Engineers Without Borders

ENGINEERS WITHOUT Borders Canada (EWB, or Ingénieurs Sans Frontières Canada) was formed in 2000 as part of the Millennium Development Goals aimed at halving world poverty by 2015. EWB began with the idea that the engineering profession could contribute to development.

Within two years the “EWB core” was developed, made up of volunteers dedicated to building the organizational capacity to have a significant and lasting impact in developing communities. EWB is a nonprofit, charitable, volunteer-based nongovernmental organization with over 10,000 members in Canada alone; its mission is to promote human development through access to technology.

The goal of EWB is to ensure that people in developing communities have access to the technology they need to improve their lives. To achieve that goal, EWB works with partners overseas to build capacity in the rural technical sector in areas such as water and sanitation, food production and processing, and energy. Volunteers who donate time to the EWB do most of the work abroad in over 20 countries, such as East Timor, Madagascar, India, Haiti, Uganda, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, and others.

EWB also works in Canada to help make it a role model in development among Western nations. Depending on the budget, each of the existing 24 chapters sends volunteers overseas to work from short terms such as four months for up to three years. The Mc-Connel Family Foundation granted funding in 2003 that allowed for additional paid staff and the opportunity to establish a funding base within the professional engineering community. EWB's budget in 2004 was roughly $1 million, the funds donated by individuals, corporations, and charitable foundations.

EWB is guided by six principles, written into its charter: “1) we use people-first approach; 2) we focus on finding sustainable solutions to root-cause problems; 3) we maximize social returns by running an effective and efficient organization; 4) we seek to partner with existing organizations wherever possible; 5) we operate transparently and openly address lessons learned; and 6) we maintain our commitment to underdeveloped communities.”

EWB is governed by a board of directors, which consists of elected and appointed individuals. The board meets with the management team to review operations, provide financial oversight, set strategy, and offer support. One goal of the organization is to develop a cadre of alumni who will be found in leadership positions around the world—in development, business, government, academia, and elsewhere. Individuals and programs associated with EWB Canada have been selected for a number of international, national, and regional awards dealing with humanitarian efforts.

There are numerous ways to get involved with the EWB. Volunteers come not solely with engineering backgrounds; EWB seeks help from individuals from a variety of fields, such as communications, marketing, and business building, and those who have a passion for development with a dedicated and professional approach.