Humanitarian Engineering - Overseas Placements for Socially Conscious Engineers
16 September 2011 at 12:32 pm
Engineers Without Borders is currently searching for engineers willing to share their skills in developing countries including India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste. There are 13 positions available across a range of engineering disciplines including water and sanitation, energy and education.
Engineering Without Borders (EWB) is an Australian Not for Profit organisation that works to build the capacity of developing communities in Australia and overseas. In the past EWB volunteers have developed a new toilet for a community in Cambodia that lives on the water and assisted in a training centre for the education of prosthetics – orthotists in Sri Lanka.
EWB Australia works in partnership with developing communities within Australia and overseas to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects. The focus is building capacity of the local technical sector through small scale, grassroots engineering programs to ensure that innovative, appropriate and sustainable solutions to issues that impede development are locally generated and driven.
Volunteer placements, set to start in January 2012, vary from 12-18 months and volunteers are provided with a living allowance, flights, accommodation and support.
Lizzie Brown, CEO of EWB, says volunteering overseas is a great way for Engineers to make a real difference in developing communities.
Brown says Engineers grow personally and professionally and return with global perspectives that can shape the future of engineering in Australia.
Engineers Australia declared 2011 the year of Humanitarian Engineering as a reminder to engineers and the community of the key role that engineers play in almost all humanitarian outcomes.
EWB was created in 2003 by young engineers who wanted to make a difference using their engineering skills and resources, and the organisation also focuses on educating Australian engineers – and the wider community – on issues of sustainable development, appropriate technology and the plight of disadvantaged people around the world.
Applications are open until the 25th September. Position descriptions and application details can be downloaded at http://www.ewb.org.au/getinvolved/volunteer/volunteeroverseas/intake9
For more information on Engineers Without Borders, visit www.ewb.org.au
