a ramp to ensure wheelchair access.

The new handwashing stations have been positively received by the schools. Students from the pilot schools reported that they were very happy to use the handwashing stations, washing their hands more frequently each day. 

Student Suengg Sak said, ‘I really like this handwashing station because it’s convenient to use and accessible for all students, especially students with disabilities.’

Improved sanitation and hygiene practices will continue to reap benefits for students like Suengg Sak, who aspires to be a teacher in the future. 

Next steps

EWB Australia Field Professional volunteers with school students in Siem Reap.

The team is now looking ahead to how they can continue the initiative and continue to improve the WASH sector in Cambodia. They are continuing their work with assessing sanitation in schools, currently finalising their data analyses and recommendations. They are also seeking funding to support the installation of more handwashing stations across schools in rural Cambodia.  

Tan Sopheak emphasised the importance of handwashing stations as a way of enabling and empowering students’ education. ‘A handwashing station is very important – it can [help] students stay healthy and reduce the dropout rate.’

The ultimate goal, he says, is to keep students healthy so they can finish their education. ‘Once students are educated, they will know what they want to do and how to get there.’

This project was generously supported by EWB ACT Chapter member Charlotte Fell through a donation received by the GHD Foundation. 

EWB’s work in Cambodia receives support from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and generous donors. You can support our work as well by making a donation here.

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The cultivation of native grains through careful land management was once central to Aboriginal life. However, following colonisation, the shift to European foods and farming methods damaged native grasslands and reduced biodiversity.

At Nguurruu farm, 40 minutes north of Canberra, Murray Prior is working with Ngambri custodians to implement regenerative farming practices and revive native foods and land management. Farming practices at Nguurruu are informed by Indigenous knowledges and seek to restore biodiversity and reverse ecological damage.

The second iteration of the EWB ACT Chapter’s ‘Nguluway’ Local Design Summit, held earlier this year in collaboration with Nguurruu farm, gave university students and industry professionals firsthand insight into regenerative farming practices on Country. 

Year two of the Summit

The Local Design Summit is an immersive 1-2 week learning experience, allowing participants to collaborate with First Nations peoples to design, build and work on Country. Through workshops and site visits, the Summit highlights the importance of local community engagement, cross-cultural awareness and teamwork.

The 2023 EWB ACT Chapter-led Summit took place on the Australian National University’s Acton campus and Nguurruu Farm, where participants were hosted by co-custodians Paul Girrawah House, a proud Ngambri-Ngurmal (Walgalu), Pajong (Gundungurra), Wallabollooa (Ngunnawal) and Erambie/Brungle (Wiradyuri) man, and Murray Prior. 

The theme for the 2023 ACT Chapter Local Design Summit was ‘Nguluway’, a name given by Paul Girrawah House, meaning ‘meeting each other’. Over the three phases of the Summit, participants learned about sustainable development and Indigenous knowledge and collaborated on potential designs and solutions.

The ACT Chapter’s first Local Design Summit in 2022 first established relationships with Nguurruu farm and Gungarri men Dan Ganter and Warren Saunders, both involved in the native grain industry. The 2022 program initiated a number of design projects such as a vibrating seed cleaner. 

Upon the suggestion of Murray Prior and Paul Girrawah House, the second summit expanded on this initial work to spark Indigenous-led innovation in areas like native grains and foods. Held in January at the time of the native grains harvest, the summit facilitated co-design and two-way learning between settler and Ngambri-Ngunnawal participants.

On Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country

Local Design Summit participants on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country.

The first phase of the summit was held at ANU and involved a series of workshops, where participants learned about sustainable and holistic development and Country-centred Design Theory.

Participants then attended a site visit at Nguurruu farm, receiving a Welcome to Country from four generations of the House family, including a smoking ceremony and the opportunity for the women to dance alongside Aunty Matilda House. The site visit brought together EWB participants, the Ngambri mob and special guests from the ANU Bandalang Design Studio and Soils for Life for a day focussed on reviving native foods and land management.

Throughout the day, participants attended onsite workshops on reviving the traditional grain economy and adapting ancient bush medicines to modern uses. At the end of the site visit day, participants shared a ‘Native Grains feast’ which celebrated local foods and ingredients, and heard talks given by owner Murray Prior and others.

Hackathon day

Local Design Summit participants during the hackathon held at ANU.

