Engineers Without Borders -How Are We Making A Difference?

Engineers Without Borders New Zealand is a not-for-profit organisation that connects, educates and empowers people through humanitarian engineering. The objective of international development is to create a better world free from poverty. Engineers Without Borders New Zealand believes that access to engineering knowledge and resources can make a positive difference in this respect. The organisation has two core portfolios that enable members this difference. 

Firstly Learning and Change provides opportunities to learn about sustainable development via curriculum integration, sector engagement, and leadership and training sessions. Secondly, Working with Communities uses the appropriate engineering skills and knowledge to support communities undertaking development work. This paper elaborates on these initiatives, including specific water related examples. 

Engineers Without Borders New Zealand’s development philosophy adopts a community-first approach with four key principles. These are (1) partners before projects, (2) community identified needs and project ownership, (3) fund people not projects, and (4) effective communications. The Wawan water supply project summarised in this paper demonstrates how Engineers Without Borders New Zealand works at a functional level. 

The intention of Engineers Without Borders New Zealand is to become the most effective, efficient and innovative small-scale development non-governmental-organisation in the South Pacific. High level goals for organisational development, membership and stakeholder engagement, Learning and Change and Working with Communities are outlined in this paper.