Our Story

Since 2014, EWB-SCU has partnered with a small tile making cooperative in Nyange, Rwanda. Our CO-OP is comprised of subsistence farmers, who use the income gained from selling their tiles to send their children to school and feed their families–adults typically eat only one meal per day, while children have only two. Currently, there are 13 members of the CO-OP who each spend an average of 3 days a week making tiles. Over the course of our long-term partnership, EWB-SCU has used our engineering and technical skills to provide the CO-OP with deliverables that increase the efficiency of the tile making process and produce higher quality tiles.

In 2021, EWB-SCU started up a new partnership working on a local project with Valley Verde. Valley Verde increases self-sufficiency, health, and resilience through a culturally informed, community based food system to promote food justice. EWB-SCU got involved through Dr. JAK and Dr. Doyle, two SCU professors who worked with a civil senior design team in 2020, and now the EWB team is working on a new irrigation system for the seedlings in Valley Verde’s greenhouses.

Our Mission

We support community-driven development by implementing sustainable, user-centric solutions to solve pressing challenges in developing nations. Our members are the next generation of responsible, humanitarian engineering leaders. We empower technically competent, empathetic, and ethical engineering leaders.

Community-Driven Development

We choose to cooperate with our partner community rather than provide top-down solutions. Our work is ongoing, and projects often continue beyond the academic year. We continually communicate with the community over the phone and via Skype when possible. Because the community’s needs are constantly evolving, and our projects undergo wear and tear, we must often reassess the implementation and lifespan of our projects.

Sustainable Engineering Projects

The next generation of responsible engineers must have concern for the environment in which we inhabit. Our projects address this matter. Our most recent endeavor, the motorized cart, relies upon a solar panel charging system, both to ensure usability and security, but also sustainability.

Responsible Engineering and leaders

This generation of engineers has a responsibility to act ethically, and have concern for our shared future. Our organization seeks to equip our members with experience in leadership and decision-making.