Issue date: 9/22/09 Section: News

(Left to right) Darrel Lunsford, Eric Poettker, Matt Volz, Drew Hulse and a local contractor smooth out the concrete for a composting latrine in Pimienta, Honduras.

A year ago citizens in the city of Pimienta, Honduras were collecting water in cinderblock bathtubs to use later for dishes and bathing. Some communities had running water only about three times a week for two or three hours. ?

Last May, SIUE's chapter of Engineers Without Borders traveled to Pimienta in an effort to change that. The group of seven SIUE students and five members of the St. Louis professional chapter spent 10 days in one of the city's most desperate communities assessing what it needed and what could be done back in the United States to help. Students assisted the professionals with their assessments, identified projects of their own and worked to implement solutions to some of the community's most immediate problems. ?

Engineers Without Borders is hosting a Border to Border Bike-a-Thon fundraiser Oct. 9 to 11. The "border to border" refers to a bike trek from the eastern border of Illinois to the western border. Starting at the intersection of Rt. 3 and 149 and traveling to Golconda, IL, the 65-mile bike ride is open to everyone. The three-day event helps raise money for the trip and funds future projects, such as the trip to Honduras.

Shane Richardson, senior civil engineering major and Engineers Without Borders president said conditions there were awful by American standards.

"It is almost surreal to be in a situation like that-taken out of your comfort zone," Richardson said. ?

Senior civil engineering major Nathen Leach said Honduras was an astonishing experience.

"To see how people live in a third world country, compared to what we are used to, is a huge culture shock," Leach said. ?

As a result of the assessments done in May, the professional chapter secured a grant from Rotary International of around $25,000 to put a water main in from the main tank in Pimienta to the surrounding community. This will provide continuous access to water.

In addition to working toward providing the community with running water, Engineers Without Borders found other conditions that needed their attention.

"We found an emergency situation where we needed to build some retaining walls," Richardson said.

Continued...

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