Monday meeting, and a Big thank you to 4 companies

Hello supporters of Asheville Engineers Without Borders!

This week two more companies joined the list of donors who’ve given time and money to help rebuild the Siaya Hospital medical waste incinerator in Kenya.  Inciner8 of London, England and Evolving Technologies of Nairobi, Kenya collaborated to finds savings on components for the incinerator repair.  Evolving Technologies has also visited the site several times to gather information and make recommendations. They are also the retained contractor who will complete repair work.
inciner8-red-white-logo.jpg
Evolving Technologies Logo.jpg
Also a big thank you once again to Penetron of East Setauket, NY and Blue Delta Energy of Asheville, NC for their financial support for the project.
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Our next meeting is Monday, Nov 19th at 5:30pm
Jack of the Wood in Asheville

Comfortable Irish public house offering handcrafted ales, locally sourced pub grub & live music.
95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
https://jackofthewood.com/

Hope to see you Monday!

Siaya County Referral Hospital Medical – Current Medical Waste Incineration System
Siaya County Hospital Decrepit Waste Burning Chimney.png

– – – –

Benji Burrell
Business and Technology Engineer

(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

Next meeting this Monday, and top recognition amongst EWB chapters

Hello supporters of Asheville Engineers Without Borders!

Our chapter continues to excel. This week, we were honored to be one of three EWB chapters selected to receive a grant from Penetron, a global concrete technology engineering company. https://www.penetron.com/
This coming week, starting Tuesday October 16th, we will ask everyone on this supporter list to repost a message on Facebook. Your participation will help push our grant award up from $2000 to $5000!
Remember, by simply tagging our chapter on Facebook, you can multiply the effects of EWB’s good work in western North Carolina and around the world.
Our next meeting is Monday, October 15th at 5:30pm
Jack of the Wood in Asheville

Comfortable Irish public house offering handcrafted ales, locally sourced pub grub & live music.
95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
https://jackofthewood.com/

Hope to see you Monday!

– – – –
Benji Burrell
Business and Technology Engineer

(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

Membership fees DROPS, Sept. meeting this Monday

Hello supporters of Asheville Engineers Without Borders!

Its been a marvelous summer in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina.  As we prepare to weather the hurricane in the coming days, please keep in mind those in need and help where you can.
EWB-HQ responded to member feedback and lowered individual dues for all members to $35/year!   See below for more information on the change.  Now you have no excuse not to join Asheville EWB 🙂
Once you join, you must email members@ewb-usa.org and ask to be added to the Asheville chapter roster in Volunteer Village. As a member, you have access to project files of all chapters worldwide!  There is a huge network of folks doing great work in smart ways.
A big thanks to Asheville EWB member Marie Mohsen for completing a grant proposal for the chapter.  For her day job, Marie is a staff engineer for the City of Asheville Water Resources Department.  She helps look after our precious water supply.  Thank you on both counts Marie!
Planning for the support trip to Siaya Hospital continues.  We are still on track to travel to Kenya starting Dec 15th.   Thanks to all those who are helping to support Siaya by repairing their incinerator.

Our next meeting is Monday, September 17, 2018 at 5:30pm
Jack of the Wood in Asheville

Comfortable Irish public house offering handcrafted ales, locally sourced pub grub & live music.
95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
https://jackofthewood.com/

Thanks for your support!

– – – –
Benji Burrell

Business and Technology Engineer

(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi
Dear Joseph,
Beginning September 4, 2018, both professional and student memberships will be $35 per year.

This new membership structure is based on the recommendations of EWB-USA’s Financial Sustainability Committee and has been approved by our Board of Directors. The committee consists of both Board and memberrepresentatives, and undertook a thorough, multi-year research process to provide guidance on the new structure.

This change will align membership with EWB-USA’s Community Cash Contribution policy, in which our partner communities are required to make at least a 5% cash contribution. The international development community has found that both cash and in-kind contributions institute a sense of ownership and contribute to ensuring project sustainability. We require a cash contribution from our community partners, and we are now asking it of all our members.
We’re offering all parties involved with EWB-USA increased investment in the mission and vision of our organization. From the community level to the member level to the donor level, the EWB-USA movement continues to rally behind our call to be stronger together.
We look forward to continuing to evolve and innovate to better serve both our partner communities and our members. Together, we are building a better world.
For more details on these changes, please review this membership  article.
In partnership,

Catherine Leslie
Executive Director, EWB-USA

Good news, and meeting next week – Asheville Engineers Without Borders

Hello supporters of Asheville Engineers Without Borders!