Following time spent on Country at Nguurruu farm, participants reconvened at ANU to reflect on the site visit and brainstorm ideas on native grains and land management, exploring possible designs and solutions which they presented back to the group. During the hackathon day, participants were able to consult and co-design with Dan Ganter (Gunggari man) and Karmen, both deeply involved in the native grain industry.

Ideas included a new design for a native grains collection bag to assist harvesting and a tool for increasing awareness and promoting the supply of native flora. Participants also explored a potential process for fair, Indigenous-led commercialisation of native products, and a business opportunity to encourage knowledge, growth and use of native plants. 

“Start reconciliation practices today, not tomorrow”

EWB ACT Chapter Louise Bardwell reflects on her experience organising and delivering the Chapter’s second Local Design Summit: 

“Tyson Yunkaporta wrote how “at low levels of knowledge there is only difference across cultures but at high levels there is common ground.” He called for an end to culture as being a “tokenistic add-on,” advocating for a path forward where we learn “through culture, not just about culture.” 

 

One of the greatest things I have learnt across this journey of designing the Local Design Summit with my EWB ACT community is to stop worrying about doing it wrong. Coming from a space of well intention, you can easily worry yourself into doing nothing at all rather than giving it a go and maybe making a few mistakes along the way. With the support, encouragement, and experience of my EWB ACT peers, we were able to take a community approach to unlearning and relearning, together giving it a go to see how we could design and run an immersive two-way learning experience with and for First Nations Peoples on our local Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. 

 

The process was highly iterative, and we certainly didn’t always get it perfectly right, but the important thing was that we were doing something, and we were doing it together. Having the opportunity to form relationships with such generous people like Murray Prior, Dan and Warren Ganter and Paul and Matilda House made me appreciate how important it is for us all to start reconciliation practices today, not tomorrow.”

Next steps for the Local Design Summit

The EWB ACT Chapter is currently organising a two-part design and prototyping session to problem solve and workshop ideas to support the growth of the native grains and seeds industry. As a recipient of the RS PRO / EWB Student Sustainability Design competition, the EWB ACT Chapter will use donated RS PRO Products from RS Components in the sessions. The sessions will also be guided by the knowledge and expertise of Warren Saunders and Dan Ganter. 

The design and problem solving session will run in June 2023 and the prototyping session, supported by the ANU Makerspace, will run in August 2023. If you live in ACT and are interested in attending, please email the ACT Chapter at act@ewb.org.au. You can also keep up to date with their events by following their Facebook page.

The Nguluway Local Design Summit 2023 was generously supported by the Natasha Linard Scholarship received by EWB ACT Chapter member Charlotte Fell from the Australian National University (ANU), as well as the ANU Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT). 

The Summit and its time out on Country also could not have happened without the tireless efforts and support of Murray and Michelle Prior from Nguurruu farm.

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For environmental activist David Kalsal, fishing and swimming in the Emten Lagoon on Vanuatu’s Efate Island has always been a part of local life for him and his family. In recent years however, the lagoon has also become an indicator of how climate change and sanitation challenges are impacting his community.

The Erakor Bridge community lies on the edge of the Emten Lagoon and is home to approximately 200 residents. The community consists of low-lying areas with a high groundwater table, meaning the area is especially vulnerable to cyclones and frequent flooding during periods of heavy rainfall. As a result of flooding and inadequate household sanitation systems, swimming and fishing is no longer safe for the community due to high levels of e.coli bacteria detected in the lagoon. 

‘The [flood] water that ends up in the lagoon collects sediment, debris and, due to poor sanitation systems, human faeces,’ says David. 

Ni-Vanuatu communities like David’s are on the frontline of the climate crisis and are already experiencing firsthand the effects of climate change. 

‘We have seen so many things happening already around us that have a direct link to climate change… flooding, rising sea levels, coastal erosion, loss of marine life and biodiversity,’ David says. ‘When I was a little kid living here, the lagoon was filled with plantations of mangroves and an abundance of marine life. Now, we no longer have these things.’ 

With rainfall projected to increase by 8-9mm by 2030 due to climate change, the Erakor Bridge community was urgently in need of a sanitation solution which could withstand these challenging conditions and safeguard the community from the health risks posed by inadequate sanitation systems. 

