English as a foreign language, and differing industry regulations create a daunting barrier to finding employment in Australia. In 2018, EWB’s NSW Chapter partnered with Metro Assist, a community organisation that provides a range of services to support migrants and refugees settling in NSW. Their services include migrant settlement, family support, early intervention, and emergency relief. The NSW Chapter is working with Metro Assist’s SkillME Program to support migrants and refugees with engineering and IT backgrounds to find employment in Australia. This support involves industry mentoring, information packages and workshops. Participants come from many different countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Colombia and China.

Supporting international talent

Jonathan Posniak is an EWB volunteer and coordinator of the SkillME partnership with Metro Assist. For his day job, Jonathan is a mechanical engineer for Nous Group in Sydney. Jonathan began volunteering at EWB to use his professional skills to improve the lives of others. Jonathan coordinates EWB NSW’s partnership with SkillME via a mentorship program that assists participants navigate their job search in Australia. Alongside mentorship, participants receive industry information pamphlets and tips from HR representatives of engineering firms.

“The mentorship program provides participants with moral support and encouragement during the application process. It can be very challenging for a person to apply for these jobs and get lots of rejections,” says Jonathan. “This can have a big impact on self-worth, so the mentors are there to be a sounding board and help them through the process.”

The mentorship program

The EWB NSW Chapter sources mentors from engineering and IT firms, who individually support a participant for three months. The mentors chat weekly with participants to educate and provide feedback on their application process. Furthermore, mentors gain experience working in a pro-bono environment and see the impact that their work can have at a community level.  The program runs four cycles each year, with 14 mentors and 24 mentees partaking in the program since 2018. There have been some unforeseen benefits of the program that Jonathan didn’t envision when it started.

“Within the mentoring program we developed a mentoring manual to provide mentors information for best practice,” explains Jonathan. “The volunteers of these projects were primarily migrants and refugees, which developed their knowledge of the field and gave them local experience to put on their CV.”

Moustafa’s story

Moustafa Al Esali has now landed his dream job

Moustafa Al Esali grew up in Syria. Where many Australian high school graduates move onto university studies nearby home, Moustafa’s school graduation coincided with the beginning of the Syrian war.

“I wanted a safe place to live, rather than waking up to the war in Syria,” says Moustafa. “Electricity was out for 20 hours of the day, and we couldn’t use a generator in fear they would bomb our house.”

Always maintaining his appetite to study, even when restricted to candlelight, Moustafa fled to Malaysia in 2012. Moustafa studied the Bachelor of Civil Engineering at the University of Malaysia Perlis. Completing the degree in 2017, he moved to Australia on a recognised graduate visa in 2018.

“I knew of Australia’s excellent quality of life index, healthy economy and beautiful warm weather.”

Moustafa fell in love with Sydney instantly, making friends quickly whilst learning more about Australia and his new local neighbourhood. However, he faced difficulties in his job search as a fresh engineering graduate.

“It was hard to find an engineering job because my visa conditions did not include permanent residency,” explains Moustafa. “I did not have local experience or understanding of the market, which is a big thing when it comes to finding a job in Australia.”

In his persistent job search, Moustafa found the SkillME website. Soon after, Moustafa began the three-month EWB mentorship program under the guidance of an engineer, Yingying.

“Yingying’s guidance developed my understanding of the Australian market and the job application process,” explains Moustafa. “I learnt how to write a resume and cover letter based on Australian standards.”

The support boosted Moustafa’s confidence in job interviews and responding to frequently asked questions.

“Yingying was very helpful and understanding. I hope she is reading this to say thank you again!”

Upon completion of the program, Moustafa participated in TAFE Digital’s SkillMax program. The program gave Moustafa the chance to meet people from different cultures and share their employment experiences. Participants also practiced mock job interviews and phone call etiquette, and spoke with recruiters. Moustafa’s participation in SkillME and SkillMax assisted him in securing an internship at Sydney-based contracting company, Fortis Group PTY LTD. As Moustafa finds his feet in the Australian engineering industry, his long-term vision highlights an inspiring drive to improve the lives of others. 

“My dream job is working for one of the biggest international civil engineering companies in the world,” says Moustafa. “I would like to contribute to the most iconic projects to shape a better world around us.”

Alongside career aspirations, Moustafa equally wishes to use his knowledge to support the repair of Syria.

“One of the main reasons I studied civil engineering was my complete fascination with ancient Roman monuments that stand to this day.”