Its been a busy and successful summer for our chapter and our projects.

We chose a travel window to Kenya: Dec 15 2018 – Jan 5 2019. If you are seriously interested in traveling with the chapter, get in touch ASAP!

We recently submitted drafts of technical and safety planning documents for the trip to EWB HQ for review.

And last but not least, people from all over Western North Carolina contributed to the Siaya Hospital incinerator project in the form of a Rotary Grant!

Some matching funds are now available to the project thanks to the generous support and hard work of the Caldwell Rotary Club, Blowing Rock Rotary Club, Highlands Rotary Club, Asheville-Biltmore Rotary Club, Rotary Club of Sylva, Rotary Club of Asheville, and  Rotary District 7670 of Western North Carolina.

Our next meeting is Monday, August 20th at 5:30pm
Jack of the Wood in Asheville

Comfortable Irish public house offering handcrafted ales, locally sourced pub grub & live music.
95 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
https://jackofthewood.com/

Thanks for your support!

– – – –
Benji Burrell

Business and Technology Engineer

(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

Announcing a Wine Tasting April 13th during Happy Hour! And the raffle winner is….

Dear supporters and members of Asheville Engineers Without Borders,

Thanks to Industry Nine Componentry, we had an extremely successful raffle in March. YOUR contributions raised $820 in just 3 weeks! The raffle winner was Emily Dowling of Greenville, SC. She’s proud to support this important cause and super excited to roll with her new bicycle hub set.

We also had two extremely generous donors fulfill their pledges in March! THANK YOU!!!

Because of everyone’s recent generosity, we’re quickly closing in on the ability to repair the Siaya Hospital’s incinerator. See below for our latest budget estimate.

To all you wine drinkers…. Mark your calendars for a fine wine tasting on Friday, April 13th, 2018 from 5 to 7pm.

Metro Wines in Asheville is graciously sponsoring a wine tasting to support the Siaya Hospital incinerator project.

For $20, you get to taste a red, white, and rose AND a FULL POUR of the wine of your choice! 

Your support of the Siaya Hospital incinerator repair project will help improve health outcomes of people in Western Kenya, and help prevent the spread of disease around the world.

Buy advanced tickets here:
https://www.metrowinesasheville.com/wine-blogs/blog/entry/engineers-without-borders-fundraiser

The event will be held at:
169 Charlotte St, Asheville, North Carolina 28801

We will see you there!

– – – –

Benji Burrell
Business and Technology Engineer

(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

– – – –

P.S.

Can’t join us for the wine tasting but want to make a tax deductible donation?
100% of your gift goes to our chapter work

Logon to: http://ewbasheville.org/donate

Or make checks payable to EWB-USA with “Asheville Professionals” on memo line to:
EWB-USA Asheville Professionals
C/O Anchor QEA of NC PLLC
213 Haywood Street, Asheville, NC 28801

About the Siaya Hospital Incinerator Project
overview: http://ewbasheville.org/project-list/
project budget: http://ewbasheville.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Siaya-Incinerator-Project-Budget-2018-03-20.pdf

Win an Industry Nine bicycle Hub Set of your choice! A $590 value

Asheville Engineers Without Borders is in the home stretch of raising funds to help repair the medical waste incinerator at the Siaya County Referral Hospital in Western Kenya.

One of our proud sponsors, Industry Nine Componentry, graciously donated one of their high end bicycle hub sets for raffle. The raffle winner will receive the hubs of their choice, in color of their choice!!  

Between now and our meeting on March 19th, 2018, donors to Asheville Engineers Without borders will be automatically entered into the drawing.

Raffle Tickets will be allotted in these increments

  • 1 for $5
  • 3 for $10
  • e.g. a donation of $105 would get you 31 tickets.

You DO NOT have to be present to win!

FYI
If you want to donate but DO NOT wish to be entered in the drawing, please indicate in the comment section on the checkout page.

Hub Set Details

Industry Nine Componentry is the maker of the most amazing bicycle wheels on the planet.  Choose from any of these models:

About the Siaya Hospital Incinerator Project
http://ewbasheville.org/great-progress-on-siaya-incinerator-how-to-help-or-even-travel-with-us/

100% of your gift goes to our chapter work
http://ewbasheville.org


Download the flyer here

Great progress on Siaya incinerator, how to help, or even travel with us!

