Have Friends on the Ground Where You Need Them Most
Often, it’s not the decision to help, but the actual getting there and doing it that is the hard part. When you’re traveling to another country with no translator, no way of getting supplies, and rudimentary transportation, it adds unexpected and unwelcome obstacles to your engineering goals.
In Bolivia, EIA is there to help you. We maintain a local office with Bolivian engineers who keep up with local villages and their needs. We can take care of the details so that you can concentrate on the real reason you’re there.
Inca Caturapi – Eco-latrines
One of the pilot projects for EIA was the development of eco-latrines in Inca Caturapi, a village high in the Andes Mountains. The villagers wanted a healthy way to handle their waste. In conjunction with EWB-MST, they designed and implemented an eco-latrine. So far, 25 latrines have been built, and EWB-MST has provided funds to build 50 more. With these eco-latrines, those living in Inca Caturapi not only have a better, cleaner place to use the facilities, but also gain a rich fertilizer for their land.
Though EWB-MST has moved on and no longer works in Inca Caturapi, EIA helps to maintain the eco-latrines and educate the locals in their use. EIA is also encouraging them to build the remaining 50 eco-latrines.
Why go through us
1) Indigenous connections. Our engineers in Bolivia were born and raised there. They know the land and the people. They know what is needed. This kind of insight gives us the ability to develop projects that will most benefit the people who live there. You don’t need to waste time doing research or submitting projects to EWB for approval. We’ve done it all already.
2) Logistical support. Getting the supplies for a dozen eco-latrines out to a remote mountain village is hard enough even when you’re not trying to do it from half a world away. With our people on the ground in Bolivia, we can get what you need to where you need it. We can help you make sure you have food, lodging, and transportation. In short, we can help you get your job done with as little hassle as possible.
Design and build an engineering project in Bolivia
Your skills can change lives in indigenous communities. If your Engineers Without Borders group would like to design and construct a project in Bolivia, contact us. We can connect you with community needs and provide project support during your stay in Bolivia.