Currently, Moustafa is settled in Australia, yet he will always have a yearning to travel back and support his home country. “Hopefully one day I can be part of the rebuild of my beautiful country Syria. However, for now, I plan to stay and work in Australia as this country has given me a great opportunity, new life and lots of hope.

Update from Moustafa:

“On the 11th of October, 2021 my job search journey came to an end and I landed my dream job at SMEC Australia. I felt very welcomed from the very first interview. My team is very helpful, they always answer my questions with the same enthusiasm whether it is my first or tenth question of the day. It is a great workplace with lots of interesting projects going on around the country. A big thanks to my managers Andrew Pettig & Rob Lee and my team leader David Sananikone for their outstanding help and endless support. It has been a great ride so far and I am so excited to see what the future holds to me within SMEC!”

EWB and SkillME maintain a strong partnership that will continue to support and promote the professional skills of migrants living in Australia. The mentorship program will continue to unveil new engineering talent and provide a fulfilling experience for mentors in the program. To become a mentor, keep an eye out through Engineers Without Borders NSW Chapter for updates on mentorship openings that occur several times a year.

The post Creating opportunity for migrant and refugee engineers appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Vinicius’ admiration for Mujica stems from his desire to give others more time than himself. With this attitude leading to a purposeful tendency to support humanitarian causes, it is no surprise that Vinicius is inspired by Mujica’s humble passion for innovation and positive social change. Motivated by an urge to help others, Vinicius’ journey with EWB began through his want to utilise engineering for positive social good. 

With a degree in Sanitation and Environmental Engineering from the Federal University of Mato Grosso in Brazil, Vinicius wants to use his expertise to transform human realities. To transform realities, Vinicius acknowledges that human achievement requires persistence to a planned process of learning. 

Making a difference to rural sanitation in Cambodia

The process of learnt transformation is reflective of Vinicius’ current efforts with rural Cambodian communities. In his current role on the project, Vinicus advises on the execution and evaluation of sanitation development for rural communities in Cambodia.

The importance of this work is essential to improving Cambodia’s current shortages in human access to safe water and consequently sanitation. With approximately 77% of Cambodians living in rural areas, poor access to safe water and sanitation is having a disproportionate impact on Cambodians that live in rural communities. With the COVID-19 pandemic presenting additional health concerns, improved access to water, toilets, and clean household living has never been more important. 

Engineering with a community-centred focus

Supporting the project remotely from Brisbane, Vinicius has seen first-hand how sanitation solutions depend more on the cultural nuances of each community, rather than specific technologies. Vinicius is continuing to assist the Cambodian team in the ‘ideas stage’ of the project in creating engineering solutions with a community-orientated focus. 

“When I saw that sanitation solutions depend more on the cultural environment than technology development, I understood the role of EWB as an institution devising engineering solutions with the community always in mind.”

However, engaging with the Cambodian team and communities remotely has presented its challenges. 

 “The fact that I can’t be there to physically experience Cambodia makes it harder to feel people’s challenges,” explains Vinicius. “To overcome this, I try to stay informed and ask as many questions as I can to the Cambodian team to gain understanding from the ground.”

Personal and professional growth

Beyond the placement’s challenges, the experience is enriching Vinicius’ personal and professional growth. 

“Through working with overseas teams, I’ve realised that global challenges require the collaboration of many different perspectives,” explains Vinicius. “The remote placement has also helped develop my communication and strategic planning skills, as I have been dealing with a very different reality from my working life in Brisbane.” 

A look to the future

Outside of the field placement, Vinicius is currently working as an Operations Assistant in Brisbane, drawing on his background in logistics in previous roles as a technical advisor and sanitation and environmental engineer in Brazil. Alongside his work, Vinicius recently completed an MBA specialising in Project Management at Kaplan Business School. 

Vinicius has a lot on his plate, but greatly values friendship and spending time with those closest to him. With a strong appreciation for others, and a value on determination, honesty and integrity, Vinicius is a fantastic representative of the EWB ethos that aims to improve the lives of others. Contributing to EWB’s vision, Vinicius’s time with EWB has been one of the most enriching experiences of his life. 

“EWB has given me a diverse and unique experience that is helping me understand my purpose in life.”

Getting involved with EWB comes in many forms, spanning from Vinicius’ direct work as a field professional with overseas rural communities, to local engagement via EWB’s extensive Chapter network. If you’re interested in getting involved with our work, join a local chapter to find out more, or register your interest to hear of future EWB Australian Volunteer Field Professional Placements. 