A conversation between David and the EWB Australia in Vanuatu team in 2020 led to two years of extensive community consultation and the construction of a community compost toilet that survived not one, but two cyclones, in March this year. 

Origins of the project 

David Kalsal, Erakor Bridge community member

In 2020, David and other environmental activists raised the idea of a community accessible compost toilet with EWB Australia in Vanuatu. The EWB team began designing and prototyping a toilet facility that is adjacent to the community hall, which would be accessible to everyone in the Erakor Bridge community and suitable to the local environment. 

The community had never had access to a public toilet; the high groundwater table coupled with increasingly heavy rainfall meant that household solutions such as pour flush toilets and dry pit toilets had failed in the past. Extensive community consultation was crucial to developing a solution that would meet local needs, withstand environmental challenges and could be sustained in the long run. 

The team, led by EWB’s Technical Program Manager Steve Tarimaemae, began developing a prototype with input from the local community, with David Kalsal acting as a community advocate throughout the process. This was intended to be a long-term project extending to 2025, allowing for thorough consultation prior to building the toilet as well as subsequent monitoring and maintenance.

Designing a community-oriented solution

The EWB Australia in Vanuatu team holding concept exploration workshops with local community partner, The Vanuatu Society for People with Disability.

While exploring and designing options for the compost toilet, the team prioritised sustained and meaningful engagement with the local community. This was key to understanding beneficiaries’ needs, exchanging knowledge about the local environment and ensuring a long-lasting and sustainable solution. 

The team engaged with the community through a 2021 awareness program around pollution levels and sanitation guidelines, holding focus groups to canvas community input. EWB also has a long-term relationship with Vanuatu’s Ministry of Health through a collaborative effort in developing national hygiene and sanitation guidelines and standards.

In accounting for accessibility needs and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, the team consulted with the Vanuatu Society for People with Disability, concentrating in particular on ensuring access to the toilet for a wheelchair user in the community.

Following extensive community consultation and prototyping, the team settled on a design for a raised dual-pit compostable toilet, which was launched at a ceremony in October 2022 attended by the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, the Vanuatu Society for People with Disability, the Shefa Provincial Government Council, UNICEF and a local school.

The launch ceremony held in October 2022.

The toilet has separate pits for urine and faeces, with a soak away system for urine. A key benefit of the toilet is that once the faecal matter dries out sufficiently, it can be repurposed as a source of fertiliser. The toilet has been built 1.1 metres high, thus preventing flooding from washing out waste into the surrounding environment, which has caused health risks in the past. A gravity-fed rainwater tank has also been installed to provide water for handwashing.

David says, ‘After two dedicated years of working on and developing this concept, this year, we finally built it. I am so proud, as this is the first of its kind to be prototyped in my community.’ 

Long-term sustainability and next steps 

Ensuring the long-term sustainability of the facility was a key focus for the EWB team. Any solution had to be able to be maintained within the community and be suitable to meet the community’s needs on an ongoing basis.

The community toilet before and after damage to the local area caused by Cyclones Judy and Kevin.

This was put to the test when Vanuatu was hit by back-to-back tropical cyclones, Cyclones Kevin and Judy, in February and March this year. Despite significant damage to the area, the compost toilet survived intact – a result of its careful construction in this challenging environment.

Going forward, the EWB team is working with the Erakor Bridge community to ensure they can independently manage the toilet on an ongoing basis. A community committee has been trained on operating and maintaining the toilet, including regularly adding sawdust to the toilet, emptying the rubbish bin and cleaning the floor. Once the pit is full, the EWB team will assist the committee to safely empty and dispose of the compost within the community.

The team has extensive monitoring work planned for the next two years, aiming to understand the optimal safety protocols for managing and possibly re-using waste. This has been a key issue with previous compostable toilet projects in Vanuatu. The team is also in the process of exploring ways to scale the solution at a household level by producing a low-cost design that can be implemented by individual families. 

David looks forward to further collaboration to help build the community’s resilience to the environmental challenges that lie ahead. 

“We are looking forward to continuing to work with Engineers Without Borders… so that every household can adapt this system.”

As a lifelong resident of Erakor Bridge, David’s work as an advocate is bringing his community one step closer to ensuring they can continue to call this place home.

EWB’s work in Vanuatu receives support from the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and generous donors. You can support our work as well by making a donation here.

The post A climate resilient and community-led solution to sanitation challenges in Vanuatu 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.