Good morning supporters of Asheville Engineers Without Borders! I hope this finds you healthy and happy!

I’m writing with a long overdue update on chapter activities and progress on our Siaya Hospital medical waste incinerator project.

Y’all deserve a BIG pat on the back: To date, Asheville EWB supporters have raised $8,483 in donations, pledges, and grants!  Only $4,601 must be raised to cover repairs, training, safety equipment, and EWB-HQ admin expense.

This past week, we were honored to share the story of the Siaya incinerator with the Rotary Club of Sylva. They generously donated $240 “happy dollars” collected during the meeting to the project.  Thank you so much!

The 2018 EWB Spring Project Grant application will be submitted this week. Average awards are $5,000. Keep your fingers crossed! Our budget, flyer, and grant cover letter is attached for your reference.

We need your help! We must complete the project by May 2018 or we will lose a $1000 grant pledged by the Asheville-Biltmore Rotary Club. You can:

  • Donate 10 minutes of your time to help cull this list of potential grants/funders. Contact me directly to get started.
  • Help us apply for those grants. We have boilerplate language, photos, budgets, etc.
  • Contact friends and family for pledges. We have $3,050 pledged to date! Pledgers aren’t required to pay unless we meet our goal.
  • Contact companies about corporate sponsorships. We are open to all options.
  • Make a tax deductible donation directly to the project at http://ewbasheville.org/donate/

Want to travel to Kenya with us!?! Contact me directly to discuss details!

All the best to you,

– – – –

Benji Burrell
Business and Technology Engineer
(828) 283-0744 office, (804) 662-0964 mobile
benji@benjiburrell.com
WebsiteLinkedIn

“Be the change you wish to see in the world” — Mahatma Gandhi

PDF – 2018 One page handout – Siaya County Hospital Incinerator

PDF – Siaya Hospital EWB Asheville – Budget

PDF – Siaya Hospital EWB Asheville – Cover Letter – 2018 Spring Grant

Siaya County Referral Hospital Medical Waste Incinerator, Kenya

We’re starting our 9th year of work by launching a new waste sanitation project at Siaya County Referral Hospital in Kenya. The Hospital sits at the center of a beautiful farming county with a rural population of 840,000 people. Yet, the county suffers from one of the highest AIDS infection rates in Kenya. The hospital serves more than 300 people per day (106,800 people/year) providing all types of medical services including antimalarial and antiretroviral drugs, HIV testing, prenatal care and childbirth, as well as first aid and surgery.

In one month, the hospital generates 2200 lbs of sharp and dangerous medical waste that must be disposed of safely. (26,400 lbs/year) Yet, a failed incinerator unit forces staff to burn all medical waste in an open decrepit brick chimney. Staff must move and stir waste with sticks and shovels exposing themselves and downwind residents to dangerous fumes and pathogens.

Our chapter is working with hospital officials to develop a plan for refurbishing the failed incinerator and restore safe waste handling practices into the future.

Expertise

We need people with medical backgrounds to help shepherd the incinerator project, ensuring safety and effectiveness at all stages.

Donations

We are in the early stages of verification and scoping, but believe the incinerator can be repaired, and hospital staff trained for $20,000 or less. Tax deductible donations accepted at ewbasheville.org/donate or by mail.

Membership

Contrary to the name, EWB is not just for engineers. We need people of all professions and backgrounds to accomplish good things in the world. Chapter members set the chapter priorities.  If you know of someone in need, please join and bring their need to our chapter.

 

Open Letter About the Project


 

One Page Flyer about the Project


 

Photos

Uluthe, Kenya – Clean Water and Sanitation Project Planning

The Mungao sublocation, a community of 8,000 people, needs assistance surveying water and sanitation needs and proposing possible solutions. Planned tasks for the EWB Asheville Professionals include:

  • Developing a sustainable, long-term community infrastructure development plan.
  • Assessing the capacity, water quality and the feasibility of using existing wells or a government designated water point and plan for community wide water distribution.
  • Investigating possible supplemental alternatives such as rain water catchments and cistern storage of spring water.

Uluthe Community Project is a registered community based organization working to improve the quality of life for children and families with a focus on education, health, and safe water.

Harambee, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that improves communities through programs that give children positive alternatives.