Engineers Without Borders, also known as EWB, is a program founded in 2000 that combines the expertise of professional engineers with the drive of engineering students to deliver basic necessities to developing countries in the form of sustainable, environmentally-friendly technologies.

“Students can partner with professionals to execute projects or have a faculty member be their mentor,” says Carole Johns, the professional and student chapter coordinator for EWB. “Professionals can execute projects on their own or partner with students.”

EWB is currently involved in almost 100 projects spread over 30 countries, including the United States. The group has completed work on 30 different projects worldwide, ranging from creating an onion drying shed in Senegal to a bridge in El Salvador.

But the organization strives to form a lasting relationship with the afflicted community rather than simply install new technology. This helps ensure the people’s long-term success and preserves the area’s culture and values.

The groups fund all their projects through fundraisers and ask prominent businesses in their local communities to donate money to the charitable cause. University of New Hampshire students joined with EWB to give Santisuk, a village in Northern Thailand, sanitary water conditions in 2002. Volunteers transformed the village’s contaminated water into sanitary, potable water in addition to a full irrigation system at a cost of $30,000.

I looked through dozens of online photos from EWB chapters around the world. They don’t take the sort of “advertisements for myself” pix I’m used to — from construction companies I’ve worked for. They’re more like Peace Corps volunteers. They take photos to remember the people in the communities where they’ve worked — and made a difference.

The bureaucrats our government assigns to manage tasks like this waste more money on hotel bills and booze than these folks usually budget for a whole project. And probably fail at bringing us half the good will!