The post Stories from the field – Vinicius Guim appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Unlike many other states across Australia, the event was held in-person and not online, hosted at the University of Western Australia. The event included a panel discussion and two interactive activities, showcasing how human-centred engineering is contributing to positive social outcomes. 

Panel discussion

The panel discussion kicked off the night, with three professionals well-versed in human-centred design, discussing how they use this thinking to make a positive impact on society.

Louis Clarke and Liam Richer, the co-founders of Humanitarian Engineering International Placements (HEIP), began the panel discussion. HEIP is a for-purpose development organisation providing valuable engineering resources across the world. By coordinating workplace opportunities with international humanitarian engineering organisations, participating engineers make a real difference to communities across the world. Partnering with experts in engineering from some of EWB Australia’s international colleagues including EWB Argentina, EWB Chile, and EWB Brazil, HEIP empowers vulnerable communities and inspires engineers for the future.

Liam and Louis were joined by Katie Dunn, a digital strategy consultant for JourneyOne. With a background in business development for human-centred design, Katie shared insights on how to enhance public messaging related to human-centred engineering. Alongside public messaging, Katie evaluates the community impact of business decision making. Frequent evaluation ensures human-centred design remains a centre-focus of organisational strategy, no matter the industry.

With many attendees looking ahead to their professional engineering future, the panellists shared valuable advice for navigating early-career engineering. The panellists shared their experiences transitioning from university to impactful work in the humanitarian engineering sector.

Human-centred engineering leading to real-life solutions 

Participants observing the medical imaging activity

After gaining inspiration from the keynote speakers, attendees were immersed in an hour of activities exploring the importance of human-centred engineering in solving everyday problems.

Activities included a medical imaging workshop run by the Biomedical Engineering Society, and a walk-through using 3D printers to create parts of a water tank, hosted by the UWA Makers, a club that encourages students to get involved in practical engineering and making. 

Alongside the networking opportunity for the attendees with industry professionals, the event highlighted the array of opportunities available to students across a variety of engineering disciplines. 

The opportunities really are endless; whether it be in the volunteering or professional industry sector. EWB’s UWA Chapter is continually welcoming like-minded individuals to join the team that is using technology to benefit all. You can find your local chapter here. 

The post Inspiring a future generation in human-centred engineering appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Brazilians have limited water access, but the situation is humanly reversible. Amazonian rainforests that release humidity into the air for rain are being cut, while factory waste is dumped into rivers.

“I could not stand to see the urban creeks and waterways trashed and dying due to pollution contamination,” says Daniel. “Living in big cities back in Brazil, the pollution and poverty sadden me.”

Ecology to Engineering

Beginning his professional career in environmental education projects, Daniel was able to activate his passion for protecting the planet. However, Daniel wasn’t content with only observing and critiquing the natural environment without making meaningful changes. He wanted to make a difference by improving the lives of those in Brazil and beyond through better access to water and sanitation. 

Daniel discovered he could combine his environmental passion with engineering. Calling this blend a “weird kind of engineer”, blending a civil engineering background with expertise in sanitation and the environment.

“Being an ecologist and only critiquing the system was not an option for me. I have to do something to work this out from inside the system to make positive change happen.”

In 2019, Daniel was selected as an EWB Australian Volunteers Program Field Professional. Soon after, Daniel was working in Vanuatu assisting the development of Vanuatu’s National Sanitation and Hygiene Policy. The policy was a collaborative effort, with EWB Australia and EWB New Zealand supporting the project with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health (MoH). Within Daniel’s policy development role, he was assisting the expansion of guidelines to rural Vanuatu communities. When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, Daniel was repatriated back to Australia and continued to support the MoH remotely. 

Engineering waste reduction in the Pacific

In 2021, Daniel continues to support human development in the South Pacific region. In August this year, Daniel and EWB delivered the ‘Assessment of Alternatives to Disposable Diapers’ report involving Fiji, Kiribati, and Vanuatu. The report’s findings will be published soon and seek to reduce nappy waste in the Pacific region. Nappy waste represents 26% of the household waste found in Vanuatu. Once used, nappy waste releases E. coli and other bacteria that can cause diarrhoea and chronic illness particularly among children.  

Through devising human-centred solutions in an environmental context, Daniel is supporting communities and the planet. 

