Long hours pouring cement, laying wooden frameworks, toiling in cold water and clearing a construction site were just part of the fun - and learning - for a group of students from MSOE. The 12 students participated in an 11-day trip in March 2008 to the village of Chosavic, Guatemala, to build a much needed bridge with the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) campus group.
Slow travel to site
The four-hour flight from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago to Guatemala City was just the beginning of their expedition to the construction site.
"To get to Joyabaj (a city closez to the village of Chosavic), we traveled in a mini-bus for about four more hours. The actual distance between Guatemala City and Joyabaj is only 35-40 miles as the crow flies, but with the mountainous terrain, traveling is a lot slower," explained Brian Bastien, a mechanical engineering major.
"The winding, paved roads eventually turned in to very curvy dirt roads," added Erik Peil, who is getting a dual bachelor's degree in architectural engineering and master's degree in structural engineering. "To us, it was a long ride there, and I was feeling pretty out of it when we arrived."
However, the residents of Chosavic had planned a celebration for the students' arrival. "Once we saw that the whole community came out to greet us and had put together dancing and food for us I felt a lot better and quite excited. At that moment I realized that what we were doing was a lot more than just building a bridge, it was about helping a group of people who needed help," Peil added.
The only road to and from Chosavic passed through the streambed of a nearby river. The road regularly flooded from May to October during the rainy season, cutting the village off from high schools, clinics and markets in Joyabaj and other neighboring communities.
Chosavic's first bridge
Taking what they learned in the classroom and putting it to use in the real world, the students designed and constructed the first-ever bridge in Chosavic. The construction trip was the culmination of almost a year's work by MSOE students and their supporters. The students worked with Milwaukee-area professional engineers on the hydrological study of the drainage area to determine peak river flow, designed all components of the reinforced concrete bridge and its wood formwork and planned the construction sequence.
"After presenting to a board of volunteer engineers and having them evaluate our design, we were granted permission to travel. Shortly afterwards, interested students filled out an application, and the ‘travel team' was selected," said Michelle Mellenthin, a biomedical engineering major, who is the current MSOE chapter EWB president.
They were responsible for raising approximately $8,000 for their travel expenses and $10,000 for project expenses. To secure materials, students worked closely with donors and the Joyabaj municipality, which was very willing to help bring this needed improvement to their area.
During their stay in Guatemala, the group lived in a house outside the village and ate local food prepared by women from Chosavic. Their typical workday began with a breakfast of black beans, fresh corn tortillas, papayas and pineapple.
"There were five women from the village that cooked for us. The food was incredible. Hand patted tortillas were delicious," said Mellenthin, adding, "The only downside was that we had black beans 53 out of 56 meals!"
Getting used to a new way of life
Finding this experience very eye-opening, the students witnessed the living conditions and way of life of people in another country. "We stayed in a home of one of the residents of the community. I wouldn't say that it was a huge home or luxurious, but at the same time it really showed me how people lived there. It was a place I looked forward to going to each night after working," said Peil.
"There was one bathroom and shower for almost 20 people, and one outhouse. The outhouse didn't have a door, so the cow in the pasture next to it would occasionally come and visit its occupants," added Mellenthin.
Willing workforce
Students were responsible for keeping the project on time and on budget. To make the bridge a reality, the students worked side-by-side with 180 village residents. Each morning, students walked from their home away from home to the jobsite - just 200 yards down the road - to find 40 men waiting to start work, who greeted them with smiles and ‘buenas dias.'
"Nonverbal communication was key. You'd be surprised how well you could communicate with so few words," said Mellenthin.
For Seth Pollen, a software engineering major, the magnitude of the experience didn't register until he was home in familiar surroundings, telling friends about the trip. "I realized that I had just spent a week that changed people's lives in Guatemala and left me with an experience I will never forget. That's a lot better than just going home or working over spring break, I think."
Return trip planned for 2009
In 2009, the group plans to return to Guatemala and build a bridge over the Rio Temal that will provide residents with year-round passage between the village of Cuarto Centro de Estanzuela and Joyabaj.
MSOE's Engineers Without Borders campus group was founded by alumna Jill McLellan, along with advisor Dr. Doug Stahl, an associate professor in the Architectural Engineering and Building Construction Department.
Listen to an archived interview with Engineering Without Borders advisor and MSOE Professor Dr. Doug Stahl. He was featured on 91.7 FM WMSE's Milwaukee Midweek program. Download the interview or stream it.
Also see the story from last year's trip: Guatemala 2007
Photo gallery from the Guatemala project