PROJECT BACKGROUND
EWB-LVP is very excited to be working with a vocational school in Mattru. SLOIC has campuses throughout Sierra Leone and offers programs for electricians, weavers, cooks, carpenters, and many other professions. There is a great demand for skilled craftspeople in Sierra Leone but there is a severe shortage due in large part to a lack of proper training facilities since the civil war of the 1990s. Lehigh Valley Professionals (LVP) partnered with SLOIC starting in late 2020.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The first project was drilling a water borehole in early 2023. In 2024, a water tower was constructed in anticipation of adding a solar-powered water pump and water tank on the upcoming 2025 trip. During the 2024 trip, a solar electrical system was installed to power a computer classroom as part of a larger Rotary International grant. The grant also included funding for computer teachers to teach computer literacy to students, instructors and community members. It also provided internet service so teachers and students could access resources on the web for remote learning. Dell Computers donated twenty energy-efficient laptops for the computer classroom.
The EWB Lehigh Valley Professionals’ at SLOIC, for sustainable infrastructure for education included the following key elements:
- Appropriate sanitary facilities
- Power for critical functions
- Safe buildings
PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS
During the 2024 trip, a solar electrical system was installed to power a computer classroom as part of a larger Rotary International grant
The grant also included funding for computer teachers to teach computer literacy to students, instructors and community members.
internet services were installed so teachers and students could access resources on the web for remote learning
Dell Computers donated twenty energy-efficient laptops for the computer classroom
Construction of toilet facilities to serve SLOIC
SLOIC Water Tower
In 2024, a water tower was constructed in anticipation of adding a solar-powered water pump and water tank on the 2025 trip when the pump will be installed.
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Computer Classroom
During the 2024 trip, a solar electrical system was installed to power a computer classroom as part of a larger Rotary International grant. The grant also included funding for computer teachers to teach computer literacy to students, instructors and community members. It also provided internet service so teachers and students could access resources on the web for remote learning. Dell Computers donated twenty energy-efficient laptops for the computer classroom
Toilet Facilities
Ahmed in front of the hole for the Cesspit (think leaky septic tank). We’ve come up with a standard, small cesspit that greatly reduces the construction time. Caitlin Sexton did a great job of remotely supervising the digging of the Cesspit so it would be ready for the team. This is more complicated than you expect, especially given the challenges of local terminology and methods.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Lehigh Valley Professional Chapter of Engineers Without Borders has been severely challenged, as most of us have been. Our fundraising to do this work has also suffered. Would you consider a personal donation, or would you ask your employer? Without help from generous-minded people like you, the work grinds to a halt. We are currently still working in Mattru Jong on the restoration and expansion of the hospital, which will benefit many people.