Daniel with the Ministry of Health team in Vanuatu

“I feel that my time and effort is transformed into something meaningful to improve lives while protecting natural resources and the environment,” says Daniel. “EWB has taught me how fundamental the human component is to the design of feasible solutions on the ground.”

Working together for the future

Daniel is hopeful for the future. He sees more people conscious of their impact on a planet that is increasingly under attack.

“Human beings have such an amazing capacity to make things happen,” emphasises Daniel. “I hope that we can work together to ensure all present and future generations can live in peace and harmony with nature and it’s animals.”

Daniel wants people to put aside personal differences for the benefit of greater causes. He emphasises the importance of human-centred engineering as a key tool towards a healthy future.

“EWB is the place to be if you want to learn while teaching and striving to improve the lives of communities,” says Daniel.

Maintaining human connection

It’s no surprise Daniel values family and friendship above all else. In 2020 amidst global lockdowns, Daniel ensured he would speak with his family in Brazil regularly.

“Due to COVID-19, I am afraid to see people stopping to hug, shaking hands and dancing together,” fears Daniel. “I pray to God that my children can live their life in communion and close convenience with other people.”

Fortunately for Daniel, he is back in Brazil visiting family and friends. He is cherishing the simple things in life with the people closest to him.

“A few weeks ago, I went camping with my family and friends on a remote and incredibly beautiful beach in Southern Brazil,” says Daniel. “I used to love going there before moving to Australia and dealing with COVID-19 travel restrictions.”

Despite Daniel’s travel, he emphasises his commitment to supporting a healthy future for Vanuatu.

“I developed a great connection with the MoH team and would like to finalise the national implementation of the sanitation and hygiene guidelines to improve health outcomes for Vanuatu citizens.”

Overcoming challenges through human collaboration

The global impact of COVID-19 highlights the collective challenges we face as a society. Resultantly, technology presents as a valuable tool to improve our lives during hardship.

“Working with overseas teams highlights that we all have similar problems to overcome and the solutions are available to those who want them,” explains Daniel. “We need to adapt to what is available for each situation and strive for the best.” 

Daniel supports the human-centred approach embedded in EWB’s 2030 strategy, using technology solutions to complement the traditional understanding of local environments.  

“I hope my contributions show communities that people can work together to overcome great challenges and enjoy the process.” 

Volunteering with EWB is also assisting Daniel in his professional work environment. 

“Volunteering brings me confidence that my skills and experiences are useful when the right opportunity comes,” explains Daniel. “It makes me realise that it’s important to be open to an ongoing learning process of self-development. This allows my creativity and innovation to flow in my professional work.” 

While climate change and waste are impacting our planet, Daniel is one of many volunteers striving to protect our future. EWB is continually welcoming new volunteers who share a common ground for contributing to social change. Through an array of volunteering opportunities, EWB is a fantastic opportunity to engage in community-centred practice and expand your professional network.

If you’re interested in getting involved in our work, join a local Chapter to find out more, or register your interest to hear of future Australian Volunteer Professional Field Placements.

The post Stories from the field – Daniel Pires appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Over the course of the trip, 17 primary and secondary schools in the region were visited, with 63 workshops facilitated, engaging 1472 students. 46% of these students were female. As an underrepresented cohort in the engineering sector, this program has a particular focus on engaging with female students as just one way to encourage and inspire future female engineers.

Educators noted that the workshops sparked many students’ future career ambitions in engineering and STEM. Students were recognising how such careers can meaningfully benefit the lives of others. 

“Engineering is important. Engineers are problem solvers. Our school strives to instill STEM and engineering processes throughout our Training & Education programs,” on teacher said. “I like how you are teaching engineering to benefit society and improve the lives of the less fortunate. Planting seeds in young minds.” 

Among high school students, interest in pursuing a career in engineering increased by 8.2% (10.1% for students identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) on completion of the workshop. For primary school students, interest in science or engineering as a career increased by 5.1% overall.  

Hands-on wins hands-down  

The hands-on activity stood out for both primary and high-school students, with almost half of all students finding the creation and design of sustainability-based engineering ideas as the most enjoyable aspect of the workshop. The creation and construction of ideas demonstrated the differing roles engineers play in everyday life. 

“The workshop was a fantastic opportunity for less advantaged students to be made aware of different types of engineers and what they do. I liked how the presenters were enthusiastic, friendly, helpful, and hands-on. They developed a rapport with the students in this limited time,” one teacher emphasised. 

