Projects

MTU EWB Guatamala

The Guatemala Program of EWB-MTU has been active since 2006, working on solutions for access to clean drinking water in Cantón Libertad and Fronterizo, two neighboring communities in Guatemala. From 2007-2011, three hand-dug wells were constructed to provide water for the communities.

Since 2011, the region experienced several severe droughts, and all three wells have run dry or provided insufficient water for several weeks at a time. Community members have resorted to collecting drinking water from highly contaminated shallow wells initially, and then later the nearby Ixcán River.

These events have re-focused the community priority on the availability of local water supplies. In order to address this need, the EWB team traveled to Guatemala to assess new water supply alternatives. The EWB team and community members also worked together on maintenance of the three existing wells and pumps.

MTU EWB Bolivia

The Bolivia Program of EWB-MTU has been working on a road construction project with the community of Santa Barbara, Bolivia. The community of approximately 50 families rely on this road to access the nearby city of Buena Vista. Due to the poor local access to basic supplies, schools, and healthcare, it is important that the community members be able to travel to Buena Vista when necessary. Unfortunately, the connecting road is currently in disrepair. Damage to the road is caused by a long rainy season and a poor maintenance plan. Every year the road washes out in multiple locations, resulting in dangerous driving conditions. EWB-MTU is working to design and construct an economically and environmentally sustainable road that will remain operational and safe throughout the rainy season.

Bolivia Project Update, February 2024

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, L'Anse, MI

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), situated near L’Anse, Michigan, established a cooperative community garden facilitated by the KBIC Natural Resources Department in 2015. This initiative aimed to address community members' food sovereignty and sustainability needs. The garden and adjacent orchard saw significant expansion in 2019, prompting the design of an irrigation system by MTU EWB to address the time-intensive manual labor involved in watering by hand. While the irrigation system proved beneficial, the project team in 2024 is looking to improve the water pressure in the existing lines while also accommodating the continually expanding garden.

As the garden continues to grow, providing private plots for individual families, the next steps include adding self-filling water troughs next to the garden plots. This initiative aims to streamline the gardening process, making it more efficient and sustainable for community members.