MSOE students plan to build bridge in Guatemala
| Published: 09/17/2008 |
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The Milwaukee School of Engineering student chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-MSOE) is planning to construct their third vehicular bridge in rural Guatemala. The students of EWB-MSOE have partnered with the Wisconsin Professional chapter of EWB and the Bridge Builders of Southminster Presbyterian Church of Waukesha for their largest project to-date.
The new bridge will connect the village of Cuarto Centro de Estanzuela to the city of Joyabaj. The bridge over the Rio Temal, which floods for weeks at a time during the rainy season will bring immediate change to the 100 families living in Cuarto Centro: children will no longer miss school when the river is high and the community will have reliable access to health care and markets.
EWB-MSOE's Guatemala bridge projects at Nueva Providencia (2006) and Chosavic (2008) set the pattern for cooperation between the American engineering students and professionals and the Guatemalan municipal government and village workers. The villagers who brought the idea of this project to EWB-MSOE will provide most of the construction labor. The municipal government will provide equipment and some materials. The MSOE students, working with their professional engineer mentors, will complete all structural calculations and plans and help to oversee the construction.
For the project's estimated total cost of $114,000, EWB-MSOE and its Wisconsin partners need to raise approximately $45,000. The Argosy Foundation has generously donated $22,500 to EWB-USA so they can support EWB-MSOE's bridge-building project in Guatemala. Contributions from several generous supporters including Rockwell Automation of Milwaukee, J.F. Ahern Co. of Fond du Lac, Dr. Bronner's Family Foundation of Escondido, Cal., and Stutzki Engineering of Milwaukee bring their fundraising goal within sight. In addition to these project funds, all individual participants are responsible for their own travel expenses.
EWB-USA is a national non-profit organization whose mission is to partner with developing communities to improve their quality of life through the implementation of environmentally and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing globally responsible engineers. Today EWB-USA includes over 12,000 members in 290 chapters working on more than 300 projects around the world. The EWB-USA 2009 International Conference is scheduled to be in Milwaukee March 26 to 29.
MSOE students involved in the project are: Ryan Barnett, Bryan Bastien, Alison Bernero, Peter Borschowa, Heather Christensen, Anthony Corners, Danielle DeTennis, Aaron Dropp, Kevin Frost, Prakhar Kapoor, David Koelle, Madisyn Kuklinski, Tim Lamberger, Paul Leidig, Garret Lund, Michelle Mellenthin, April Miller, Michael Miller, Seth Pollen, Nathan Schwebke, Tim Sonderman, Daniel Vander Zanden and Cathy Weitenbeck.