“The strong link between engineering, sustainability and helping solve problems all over the world is greatly beneficial for students to identify engineering in this way. I would promote these workshops as great for schools.” 

Alongside the hands-on work, students learnt about the role of EWB Australia in supporting community engineering projects in developing countries. 

“I know several students were talking about engineering and how exciting a career in that area would be,” one teacher noted.  

Within this social emphasis, the inclusive workshops ensured all students, including those with special needs, were able to participate in the activities. 

Lessons Learned

Alongside the success of the program, EWB volunteers identified several areas of improvement for future trips. Both teachers and volunteers emphasised more time available for each workshop would improve the experience for students.  

“Fabulous and informative, I liked the balance of theory and practice. Maybe just a little more time needed,” suggested one teacher.

Kurt Charlton, EWB’s WA Outreach Coordinator, shared his experience.

“This program was something we have been planning for years in WA and it more than lived up to our expectations. It was a great opportunity for new volunteers to build up their presenting experience and confidence, while more experienced volunteers got a chance to learn some new tricks and really focus on providing impact to students. It was great to spend so much time with a such a bright, passionate, and talented group of engineering students that were all driven to provide the school students with great experiences. We wanted to provide opportunities for students in regional areas who don’t get access to hands-on STEM incursions or excursions like this, and make sure it was a positive experience for them. It was really rewarding to see the students respond so well to the workshops, and retrospectively to see the overwhelmingly positive comments from teachers, students and volunteers involved makes it worth the effort,” said Kurt.

A Regioneering Future

The EWB Outreach WA volunteer crew

EWB aims to continue to inspire Australian school students towards a career in engineering and STEM. With workshops lasting around an hour, the engagement among students prompted meaningful results in a short period of time. Regular exposure to ideas related to engineering and STEM through the program and general curriculum continues to be a meaningful approach to promote exciting career paths for students.

“The students had a fabulous time and would love to be involved again next year. Thanks again to all of your fabulous presenters,” commented one teacher.

EWB will continue to grow the program over the coming years to inspire Australia’s future generation in engineering and STEM, to support society and improve the lives of others.  

The trip was made possible through the support of an Inspiring Australia WA grant.

The team of volunteers delivering this Regioneering trip were: Kurt Charlton, Kimberly Bernal, Taylah Karran, Evan Tabigue, Emersyn Johnson, Abby Ouwendyk, Jo Weston, Emily Roberts, Milan Marocchi, Tiffany Wheatley, Anton Rieutskyi, Graeme Roger, Audrey-Anne Morin.

You can find out more about our outreach program here.

The post Regioneering in the west appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Most high school students walk away from university open days with a bunch of flyers, drink bottles and a show bag from the snow club. Kasey Williams certainly did too, but she also gained valuable insight into the flourishing world of humanitarian engineering. 

Kasey sat in a lecture theatre at the University of Newcastle, hearing about the opportunities to use environmental engineering to improve the lives of communities across the world. One of these opportunities involved improving water quality in Cambodia. Kasey always had a passion to help others, but hearing first-hand how her studies could combine with this passion was exciting.

Kasey is an Environmental Operations Officer at the NSW EPA and an EWB Australian Volunteer Professional. The Australian Volunteers Program supports EWB in matching skilled engineering professionals to contribute to our work in developing countries. This supports communities to achieve their development goals. Due to COVID-19, Kasey is supporting this work remotely.  

Engineering imagination to reality

In September 2020 Kasey’s thoughts in the lecture theatre became a reality,  beginning a role as an EWB field professional with the Cambodian Rural Development Team (CRDT).The partnership supports three communities in Cambodia’s Kratie Province improve their water supply systems for drinking, house-work and farming. The project built upon a report developed as part of EWB’s Solutions for Sustainable Development Intensive field trip in 2019. The report identified problems with water supply infrastructure and community management of the original water supply system built in 2016.

Water supply system in Kratie Province community

Kasey learning Khmer with language instructor Dara

The post Stories from the field – Kasey Williams appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Vikrant was born with a fascination for understanding how things work. In Kenya, encyclopedias were Vikrant’s regular reading material and gave him an understanding of the world. Vikrant moved to Australia with his family in 2008, just before starting high school. A desire to support those less fortunate and a curiosity for understanding the workings of things, led him to a chemical engineering degree at the University of Western Australia. 

