By Nathaniel Wurzer, Co-Chair, Engineers Without Borders at UWM
It’s still dark outside, but the day is peaking at the edge of the world. As you get up, the smell of smoke from the fire in the kitchen greets you. You know there is water boiling for coffee & tea and oatmeal with honey, raisins, and fresh bananas. After getting ready for the day, it is time to work. And what a place to work! On a mountain ridge in Guatemala, surrounded by rainforest and farmland, clouds in the valley below, with eagles flying at your eye level and the sun shining down on your shoulders. We have a team that meets with residents, taking a survey with conversation about the work being done, the design team obtains survey data and records as-builts, and another team works on the concrete structures. At the break for lunch, a resident and her children bring a basket of tortillas and chili sauce. It packs a punch!
After lunch, some curious kids come to watch the work. They have slingshots and are happy to teach you how to use them. When the workday is done, everybody plays a game of futbol (soccer). Sports are universal; the language barrier dissapears. Dinner is prepared by the longtime mentor, chef Heckman. He knows what he’s doing, and you can kick back until after-dinner chores. The sunset turns mountains to silhouettes but silence never stays. Gasoline generators have graced even here. The group revisits the events of the day and prepares for the next. Sleep comes easy.
Engineers Without Borders at UW-Milwaukee is an awesome student organization, providing involvement opportunities for students who are seeking experience and want to do something positive. We work to facilitate water infrastructure construction in communities of the Ixil Triangle of Guatemala, create community at UW-Milwaukee, and value connecting individuals across the globe to share experiences.