Contrary to what news reports have said, there are better things happening in Africa than an epidemic ebola outbreak, starvation and mass genocide at the hands of anti-government guerillas. One of those good news events is the ongoing work of the University of Mississippi chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
For going on six years now, EWB-UM has been working diligently to improve educational opportunities and living conditions for those living in Hedome Village in Togo, West Africa. Four separate trips taken at the beginning of fall and spring semesters have yielded the successful design, construction and completion of a new, more modern school facility in the remote area. Most recently, a team of students and faculty returned to begin preliminary work on a drinking water treatment system.
The cross-cultural connections being formed between Togo and Ole Miss have proven equally beneficial to both communities. West Africans and North Americans are discovering that while there are huge differences in language, customs and environments, the humane and emotional similarities that unite them are even larger.
As a University Communications specialist who regularly writes news releases and edits publications for UM’s School of Engineering, I have chronicled EWB activities from its formation in 2009 to the present. Obviously, the names and faces of students have changed with each commencement, but the dedication of the faculty and staff to supervising and assisting these eager young volunteers in their quest to change the world one country at a time remains constant.
I am truly inspired whenever I interview EWB team members about the work they are doing. It challenges me to accept the frequent opportunities I find to make the community where I live and work a better place as well.
To read stories about Ole Miss Engineers Without Borders, visit and search either the Ole Miss News Desk or the UM School of Engineering website.