During this period, Vikrant became an EWB volunteer with the Western Australian chapter. He quickly noticed the importance of EWB’s work, amidst working with like-minded individuals.  

“At the time, I wanted to stay true to my roots and ally with people and organisations that were dedicated to using their knowledge to help those who did not have access to it, through no fault of their own,” Vikrant says.  

The privilege of education

Vikrant’s participation in an EWB Design Summit in Cambodia in 2016 highlighted his appetite to impart important knowledge to others. Furthermore, he sees this as a requirement of the privileged position he has gained from receiving a quality education.    

“I remember talking to the village chief, through a translator, and realising that the most privilege we have is knowledge,” he explains. “We are fortunate to have an amazing schooling and university system that teaches us so many things, not least of which is logic and a human-centred problem-solving mindset.”  

With Vikrant’s social awareness and passion for engineering, it’s no surprise he is currently supporting the development of water purification technology in Timor Leste. Volunteering remotely as an EWB field professional, Vikrant reiterates the vital role of empowering local communities who facilitate and maintain the technology long-term.  

“If we base technology on human-centred design, community members can use their logic and core skills to progress the design further,” he emphasises.

“They know what is best for them, and we are there to help them understand how to achieve it.”   

Moreover, Vikrant is overcoming the challenges of communicating remotely with local communities maintaining the projects.

“It can be difficult to understand Tetun and Portuguese at the best of times! I have learnt some key phrases and to speak in simple terms to convey my messaging accurately,” he says. “People can be shy, but one must be patient and let everyone grow and talk when they are comfortable.” 

Simplifying technology

Technology requires tailoring to suit the needs of the people in consideration of their specific living environment. Specifically, the water purification project ensures community members play important roles in developing and maintaining the technology. 

Vikrant is passionate about overcoming misconceptions of how we define technology and its purpose. His definition of technology is simple and inclusive.  

“When you think of technology, you may immediately think of computers, and machinery, but technology is a tool of any kind,” he explains. “It’s a specific thing that has been designed to address the needs and wants of communities and wider stakeholders.”  

Technology that efficiently targets and supports community needs is at the heart of EWB’s goals for supporting community development.

“When we consider the needs and wants of communities and wider stakeholders, we recognise human element in the design of projects.”

Normalising a world of helping others

Vikrant hopes for more of us to put aside our differences and work towards a common goal. This involves listening to the experiences and stories of others to co-produce solutions for the future.   

“We could all form the largest, most diverse database with solutions to possibly everything and anything,” Vikrant says.  

Vikrant at an EWB talk night.

As global citizens, Vikrant believes we play equally important roles in listening to others create a positive future.   

“I hope that people can be more open-minded and conscious about themselves in any given situation,” Vikrant reflects. “I hope that we can normalise such ethical behaviours into society to the point that we don’t bat an eyelid at all.”  

This vision for a world that normalises collective social action drives Vikrant’s pursuit in engineering. Yet, equally, it presents a level of fear. An egocentric world where individual interests prevail over human collaboration for the greater good concerns Vikrant. However, Vikrant sees himself in a privileged position, with the power to impart knowledge that positively influences the lives of others. 

Collective action

Vikrant is inspired by the leadership of Liverpool FC captain Jordan Henderson. Henderson was awarded an MBE in June for his services to charity and advocacy against racism. Whilst Vikrant may not have the fame of Henderson, he recognises the importance of his own work in improving the lives of others.

“If I can play a role in helping a family avoid walking three miles a day to get water, they can spend more time rearing chickens and grains. Resultantly, the family can then send their children to school and kickstart a cycle of education leading to positive change in the village,” he explains. “Through the gift of knowledge, a stint as a volunteer goes a long way. It does not have to be a full time commitment. Any help helps.”  

These experiences are developing Vikrant’s professional career. Through working as a Fire Consultant for Omnii, Vikrant now better engages with clients since overcoming the communications challenges he had with his Timor-Leste colleagues.  

“It is as equally challenging to understand someone over choppy wireless internet from a few thousand miles away as it is to explain to an impatient client that their reports are being reviewed by an external authority and you have no control over it.”  

Vikrant knows that he’s contributing to positive change in the world. He continues to support the development of overseas engineering projects and empowerment of local communities. Furthermore, Vikrant will continue to demonstrate his passion to help others and share the EWB ethos to colleagues, friends, and future volunteers.  

The post Stories from the field – Vikrant Gorasia appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.