Engineers Without Borders

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Engineers Without Borders
Valparaiso University Chapter
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Who are we helping?
Our chapter has chosen to help a community in
Northern Kenya. They are called the Turkana and
live in a village called Nakor.
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Why do they need help?
It is hot and dry in Northern Kenya. There is
little water, and less food. There are no
abundant natural resources, so this area is
overlooked by the government.
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Why do they need help?

• There is an aquifer (underground water supply).
• Open pit wells perfect breeding ground for
  malarial mosquitoes.
• Diseases are also spread from the livestock that
  share the pits.
• Many children do not live to be 5 years old due
  to the harsh conditions.

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What can we do?

• Main Goal Provide the community with clean
  drinking water.
• Procedure Replace open pit wells with closed
  wells and hand pumps.
• Impact Health surveys already show an impact,
  after only 3 short years.

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What else can we do?

• Dry season lasts for 9 months
• The staple food is the virtually indigestible
  palm nut.
• The juices are sucked out of the woody interior,
  and the woody part is spit out.

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What else can we do?
We have been able to provide them with an
alternate food source that is available during
the rainy and dry seasons.
Before
After
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Goals of the Project

• Repair existing windmills
• Retrofit two of the windmills with solar powered
  water pumps
• Install a merry-go-round fun pump

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Repairing Windmills

• Several windmills were not functioning due to
  lack of up keep.
• Worked together with the Turkana to resolve each
  issue

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Retrofitting Windmills

• Due to weather changes, once steady winds during
  the day have stopped.
• Windmills cannot pump during the daytime
• Solar pumps provide water while wind is stagnant

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Merry-go-Round Pump

• Idea inspired by play pumps international
• Provides fresh water while also giving a source
  of entertainment for children

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Pump Installation Process-1

• Dug a new well near school using percussion
  drilling.
• Took two days to complete

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Pump Installation-2

• Due to some miscommunications our chapter had to
  weld the entire merry go round while in Kenya.
• Used scrap metal in Kenya and brought the pump
  and other supplies from the states.

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Installation-3

• Pipe ran from well to merry go round site
• Fun Pump final assembly completed on site

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Fun Pump Video
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Results

• Water now pumps to 3000 liter storage tanks that
  were installed in previous trips
• Storage tanks feed numerous garden plots
• Two new plots were started

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Results Continued

• Merry go Round pump provides additional water
  along with entertainment for children

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Relations with the People

• Each EWB member assigned a Turkana partner for
  the trip
• Turkana language lessons/bible study were given
  daily
• Conducted a health assessment of the village.

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Interaction with the Turkana
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Partnership

• Worked with local missionaries Gene Melba
  Morden
• Provided housing and food for our team during our
  stay
• Hired translators to work with team
• Informed chapter of necessary supplies and needs
  of the village for trip throughout the year

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Lessons Learned

• Time management-much of the planning was done
  last minute
• Better communication with contacts
• Politics of the people
• Sustainability
• Insuring that Turkana have information to
  maintain our work
• Teamwork while in Kenya
• Group came together and was able to accomplish
  much
• Interdisciplinary team

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Success

• This project has been so successful, that news of
  it has traveled to nearby villages. They would
  also like us to help them install gardens.
• Working with such a vital resource gave group
  satisfaction, knowing the impact our work made on
  the community