FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Organization data
Location Australia
Site ewb.org.au/
Green hosting No

Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) is a member-based not-for-profit organisation with 10 years experience in creating systemic change through humanitarian engineering. They do this by:

  • Working in partnership to address a lack of access to basic human needs such as clean water, sanitation and hygiene, energy, basic infrastructure, waste systems, information communication technology and engineering education.
  • Educating and training Australian students, engineers and the wider community on issues including sustainable development, appropriate technology, poverty and the power of humanitarian engineering.
  • Leading a movement of like-minded people with strong values and a passion for humanitarian engineering within Australia and overseas.

EWB's vision is a world where everyone has access to the engineering knowledge and resources required to lead a life of opportunity, free from poverty.

EWB's mission is to connect, educate and empower people through humanitarian engineering. Humanitarian engineering uses a people centered, strength based approach to improve community health, well being and opportunity.

2015 Strategic Aims[edit | edit source]

EWB strives to act with integrity; upholding our values of community, sustainability, respect, learning and quality in all that we do.
1. Facilitate meaningful and lasting change Together with our community partners, we strive to facilitate meaningful and lasting change through excellent development practices.
2. Engage individuals and organizations in meaningful volunteerism We aim to engage individuals and organizations in community development by creating and promoting diverse opportunities for them to contribute effectively.
3. Improve development engineering practices We aspire to improve development engineering practices by bringing together the development and engineering sectors and sharing our knowledge broadly.
4. Nurture development leaders We aim to inspire, educate and train a community of advocates and leaders in development through creative and engaging initiatives.
5. Be a small giant

History[edit | edit source]

EWB's story began in 2002 when a small group of Melbourne engineers, led by Danny Almagor, were inspired to use their engineering skills for good. They realised that engineers are involved in almost all humanitarian outcomes such as access to clean drinking water, sanitation, energy and basic infrastructure.


These engineers believed that Australia needed a framework through which engineers and students could use their skills. They imagined an organisation that was more than just an overseas-volunteer-sending organisation but a collaborative community of like-minded people who were driven to change engineering from within.


In 2003, Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) was formally registered as a not-for-profit organisation. From the start, EWB has taken an innovative and bold approach to development – imagining a better future and working together to make it happen. EWB's first project was working with a community in Nepal developing a wind turbine to create power for villages that had never had electricity. Since then, EWB has formed partnerships with community organizations working in Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, East Timor, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Australia.


The small group of founders has now grown into a movement of people and organizations who work together to deliver meaningful engineering and education programs across Australia, South Asia and South East Asia. Chapters have been established in all Australian states and territories coordinating member engagement in events, education, placements and programs. EWB's chapters, volunteers, team members, partner organizations and supporters all share a vision of a better world and are working together to create change through humanitarian engineering.


EWB's works is broken down into three units: Development Partnerships, Institute and Tribe.

Development Partnerships[edit | edit source]

EWB's Development Partnerships involve working with community partners in Australia and overseas to facilitate meaningful and lasting change through volunteerism.

Using a strengths-based approach to community development, EWB works with individuals, organizations and communities to build their capacity and access to collaborative networks. They use engineering knowledge and resources to bridge self-identified gaps in access to community health, wellbeing and opportunity. In Australia, EWB works with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and targeted local community groups. Overseas, EWB works with local NGOs and social enterprises in South Asia and South-East Asia.

The key initiatives coordinated within the EWB's Development Partnerships are:

  • EWB Overseas Intakes – 12 month placements for established and emerging professionals to engage in meaningful volunteerism
  • Training – facilitation of prep-departure training for overseas volunteers and cross-cultural training for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander program volunteers
  • Partnership management with community organizations in Australia and overseas

EWB Institute[edit | edit source]

The EWB Institute is the education, training, research and innovation section of Engineers Without Borders Australia.

The EWB Institute delivers high quality educational and training outcomes for students, professionals and EWB's membership. It also provides technical and educational support of EWB's development programs through courses, knowledge partnerships and university programs.

The key initiatives coordinated within the EWB Institute are:
- EWB Challenge - a design program for first year engineering students
- Dialogues on Development - intensive study tours in Cambodia, India and in Aboriginal communities
- High School Outreach Program - a member-led, hands-on science education program for school students
- Knowledge Centres - communities of practice providing professional expertise in support of EWB's development programs
- Research Program - program for engineering student researchers connecting them to real-world, humanitarian engineering projects
- Training Activities - in support of EWB's Field Volunteers, chapter leaders and membership

EWB Tribe[edit | edit source]

The EWB Tribe is a movement of people striving for humanitarian engineering outcomes in the Australian engineering industry.

The Tribe recognises that there is a need for social change regarding the engineering sector's approach to working with communities. The Tribe is a community of like-minded people with strong values and a passion for humanitarian engineering. The Tribe is a conduit to opportunities for both EWB's members and supporters.

The key initiatives coordinated within the EWB Tribe are:
- National Council
- Mickey Sampson Leadership Program
- Regional Pathways to Development Events
- EWB's Annual Corporate, Media and Industry Partners Breakfast
- EWB's Annual Donor Lunch
- Cambodia Development Adventure
- Corporate Engagement
- Fundraising

Engineers Without Borders Australia partners with Appropedia[edit | edit source]

Pages relevant to EWB Australia campaigns[edit | edit source]

Please note that as of 23 March 2007, all the Global warming content on those pages has been developed by one person - so please contribute as you're able!

Members[edit | edit source]

Are you a member of EWB Australia? If so, click your user name in the upper-right (after logging in). Then click edit and enter the following code (including the curly brackets):

{{User data
| groups = Engineers Without Borders Australia
}}

Click save and you will automatically be put in the category Category:Engineers Without Borders Australia, as well as have a cool user box added to your userpage. This allows for other EWB members (and potential members) to see what you are up to on Appropedia.

Suggestions for EWB Australia members[edit | edit source]

Please feel free to contribute in any of the many possible ways. If you are interested in documenting one of your EWB projects, feel free to start by using the following Create Article box:

Suggested sites[edit | edit source]

On Appropedia:

Also on Wikipedia:

Contact Us[edit | edit source]

99 Howard St North Melbourne 3051

Phone: +61 (03) 9329 1166 info@ewb.org.au

Postal Address: PO Box 708 North Melbourne 3051

www.ewb.org.au

External links[edit | edit source]

FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Keywords australian organizations, appropriate technology organizations
Authors Chris Watkins, Lonny Grafman
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Organizations Engineers Without Borders
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 4 pages link here
Aliases EWB Australia, Ewb australia, Engineers Without Borders - Australia, EWB-Australia
Impact 82 page views (more)
Created March 13, 2007 by Chris Watkins
Last modified January 29, 2024 by Felipe Schenone
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